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What Does Your E-Mail Address Say About You?

By Cindy Westfall

Real Estate Agent with Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon

November 16, 2013 12:48 AM

What Does Your E-Mail Address Say About You?

I was taking negotiating seminar the other day when a realtor in the cl Sexy Kitten ass was saying she recieved an offer on one of her listings from "SexKitten@fillinthe blank.com". Of course she thought it was spam and deleted the e-mail. We all chuckled and shook our heads just thinking of what any of our clients would think if we used a professional e-mail like that. How can you expect to be taken seriously?

I know when I switched real estate companies, I planned in advance and knew I needed my own e-mail address that wasn't company specific. Going through so many changes, I snagged a G-Mail address and ran with it. I've gone and changed all my marketing to the new e-mail address and I'm know it would be a bit hard to change it again.

Putting thought into your e-mail address is necessary if it is what y What Does Your E-Mail Address Say About You? ou will be giving to your clients and using as a main communicating tool. The instructor was biased toward having your own domain instead of a Yahoo, AOL, or G-mail account. I've just ordered some pens and calendars so it is even harder now to change!

When you are looking for a professional e-mail account, know that this will be on everything and will be hard to change once you get going. Take a good long pause to think about it. What does your e-mail address say about you?

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Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Bart, Yu-Yu make a great point! Now I need to e-mail myself from my phone :)

Hi John, a perfect example of e-mail diversity which sounds like it hasn't slowed you down in the least!

Hi Michael, One would think that by using "sex kitten" you would have to be aware of how this will look right?

Hi Travis, Seems I have been missing out by not utilizing many of my domain names as e-mails as well! Gotta look into this!

Hi Patti, I would think she has to be aware of how she will be perceived and just doesn't care.

Hi Mike, I like your example and your point is well taken. I already own CindyWestfallRealtor.com....hmmmmmm. G-Mail is just easy and works. I do hate the format so have it sent over to my outlook. I know what I'll be doing tomorrow..sigh

Hi David, thank you! I know our business is every changing..especially with our marketing and such. E-mails, websites, wordpress accounts are just part of this ever growing/changing segment.

Hi Mary, nice and simple..smart!

Hi Anne, thanks! Smart choice!

Hi Jim, I would seem it needs a class :). Since it's such an important thing for our business, there are many options..some I just learned about with the comments. Love that!

Nov 20, 2013 10:11 AM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Brian, Makes you wonder for sure..

Hi Mel, I'm thinking he was talking about the one in my blog signature....could be wrong though!

Hi Harcourt, I will be doing that very thing! There will always be more calendars and such to put the new one on :)

Hi Amy, thanks! I actually learned quite a bit from the comments. The sure do take a post and enhance it!

Hi Gene, funny thing is that I own over 30 domains and why I never put it together to use them as an e-mail as well....well, ya learn something new everyday! I believe as somone mentioned I even get them for free. Doh!

Hi Robert, I have been OK with g-mail..but see my response to Gene...sigh

Hi Marcie, so true...

Hi Ralph, well said :), People do look at it.

Hi Valerie, LOL...well, I can tell you that if you can follow the format, you ARE smart enough. I use G-Mail, but hate the hard to follow (for me) format.

Hi Bob, at least your log on name is for your eyes only. I know I've gotten some great tips from the comments which I'll be looking into. Never too late!

Nov 20, 2013 10:23 AM

Bob Crane

Woodland Management Service / Woodland Real Estate, KW Diversified - Stevens Point, WI

Forestland Experts! 715-204-9671

I always get an assortment of outrageous email addresses whenever we advertise for a new position in our company. It is amazing what people think is appropriate to put on a resume.

Nov 20, 2013 10:35 AM

Dagny Eason

Dagny's Real Estate - Wilton, CT

Fairfield County CT, CDPE Homes For Sale and Condo

Fun to read all of those comments! I use my gmail email a lot since it has my full name (DagnyEason@gmail.com), but could use my company one, also, and probably should. (Dagny@DagnysRealEstate.com)

Nov 20, 2013 11:37 AM

Catherine Ulrey

Keller Williams Capital City - Salem, OR

Equestrian and Acreage Property Specialist

NO WAY! That is beyond unprofessional!

Nov 20, 2013 11:59 AM

Steven Pahl

Keller Williams Tampa Properties - Tampa, FL

Real Estate Consultant Tampa, FL 813-319-6423

I own my own, Steve@StevenPahl.com...my name is never going to change. However, SexKitten@StevenPahl.com might have certain advantages!

Nov 20, 2013 12:37 PM

Dana Basiliere

Rossi & Riina Real Estate - Williston, VT

Making deals "Happen"

I have a domain name that could travel with me anywhere in the state (dana@vermontishome.com) it is kind of long however nobody has had trouble remembering it. I have other addresses that patch through to this account such as the hickokandboardman.com one. I have see customer and client addresses over the years that put a grin on my face.

Nov 20, 2013 11:06 PM

David Demangos

Keller Williams Realty Carmel Valley / Del Mar - San Diego, CA

REALTOR

Buy your name so nobody else gets it. I use David@AwesomeSanDiegoRealEstate.com and people get it!

Nov 21, 2013 10:02 AM

Anonymous

JodiAnn Garone

Hi Cindy,

Great choice to blog about. I agree those silly email address should not be used for work. I actually got lucky. Many years ago I learned that if you were a member to Realtor.com that they would give you a vanity address. So My email is JodiAnn@Realtor.com it forwards to my private Century21JodiAnn@aol.com but noone know that but me. I knew when I started out in Real Estate almost twelve years ago that using a business address was the ay to go.

JodiAnn

Nov 21, 2013 11:25 AM

#119

Andrew Payne Realtor® Richmond VA Homes For Sale~804-938-5257~

Piedmont Real Estate - Richmond, VA

Richmond, VA, Real Estate, SRES®, NAR Green

We always need to be careful how we brand ourselves. The email address is one key component. Thanks for your post!

Nov 21, 2013 12:18 PM

Shanna Hall

Real Estate Solutions - Kirkwood, MO

I love selling houses!!!St. Louis, MO 314-703-1311

I ahve had my yahoo account for 12 years and no plans to change it. Even if I changed it- I would not get rid of the yahoo account.

Nov 21, 2013 09:26 PM

Marnie Matarese

DWELL REAL ESTATE - Sarasota, FL

Showing you the best of Sarasota!

I have my own domain so that I can count on being able to reach someone for help if there is an internet issue. You are absolutely right about the crazy email addresses. I got a "lead" from "lovesblood@..... and chose to delete. Maybe I lost a sale but it was just creepy.

Nov 21, 2013 11:10 PM

Cindy Westfall

Premiere Property Group,LLC Portland Metro & Suburbs Oregon - Tualatin, OR

ABR,GRI Your Tualatin & Portland Metro Real Estate

Hi Bob, Kinda scary in a way if this is the best foot forward.

Hi Dagny, from lots of the comments it seems that you could use both!

Hi Catherine, Way! I know..we all thought the same thing and the agent that told the story was one to be believed.

Hi Steven...don't do it :)

Hi Dana, some do tend to make us smile. I've not seen one very outlandish though. I have a colleage that hates my e-mail (well..hate is a strong word) but dislikes having to type it in saying it's too long. The good thing is that once it's there..she shouldn't have to retype it.

Hi David, I have my own name...why I never thought of getting this as an e-mail is well..in retrospect silly. I use it for my website and just thought it would be confusing for them both being the same not thinking it would be Cindy@CindyWestfall.com.....Here I thougth I was fairly tech savvy. Obviously not in this case :))

Hi JodiAnn, That was a very wise decision! I wish I had that vision early on..but instead used my company e-mail for 8 years.

Hi Andrew, your most welcome!

Hi Shanna, I have my Yahoo for my family and any other stuff that I don't want filtered in my business e-mail. Get enough e-mails in both. The downside is that I need to go in and delete, delete, delete!

Hi Marnie...hmm perhaps a phlebotomist?

Nov 22, 2013 09:09 AM

Jean-Paul Peron

The Outer Banks Real Estate Copmpany - Corolla, NC

Carova Beach - Living & Working in 4-Wheel Drive

I agree that email branding is very inportant. It's often the first time people learn about my webpage.

P.S.

anyone intetest is learning about the most unique stretch of beches on the East Coast email me at JPPeron@EscapeThePavement.com :)

Nov 22, 2013 10:28 PM

Janis Borgueta

Newburgh, NY

Retired RE Salesperson

Rob- I had a horrible user login with AR as when I first started it was nothing that I knew about. Call them and see if they will change it. They did change mine quite a while ago, but it is worth asking.

Nov 23, 2013 08:22 AM

Mike Crosby

Mike Crosby Realty - Placentia, CA

Placentia- Yorba Linda Real Estate - 714-742-2897

I use Mikedcrosby@gmail.com I think gmail is acceptible and in common use.

Nov 23, 2013 10:25 AM

Rodney Mason, VP of Mtg Lending

Guaranteed Rate NMLS# 2611 - Atlanta, GA

AL,AR,AZ,CA,CO,FL,GA,IN,MI,MS,NC,NV,SC,TN,TX,VA,WA

Bad email addresses are a pet peeve of mine. It is amazing how many agents are using emails that they hopefully had before they started their real estate careers. I have seen bizarre combinations of number and letters than in no way made sense.

VM greetings are a whole other topic. Some dont even bother to record an outgoing message. Others, dont give their name or company name. Agents need to think about how professional things like these look since first impressions mean a lot.

Nov 24, 2013 02:26 AM

Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ

Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ

HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

You are so right. I received an e-mail and thought it wasn't legit, milf6969@..... I was shell-shocked when it was a prospective client's e-mail address. Pretty crazy! You just never know!

Nov 24, 2013 07:47 AM

Robert L. Brown

www.mrbrownsellsgr.com - Grand Rapids, MI

Grand Rapids Real Estate Bellabay Realty, West Mic

I keep a host of email addresses but I "point" them to the 1 I use the most.

Nov 25, 2013 02:57 AM

Deleted Account

Fort Myers, FL

When I started, I didn't have my own domain, so I was going to start with a Comcast e-mail and thought to my self, what if Ii left Comcast? I don't care for AOL or yahoo, therefore, I chose gmail. I like gmail mainly because of the calendar. When I started, my suffix was III, so I started with scottiii@ and everyone got the iii part confused with lll (small L's) or 111, so within 2 months, I switched it before it was too late.

I mainly use 4 email addresses, all gmail. I have one for real estate, one for personal e-mail, one for personal business (ordering stuff online) and one for Facebook and Twitter. The reason I use a separate one for FB and Twitter is one time about 4 years ago, I got a virus from a FB ad. The virus launched itself every time I typed the e-mail address that I typed my FB log on e-mail address,, so I have separate one just for that.

Nov 26, 2013 03:58 AM