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Top 10 Email Etiquette Tips

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Crye-Leike, Realtors

Here's the latest tech tip from Crye-Leike Information Technology....

  1. Turn off the Caps Lock.
    TYPING IN ALL CAPS IS YELLING AT SOMEONE (and it's hard to read).
     
  2. Type a Subject Line.
    A descriptive one-liner to summarize the content and grab attention.
     
  3. Include an Email Signature.
    Your contact info with the message (phone, fax, mailing and web addresses)
     
  4. Watch the Acronyms.
    LOL is it "Life of Loan" or "Laughing out Loud"?
     
  5. Avoid Sarcasm.
    Tone is easily misinterpreted in email.
     
  6. Check Spelling. 
    Chec wiht a profesionnal. Doesn't look very professional. Turn on auto run.
     
  7. Keep it to the Point. 
    Keep your message concise. Short. Easy and quick to read.
     
  8. Limit Attachments.
    Watch file sizes. Large files take a long time to download and fill up mailboxes.
     
  9. Respond Promptly.
    Don't make them wonder if you are checking your email.
     
  10. Don't Forward Hoaxes & Chains.
    You will not get a million dollars after forwarding to 7 of your friends.
    Check for legitimacy on a story with snopes.com or on a virus with symantec.com.

Comments (18)

Shane OnullGorman
Eau Claire Realty, Inc. - Eau Claire, WI
Eau Claire Wisconsin, Real Estate Agent & Realtor- Buy or Sell

Number 10 is really scary. I get these all the time. Dont people understand that someone was probably using that email to send a virus or worse?

Sep 04, 2008 03:39 AM
Bob & Bonnie Horning
Mount Joy, PA

Sing my petition and forward to everyone you know.

Congress is currently trying to pass a law that would have national park bears be put on a boat and sent to a remote island for filching pic a nic baskets!!

1. Boo Boo

2. I. M. Gullible

3. Sue Sorry

... just got a number 10 this morning. Forever now, I'll refer to them as a good ole number 10.

Great advice.

 

Sep 04, 2008 03:50 AM
Lisa Hill
Florida Property Experts - Daytona Beach, FL
Daytona Beach Real Estate

Simple but logical advice. It's amazing how many people don't know about netiquette. But I love my BTW's, FTR's (For the record) TY (Thank you) FWIW (For what it's worth) and all the other shortened words we use in text messages. Those things are a pain. They always cut off my message =(

Sep 04, 2008 03:57 AM
Bill Sauneuf
John L. Scott Real Estate / Yelm - Mount Vernon, WA

The best advice is usually simple.  You shouldn't have to translate an email from "text message" into English.  We have plenty of bandwidth for the extra few letters!

Great post!

Sep 04, 2008 04:03 AM
Dianne Deming
RE/MAX Realty Group - Rehoboth Beach, DE

Tremendous reminders, Angie.  Thank-you!  And BTW (does that mean by the way?), many of us don't use nor understand all of the text anachronymns. 

Sep 15, 2008 02:28 PM
Doris Freeman
Zach Taylor Real Estate - Gallatin, TN
Broker/Agent, 615-961-7799

Very good advice and reminders.  Thanks

Have A Great Day

Sep 15, 2008 03:00 PM
Garren Grup
John R. Wood REALTORS - Naples, FL
REALTOR, ABR, CNE,CDPE, GRI, Naples & Bonita Springs, FL

I hope you get enough comments on this that it becomes a "Featured Post" and gets disseminated through every blog and media outlet.

Sep 15, 2008 03:49 PM
Tracie Mason
Agent Assistant Network - Seattle, WA
Holton, Coach & Virtual Assistant

Angie - Great topic and much needed.  I don't mind text messages.  I use them both personally and professionally...both my nieces are text messaging fends.  But when I have to decipher emails, it's just too much.... 

Bill - thank you for telling the truth!  Yes we do have plenty of bandwidth for the extra letters.  :-)

Sep 15, 2008 05:08 PM
Angie Vandenbergh
Crye-Leike, Realtors - Memphis, TN
A Crye-Leike Blogger

Hi - Thanks all for your comments.

Dianne - BTW is By the Way... you have it right. 

On the LOL... really that did come up (life of loan) from settlement sheets and laughing out loud. 

Sep 16, 2008 03:56 AM
Laurie Logan
Keller Williams Realty, Inc., Broker Associate - Madison, WI
South Central WI Real Estate

Hi Angie,

Important tips - especially #10. 

Thanks so much!     Laurie

Sep 16, 2008 05:18 PM
Tina Merritt
Nest Realty - Blacksburg, VA
Virginia Real Estate

OMG! I LUV this list! Can't wate to share it with my agetns!

(Sorry, couldn't help myself!)

Tina in Virginia

Sep 16, 2008 11:32 PM
Scott Hoen
Carson City, NV
Carson City Clerk Recorder / Public Administrator

I like the list but number nine should be number one -- it is critical to respond quickly~

Sep 22, 2008 04:47 PM
Gita Bantwal
RE/MAX Centre Realtors - Warwick, PA
REALTOR,ABR,CRS,SRES,GRI - Bucks County & Philadel

Great tips. I hope people read this post. When people send you an email they expect a quick response.

Sep 22, 2008 11:42 PM
Team Honeycutt
Allen Tate - Concord, NC

Morning,

Great post.  Very concise way to highlight lots of information.  I've copied your list for future use.

 

Sep 23, 2008 01:28 AM
Greg Gorman
John R Wood Properties - Naples, FL
Naples Florida Real Estate

Hi Angie-

Oh, lets add #11. Never ever SPAM! I get several hundred a day, so I am gratful for SPAM blockers!

Make it a great day & greetings from Paradise (and a former Tennessean).

Realtor Greg Gorman & Realtor David Burke Present Naples Florida Real Estate 

Sep 23, 2008 10:44 PM
Tracy McNeil
Crye-Leike - Olive Branch, MS
Vice President, Broker - CRS, ABR

Great reminders Angie.  I will share this list in our next sales meeting.  Have a great day!

Nov 03, 2008 01:05 AM
real estate real estate
Providence, RI

I think everybody should know No.10 as well. I am so sick of all the virus alerts that I receive from people. They all claim "better take the warning, right". Sometime a good heart can do bad things.

Nov 03, 2008 01:42 AM
Mark Artesani
Keller Williams Realty - Fountain Valley, CA
Huntington & Newport Beach, Fountain Valley Homes

Thanks for the list. Is there a spell check for Facebook or Twitter?LOL

Jun 07, 2009 11:49 PM