Effective Email Newsletters for Real Estate Agents

How Real Estate Agents Can Use Email Marketing

Email newsletters are an important, and effective, marketing technique that you can use to grow your network and your business.

But, do you know how to create an effective email newsletter?

From strong subject lines to visual appeal to the exact type of content you should be creating, this is what you need to know.

Laying the Foundation for a Successful Real Estate Email Newsletter

Before you can hit “Send” on your first email newsletter you’ll want to spend some time creating an email list and carefully cultivating your strategy.

For starters, what are your goals with your newsletter? Do you primarily want to increase brand awareness, drive traffic to your website, generate new leads, or something else? Your goals will guide the content and information that you send so think carefully about your intentions and then design the rest of your campaign around those motivations.

If you don’t have a list of subscribers already, this guide from Placester will help you build a robust email list. Combine it with the information contained in this lead generation how-to and you’ll be on your way to email success.

Creating an Email Newsletter Schedule

Next, determine how often you’re going to send out your email newsletter. You want to set a schedule and stick to it — consistency is a key tenant in email marketing.

You don’t have to send a newsletter out every week, either. Bi-weekly and monthly email newsletters can be just as effective.

What Type of Content Should I Send in my Email Newsletter?

If you’re stumped about what type of content to provide, you’re in luck. There are so many topics that you can cover as a real estate agent. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Home staging tips, home maintenance tips, and other actionable information for homeowners
• News from the real estate world (like information about your local foreclosure market, for example)
• Loan and financing guides
• Local information, like what new restaurants are opening up around town
• Highlights of actively listed properties that you’re selling
• Seasonal tips like decorating for Halloween or how to prepare for winter

Do you have a blog on your website? If you do, you can also link to those posts in your newsletter, doubling the effectiveness of your other marketing efforts.

Writing an Effective Email Newsletter, from Subject Line to the Last Period

Now that you have the foundation of your email marketing plan in place it’s time to start creating. Aside from writing strong content, here are the top skills you need to develop to get the most from email:

• Subject lines. Your newsletter’s subject line is like a home’s curb appeal, it’s the first impression that a reader will get. You want to keep subject lines short and attention-grabbing, avoiding salesy jargon like “free” or “limited time.”
• Visual appeal. No one wants to read an ugly email newsletter, but you don’t have to be a graphic designer to achieve visual appeal. Services like MailChimp and Constant Contact not only help you manage and send your newsletter, they also come with templates that you can use.
• Calls to action. Think back to the goal you initially stated, because you’ll want to remember it when writing your calls to action, or CTAs. You can sprinkle these throughout the newsletter, including at the end. Do you want the reader to give you a call or visit your website? Readers don’t necessarily know what actions you want them to take, so “call” them to do it.

Learn more about how a Home Warranty can save homeowners from unpleasant financial surprises and add value to your business.