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PUH-LEEEEEAZE Don't Use Your Office Email Account!!

By
Education & Training with Sell with Soul

What is so difficult about this concept? Why on earth would any real estate agent or mortgage broker EVER use their office email server (e.g. jennifer@coldwelbanker.com or john@wellfargo.com - misspellings intentional) to communicate with their clients, prospects and sphere of influence?

Last year I collected almost 1000 business cards from agents at the NAR convention and when I was emailinputting them into my system I was stunned at how many of them (like 90%) used the office server.

Do you REALLY think you'll be at this office forever and ever? Or even more than a year or two? Chances are you won't, but even if you think you will, WHY TAKE CHANCES?

The reason for this simplistic rant this morning is I'm trying to reach a mortgage broker friend of mine who recently changed companies. But, oops, the only email address in my address book for him is the old one, which is no longer valid. Did he notify me of his move? Yes. Did he send me his new email address? Probably. But guess what? It apparently wasn't a priority that day to make a note of it in my address book and his announcement is long gone.

You know how many real estate agents or mortgage brokers are competing with you in your market? Like, a WHOLE BUNCH? Do you really want to risk losing the Perfect Buyer or Seller because you changed offices two years ago? Sending out a new business card or even an email announcement WILL NOT DO THE TRICK. Once your email address is recorded in someone's address book, it's there forever.

Take a look at your card. Is your email address YOURS or your company's? If it's not yours, relegate these cards to your car to use during showings and order yourself new cards TODAY!

Rant Over.

 

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Comments (64)

Lourdes Hoglo REALTOR® Three Village & North Shore Suffolk Co. Long Island
Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate - Setauket, NY

Jennifer, I never thought about this before. Great post and great comments. Thank you.

Oct 04, 2008 02:25 PM
Bob Cumiskey
A1 Connection Realty, Inc. - Sun City Center, FL
US Army Retired, Your Sun City Center, Florida ~ Realtor

Jennifer, I'm sure I've read this from you before in either your first book or your second.  But, sometimes I'm a slow learner.  Top of the list of things to do today is fix this problem.  Thanks for the (hit on the head) reminder.

Oct 05, 2008 05:04 AM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

This is why my email address is gmail.  I could have it on my own domain, but  the @gmail.com is much easier to say, spell, and remember than @wallenpaupacklakeproperty.com or even @karenricesells.com which sounds tacky to me.  karenrice.com is already taken.

I will never have a company email address or a company website (some agents are more than content to have a company produced website, but ooops, it's GONE when you leave!) even though I am tickled pink at my office and don't plan on ever leaving...

Oct 06, 2008 02:49 AM
Martha Brown
Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc., Annapolis MD 21403 - Annapolis, MD
Your Homes Around Annapolis Agent

Jennifer- Good points for sure especially if you are the type of person that moves around a lot. Many agents are whether on their own or by default and I am sure with the mortgage problems many lenders are moving around or out a lot now too. I had many email addresses in the beginning of my 16 year career and finally about 8 years ago settled down with my broker email as it is not only short and sweet but reliable also. It made sense for me as I know I am with a long standing reliable brokerage that keeps its head above water no matter what the market conditions and that means more to me than anything especially now. Bottom line is we do what we feel is best for us and our business.  

Oct 06, 2008 04:43 AM
Steve Hoffacker
Steve Hoffacker LLC - West Palm Beach, FL
Certified Aging In Place Specialist-Instructor

Jennifer,

You're overlooking 3 important points here: 1) many personal emails are quite unprofessional looking, 2) using the name of the firm inspires confidence in the consumer, and 3) the broker can require it (but they usually don't). :)

Steve

Oct 06, 2008 04:47 AM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

1) many personal emails qre quite unnprofessional looking

Only if the person chooses an unproffesional handle - such as luv2sell, isell4u, etc.  The best choice of course is having your own domain, but in my case, gmail serves much better plus it impresses my geek clientele.

2) using the name of the firm inspires confidence in the consumer,

I think this is a lie started out by savvy business owners (not just brokers) trying to keep control over leads and employee / contractor communications...so that if the person leaves the company they can take over the inbox and all those contacts.

Most internet savvy customers understand the value in having a portable email, thus making it possible to check from any computer anywhere.

and 3) the broker can require it (but they usually don't). :)

That would be a broker I would not work for, so they can require away.  :)

Oct 06, 2008 04:57 AM
Bart Whitmore
Keller Williams- Louisville - Louisville, KY
Real Estate Agent

I havent really thought about what if I leave my company, maybe I will change e-mail addresses---Bart

Oct 06, 2008 01:06 PM
Dawn LoPresti
United Country/Country Lanes Real Estate - Rutherfordton, NC

This is honestly something I never thought about.  However, I will be changing everything when I am due for new business cards-update everything at once.

Oct 07, 2008 02:27 AM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

Some people have a workaround where all their "office email" is forwarded to a personal account as well, but that doesn't help if the person trying to contact you after you've gone doesn't know your personal account.

I had this happen myself - I have an old friend who is an agent in Tampa for a big broker. ANd I had a customer to refer to her.   Well at least she was.  I tried emailing her and guess what...email no longer valid, and I can't find her ANYWHERE online!  the only presence she has online is an old listing with her old email address on it.  I do not have any other contact info for her.

So not only should you have your own email address in case you switch brokerages sometime, but you should have some way for people to find you online - even if it's just a profile on Zillow, LinkedIn, or Facebook.  (or all three!)

Oct 07, 2008 03:15 AM
Jen Bowman
Keller Williams on the Water - Holmes Beach, FL
Realtor - Anna Maria Island & Bradenton FL

My email goes to me at my personal domain name. I can change service providers and not worry about it. It also brands me, which is one of the first things I learned in real estate.

Oct 07, 2008 12:11 PM
Heather Goodwin
Licensed by the Louisiana Real Estate Commission - Shreveport, LA
Results That Move You

Jennifer, great advice.  I've never understood this either and what a hassle to change everything if you move.

Oct 22, 2008 05:17 AM
asd asdasd
asdasd - Albany, NY

Is it best to use your local cell number or a toll free number for your business card, what do you think is best for clients to contact you?

Oct 22, 2008 08:37 AM
Karen Rice Keller Williams Real Est
Keller Williams Real Estate - Hawley, PA
Northeast PA & Lake Wallenpaupack Home Sales

I think your cell is best.  so many people use cell phones these days - they still have to use their minutes whether it's an 800 number or not. 

Oct 22, 2008 08:43 AM
Sandra Workman
Coldwell Banker Realty - Bradley, IL
BBA, Broker, CRS, GRI, ABR, SFR, CNE, ePRO, CNHS

No-one warned me about the downfalls of using the office e-mail server until I had problems with it myself.  The e-mail is through the local newspapers server and automatically blocks AOL addresses as SPAM mail.  So, all the mail from my clients using AOL didn't come through.  Took me a little while, but everything is now switched to my yahoo account!

Oct 27, 2008 01:01 AM
Troy Erickson AZ Realtor (602) 295-6807
HomeSmart - Chandler, AZ
Your Chandler, Ahwatukee, and East Valley Realtor

I never even considered this an issue, but now you have me thinking.  I like the web based email addresses because then you can access your email on any computer no matter where you are.  You can even access them on your cell phone.

Right now my email is in outlook, and I have to be at my desktop to access any emails.  The email address is also with my brokers office server.  I don't ever plan on leaving, but my broker is an active broker who still sells real estate, and sometimes I feel that I am advertising for her instead of myself.  I feel that I need my own identity, and would like the freedom to access my emails from any computer anywhere I am.

Would you recommend purchasing my own domain and using that as my email address, or going with an account with gmail?  I personally don't feel that a gmail account is unprofessional at all.

Nov 13, 2008 04:27 AM
Terry Elrod
Keller Williams Realty Success - Littleton, CO

Help Me.  I will offer myself as a bad example here.  I just changed offices and have not found a way to change my email address in ActiveRain.  When I edit my profile it does not allow me to change the address.  When I try to contact ActiveRain it won't accept my email because I'm using an email address it doesn't recognize.  My prior email address through my former real estate company is not active.

Can you help me?

Thanks in advance.

Terry Elrod
In Limbo

Mar 01, 2009 01:09 AM
Jennifer Allan-Hagedorn
Sell with Soul - Pensacola Beach, FL
Author of Sell with Soul

Terry - not sure how to deal with Active Rain, but if you're getting the spam=-notice when you write to them, just follow the directions and you'll get thru. You can also email them directly - just go to one of the AR God's pages and send him or her an email. If you're having this problem, I'm sure others have too!

Mar 01, 2009 01:19 AM
Sharon Lancaster
Sage Executive Group Real Estate - Kelowna, BC
SRES, Realty Executives Okanagan

If only I had read this earlier ... I did use my Remax address.. and am now changing to Realty Executives.... do you know how I can change my Active Rain email address from my profile? Do I have to delete my profile and start again? I cannot find the edit for emails...???

Thank you!!
Sharon

Apr 09, 2009 01:34 AM
Patricia DelaMotte
Nothnagle REALTORS - Henrietta, NY
Having the Right Agent Makes All the Difference!

I'm in the same boat as Sharon (above).  I can't find anything on Active Rain to change my email address in the profile.  Can some help please!!

May 31, 2009 10:47 PM
Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

I was hoping this post would have some suggestions about email hosts. We have our own email - sharon@teamalters.com

 but it is pointed to our company account. Our web site has such a limited amount of storage, it's totally impractical. Very interesting post and comments, though. 100% agree with you, Jennifer.

Jul 18, 2010 03:57 PM