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Real Estate Email Marketing Tips: How to Increase Engagement

By
Real Estate Technology with Chime

Email still reigns king in real estate. Whether emails are used to nurture a lead with newsletters or send property alerts, emails are an agent’s greatest ally. Unlike text messages, emails are best used to serve rich content. Even though email marketing is one of the greatest sales and marketing tools available to real estate agents, it is an often poorly utilized in most lead conversion strategies. To help you increase opens and clicks, here are four real estate email marketing tips:

Personalize Your Subject Lines

Studies show that three quarters of consumers prefer to receive commercial communication via email. However, are you more likely to open an email from someone you know or from a bot? Your leads feel the same way!

Whether emails are used to nurture a lead through drips or to send simple property alerts, email marketing is most effective when it’s personalized. Email personalization is made easy thanks to a feature called “merge tags” built into your email template builder. You can use merge tags as a placeholder, and went sent via your CRM, the merge tags will be populated with that lead’s identifying information pulled from your database.

“Personalized emails improve click-through rates by 14%, and conversion rates by 10%,” Aberdeen Group

Write Compelling Subject Line Copy

You can send your audience the most valuable, relevant emails in the world, but if your subject line doesn’t sell it, no one will read it. Statistics show that shorter subject lines work best (the sweet spot is 9-14 words), but what’s most important is that you show readers how the content inside will be valuable to them.

For example, Zillow often uses the “What Can You Afford?” In this example, the headline tackles a topic almost everyone is familiar with: financial uncertainty. The subject line works because it poses a question without immediately answering it. This likely enticed many readers to click through for the full answer.

“64% of recipients open an email because of the subject line,” MarketingSherpa

Use Content to Drive Clicks

With emails, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and demonstrate your clout as the best person to representative your lead’s needs. But if you want your readers to answer a call to action, such as clicking a link back to your website, to sign up for an event, or even to watch a VR tour of an open home, you’ll need to leverage compelling content within the email body. For example, instead of packing property listings into your newsletters, put it on your website in a blog post and have your recipients click back to your IDX website to learn more.

Incite seller leads by sending market reports which will answer one of the most commonly asked questions – Is now a good time to sell? For buyer leads, include content with personal recommendations for lenders inspection companies who can help them dive into every nook and cranny of their home to find potential deal breakers. Whatever content you include in your email bodies, make sure it provides value to the reader above all. Your emails should distinguish you from other agents by establishing yourself as a thought leader.

Learn When to Schedule Your Emails

From subject lines with emojis to the duration of your email drip campaigns, there are endless variables that can affect the success of your email marketing efforts. One of the biggest impacts on email marketing success are the time of day and the day of the week you send out emails.

Sign up for a free demo with a Chime productivity expert to learn how Chime’s suite of powerful sales tools will help you convert more leads into appointments.

Nina Hollander, Broker
Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC
Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

All great suggestions, April. Last week we had a post here that said don't personalize subject lines, you say do so. So which is it really? 

Jun 21, 2017 04:02 AM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

Hey Nina,


After years of working with big companies for over a decade, (Sony, Samsung,etc.) and Chime, I had the pleasure of looking at a lot of open rate data of the testings we've done. The other post may say a personalized subject line may not be great- but in my experience, there's an increase of up to 15% open rate whenever I use a :name: tag, on a subject line.  

I average an average of 30% open rate for cold emails lists I curate for companies, including Chime, and upwards to 68-80% for my warm email lists. ;)  

A/B testing is always the way to go, and to know your audience. 

Jun 22, 2017 11:18 AM
Nathan Gesner
American West Realty and Management - Cody, WY
Broker / Property Manager

I definitely struggle with attention-grabbing subject lines. Good information!

Jun 21, 2017 05:05 AM
Sam Shueh
(408) 425-1601 - San Jose, CA
mba, cdpe, reopro, pe

People have learned not to click a link from a lender, a Africa queen, insurance or a realtor and opt to delete these Emails.....

Jul 11, 2017 12:57 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

It can definitely be tricky, Sam. That's why it's so important to push away from the automated feel and instead strategize, and keep your message personal.

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Steve Bracero
Heisler and Mattson - Shrewsbury, MA
First Time Homebuyer and Investor Specialist

Great tips! The subject line is so important, and necessary to convert 

Jul 11, 2017 06:37 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

Absolutely, Steve! A good subject line can make all the difference for open rates and conversion.

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Dagny Eason
Dagny's Real Estate - Wilton, CT
Fairfield County CT, CDPE Homes For Sale and Condo

I usually have a 30% open rate, but think I can stand for a lot of improvement.

Jul 11, 2017 06:44 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

That's fantastic, Dagny! There's always room for improvement.

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Sajy Mathew
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Lancaster, PA
Making your real estate dreams become a reality!

Great tips!  Thanks for sharing.  Will be reviewing much of my stuff  and looking to improve.

Jul 11, 2017 08:21 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

Thanks for the kind words, Sajy! Can't wait to see what you do with these tips.

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
David Wright
Benchmark Realty, LLC - Brentwood, TN
Real Estate Refined

I agree with this article. If you personalize the subject line, it grabs the reader's attention. They want to see their name in print, otherwise, it becomes more robotic. Also, a good email campaign is built on storytelling. This style of writing and content is more likely to be read and remembered.

Jul 11, 2017 08:52 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

Exactly, David. Personalization and connection is key!

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Do you seem pretty simple but they often need to be said just to jog my memory is and stuff like that.

Jul 11, 2017 11:28 PM
John Wiley
Fort Myers, FL
Lee County, FL, ECO Broker, GRI, SRES,GREEN,PSA

Great tips for engaging the consumer with emails.

It is more than having award winning content, there must be something that moves them to the point of even seeing your message.

Thanks

Jul 12, 2017 06:29 AM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

Yes, John! It's all connected. There's less value in that amazing content if no one is inspired to look.

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Ron Aguilar
Gateway Mortgage Group - Saint George, UT
Mortgage & Real Estate Advisor since 1995

I have been testing email content with or without strategic subject lines for many years. DMARC email authentication is critical for open rates. In the past SPF & DKIM was the standard, but enough of that stuff. The subject line needs to have a pattern disrupt process. Examples: Which house do you like more?, Which Kitchen would you rather have?, Would rather have a lower down payment or a lower interest rate?  The goal is to get them to engage with you. Use a program that tracks their open activity and respond fast. Much more needed but I have to get back to work...

Jul 12, 2017 07:07 AM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

This is great insight, Ron! Thanks for sharing!

Jul 12, 2017 11:24 AM
Stavrula "Sam" Crafa, RNC,GRI, CDPE, PSA
Future Home Realty - Seminole, FL
Providing the integrity and service you deserve.

Interesting post. i confess that I have two email accounts; one for what I consider important emails, business and people and other businesses I actually want to hear from and one for everything else. For me, it really comes down to if I know the person sending me the email. If I do, I open it. If I don't and something about it doesn't catch my eye, I delete it. I delete a lot !!!

Jul 12, 2017 08:23 PM
Lisa @ Chime Technologies

I totally understand that strategy, Sam! The trick with the personalization as the sender is to catch the recipient's eye - that open is the first step! A realtor should aim to stay away from the "spammy" emails that, even if they get opened, are deleted because the value doesn't jump out at the person swiping through their emails. It's important to deliver the full package: an enticing subject line, getting to the point once inside the email, and of course, an appropriate call to action that is interesting and brings value to the recipient AND the sender. Email can be a tough lead nurturing tool to master, but when done right, it can make a huge difference in your business!

Jul 13, 2017 11:39 AM