Real estate email marketing is a primary client communication channel. A broker or agent’s ability to deliver an effective email can make or break their business. So, gaining your clients’ trust and attention through effective email communication is paramount. Let’s take a look at some ways to maximize your email marketing efforts.
How To Build Your Email List
Building a current list of subscribers is not an easy task. You’ll want to identify as many channels as possible to gain consenting subscribers. If you are in residential real estate, you might find that your open houses or networking events can be effective. Giving away free tools, insights or market reports in exchange for email addresses is a great way, as well. Those tools might include a mortgage or investment calculator, a downloadable property improvement worksheet or access to an underwriting tool. These are all useful ways to provide value to potential clients while also gaining opt-in subscribers.
Another surefire way to build your list is to send amazing emails. Build thoughtful content, and subscribers may forward your emails to their friends and associates. Compiling some of the best new listings, providing market reports or sharing some of your expertise, which we’ll explore further below, should do the trick.
How To Maximize Open Rates
Keeping a current and clean subscriber list is very important. Purchased, farmed or stale lists will all usually result in poor open rates. Especially if you are sending from your own server, you’ll want to clean your emails with a service like NeverBounce or Kickbox. Those services will let you know which emails are undeliverable and which might be risky. Keeping a healthy list and focusing on quality over quantity will keep your emails landing in the inbox and not in the spam folder.
How To Reduce Unsubscribes
To reduce losing your subscribers, it’s important to send emails that are relevant. In commercial real estate, this might be a bit more challenging, as investors are often not refined to a local area or specific property type. A good way to keep emails relevant is to build an opt-in form where you can direct your subscribers. They can then select which emails they’d like to receive from you.
Templates And Testing
Building email templates that don’t break in certain email clients is critical. I recommend building templates in a simple platform, such as Mailchimp or Constant Contact. If you are more advanced, try the free version of BEE or try coding them yourself. Testing the templates in Litmus is a great way to guarantee your HTML email will be viewed properly. Older email clients, such as Outlook, can be especially tricky. Make sure to test for mobile responsiveness, as well. You may need to go back and tweak your template if the email doesn’t look great on a phone or tablet.
Suggested Types Of Emails
• Off-market teasers: Do you know of a property that’s available privately or off-market? Get the owner’s consent to send out a teaser email that doesn’t include the address or photos. You’ll have interested parties engaging with this email and requesting more information. This is an excellent time to enrich your data about what that person is interested in.
• Upcoming listings: Similarly, do you have a new listing coming to market? Build some intrigue and prime demand for your listing by giving people who receive your emails a teaser of what is to come.
• Market inventory updates: Do your homework and select what properties you feel are most enticing to your subscribers. People will be glad you’ve done the searching and sifting for them.
• Investment insights and strategies: Help your clients visualize a strategy that could work for them. Provide your expert advice on what might work in the current market or some ideas on how to capitalize on upcoming opportunities.
I hope this provides you with some ideas on how to craft your email strategy or improve your current process.