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A Spam Email – A Great Excuse to Touch Base with a Past Client

By
Real Estate Agent with eXp Realty of California, Inc. CA DRE #01490977

Spam Email

A Great Reason to Touch Base with a Past Client

 

We all know how important staying in touch with past clients is in order to remain top of mind for potential future business, referrals, and just because!

 

Happy Birthday cardThere are lots of ways to do this depending on personal preferences, and in some cases budget:

 

Newsletters, calls, pop bys, emails, text messaging, holiday cards, birthday cards (I also send Un-Birthday cards at the beginning of every year), anniversary cards, Mother’s and Father’s Day cards, House-a-Versary cards, letters, periodic market reports, congratulations on special events you learn about, social media (especially Facebook and Instragram), sending Settlement Statements the first year after closing for tax purposes, client appreciation parties, reminders about Daylight Saving time starting and ending, and so on.

 

No doubt you do some of these things and perhaps more.Why not share with us!!

 

I know someone who sends Happy Groundhog Day cards…what a fun idea!

 

Today I had a new reason to get in touch with a past client – an email I received that I was sure was spam.

 

staying in touch onlineI helped a couple buy a home 5 or so years ago, and as with others have stayed in touch with them regularly. I receive an email today from one of them asking if I could help with a favor.

 

 

It was just a “Hello…” (no name) which immediately sent up the red flag, but the email address was correct and overall it sounded like a reasonable request.

 

Rather than respond, I emailed the client directly to ask if their email had been hacked, and got a response that it had not. BUT the email went on about the favor that was needed (more red flags and the favor is not worth getting into) and the return email address was different.

 

I decided to call the other member of the couple at work just to check, and as expected it definitely was spam - am I smart or what? Actually it’s only because I see so much spam that it’s pretty easy to spot even from people I know! He was going to check at home and let his wife know so appropriate action could be taken, and we had a good laugh about the requested favor (which would have meant spending a bit of money!...isn’t that usually the case?).

 

But it was a great opportunity to catch up on their lives and kids, his work, and of course talk a bit about dealing with the pandemic and all those challenges.

 

It was a reminder I owe some people calls!!

 

I keep a calendar/list of all the stay-in-touch things I plan to do for the year – when, what, who, etc. - and keep track of what I have completed, and it changes a little each year as I add new ideas. I suppose I should add spam emails to the list – not spamming them, of course, LOL. But letting them know if I see something in an email or online they should be aware of.

Posted by

Jeff Dowler, CRS
Certified Residential Specialist / Realtor®


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Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi James Dray 

My first thought WAS to just delete but I decided a better course of action was to follow-up. I would want to know if it happened to me!

Jeff

Aug 27, 2020 08:08 AM
Ron and Alexandra Seigel
Napa Consultants - Carpinteria, CA
Luxury Real Estate Branding, Marketing & Strategy

Jeff,

I love your sleuthing nature.  Good for you for persisting.  Wishing you a great day.

Aug 27, 2020 08:33 AM
Michael Jacobs
Pasadena, CA
Pasadena And Southern California 818.516.4393

Hello Jeff - it's good to keep your spam radar in proper working order.  The abundance of stuff "out there" can make it seem real so the attention to detail makes sense and can serve as another conversation starter.  

Aug 27, 2020 09:08 AM
Anna "Banana" Kruchten
HomeSmart Real Estate - Phoenix, AZ
602-380-4886

Well arent' you clever!  Good way to reach out and touch an old client! Never thought of spam in quite that way Jeff!

Aug 27, 2020 03:35 PM
George Souto
George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT
Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Jeff that was a creative use of the spam e-mail, we need to think more out of the box that way.

Aug 27, 2020 05:27 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Hi Jeff- I love this!  Some might have just deleted the email and not given it another thought and the sender's email may have gone on being hacked. Love it. 

Aug 27, 2020 07:40 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

This was the first spam email I recall getting from a client Nina Hollander  but in any case I would always follow-up to be sure. And I send plenty of cards during the year.

Jeff

Aug 28, 2020 02:05 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Agreed Kat Palmiotti . The client and I had a good chuckle!

There are so many ways to stay in touch Will Hamm  and we should!

Jeff

Aug 28, 2020 02:08 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Thank you Ron and Alexandra Seigel . To you as well!

So very true Michael Jacobs  Spam radar definitely needs to be on alert these days. Not a day goe by without it, it seems.

Jeff

Aug 28, 2020 02:10 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Hi Anna Banana Kruchten Arizona's Top Banana!  It's rare that anything good comes from spam!

Thanks George Souto  Guess we always have to be on the lookout.

Jeff

Aug 28, 2020 02:12 PM
Jeff Dowler, CRS
eXp Realty of California, Inc. - Carlsbad, CA
The Southern California Relocation Dude

Agreed Kathy Streib 

I have reached out to many people when I have gotten spam emails or weird things on Facebook.

Jeff

Aug 28, 2020 02:15 PM
Kathy Streib
Cypress, TX
Home Stager/Redesign

Aug 29, 2020 06:31 PM
Wayne Martin
Wayne M Martin - Chicago, IL
Real Estate Broker - Retired

Good morning Jeff. A very appreciated call I am sure. And it took so little time. Enjoy your day!

Aug 30, 2020 05:29 AM
Thomas J. Nelson, REALTOR ® e-Pro CRS RCS-D Vets
Big Block Realty 858.232.8722 - La Jolla, CA
CEO of Vision Drive Realty - Coastal San Diego

Thank you for the creative ideas and the link too. Happy Sunday!

Aug 30, 2020 07:24 AM
Chris Ivy
Ivy Vine Investments - Memphis, TN
Sell Your House Fast For Cash In Memphis Tennessee

Spam emails are easy to detect but some are being sent out that look real and may only be off by a certain character or word.  You did right by double checking.

Aug 30, 2020 07:57 AM
Dorie Dillard Austin TX
Coldwell Banker Realty ~ 512.750.6899 - Austin, TX
NW Austin ~ Canyon Creek and Spicewood/Balcones

Good morning Jeff Dowler, CRS ,

I'm so glad that Kathy Streib featured your post in her "Ah-Ha" moments for the week. Definitely a great time to make contact and have a conversation.

Aug 30, 2020 09:31 AM
Sheri Sperry - MCNE®
Coldwell Banker Realty - Sedona, AZ
(928) 274-7355 ~ YOUR Solutions REALTOR®

Hi Jeff Dowler, CRS - How many people would have just deleted the email, quite possibly knowing it was spam?  This shows your client that you really care.  It will be remembered.  

Aug 30, 2020 11:43 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

I once received an email with a "greeting card" link from a past customer who had been very reserved when I was working with him. Some people like to chat, tell me about their real estate market, mention their kids, etc. Not this man. He was all business.

Instead of opening the link, I emailed him. He wrote back immediately to say "Don't open it! I've been hacked."

Aug 30, 2020 12:25 PM
John Henry, Florida Architect
John Henry Masterworks Design International, Inc. - Orlando, FL
Residential Architect, Luxury Custom Home Design

Jeff, this type of stuff I have never done and perhaps I should.  Just takes a lot of time and constant list making and updating, etc.

Aug 31, 2020 10:15 AM
Jan Green - Scottsdale, AZ
Value Added Service, 602-620-2699 - Scottsdale, AZ
HomeSmart Elite Group, REALTOR®, EcoBroker, GREEN

What a great way to stay in touch - spam!  LOL.  That's a new one, but definitely shows you have an interest in their well-being, which speaks volumes about you :)  Great post! 

Aug 31, 2020 07:18 PM