First of all, you need to check with your area's laws concerning direct solicitation of potential clients from realtors. This practice may be a no-no. If it's ok to solicit new customers through mailings, then you should compose a letter similar to this. Dear [person you are soliciting]: I am [your name here] and I represent [real estate company's name here]. I understand that your home isn't currently on the market, but I have a proposal to show you detailing my services and how you can take advantage of the current real estate market. As a marketing professional, I want to provide you with some marketing and advertising facts should you be interested in selling your home. [Bulleted list with your company's name and a list of the services you provide such as the number of times you advertise in the local paper and real estate Web sites. This assures the seller that the maximum amount of people will see their home is for sale. Explain why increased advertising will increase the chances of the seller selling their home for top dollar. State facts about your company such as how long you've been in business and how successful you are in selling other similar properties. Possibly add your company's tag line here.] Close with "If you decide to let [real estate company] assist you in selling your home, please permit me the opportunity to speak with you personally. I am enclosing a sample listing agreement for your review. I look forward to your phone call. [Add your name and phone number here.] Add an appropriate complementary closing. This came from Microsoft Office online templates. There are thousands of templates to choose from that you can change to meet your specific needs. http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/TC010177011033.aspx?pid=CT101470581033 I hope this helps.

I am also a Realtor. I doubt that an unsolicited letter from you or me will convince the average homeowner to move, when they may not be interested in doing so. The exception would be if you offer them a HUGE premium over what the property may be worth. I would walk up to their door for a little facetime. A face-to-face meeting will work far better than the impersonal approach you have proposed. Direct mail is seldom worth the cost (unless you only use postcrds). When (not IF) you get shot down, it is your job to convince your client that other homes may fulfill their needs just as well as the one on which their heart had been set.

You could not bother them. If they wanted to sell, they would have a sign. But no, you feel you have the right to bother them.