How to Grow Your Real Estate Business With Effective Email Marketing

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Email marketing for the real estate industry is one of the best ways to generate real estate leads and showcase your expertise and professionalism as a real estate agent.


According to a Statista survey, email marketing on a global scale is projected to increase to $17.9 billion by 2027.


If you’d like to know what it takes to build your list, launch your email campaign, convert prospects, and more, we’ve got you covered.


Ready to start?

1. Why is email marketing important to real estate agents?

With over 2 million real estate agents in the U.S., you can’t afford to be left behind in your email marketing strategy.


More importantly, email marketing for real estate enables you to build and nurture relationships with homeowners.


Here are other reasons why email marketing is essential in the real estate industry:

1. Saves time — With automated workflows, you can dedicate your time and energy to other aspects of your business

2. Builds credibility with prospects from the onset

3. It allows you to be present at each stage of the buyer’s journey

4. It helps you to stand out from the competition

5. It enables you to understand the needs of your target market

Now that you understand the importance of email marketing for your business, let’s look at distinct ways you can grow your list.

2. How to create your email list

Before you launch a real estate email marketing campaign, you first need a list and a reliable email service provider (ESP).


Your list should only include contacts of those genuinely interested in what you have to offer, i.e. qualified leads.


You may even get into hot soup with your ESP if you use farmed/bought emails.


The right emailing software is just as important as building a list of qualified prospects.

2.1. Choose an email marketing software

Real estate agents need to choose the right email service provider to help them effectively launch and scale their real estate business online.


Systeme.io is a good example of an emailing tool that you can use to launch your first email campaign.


You may have heard of other email marketing platforms like GetResponse, ActiveCampaign, and Sendinblue.


The below table will give you an idea of how much each email marketing platform will set you back on a monthly basis:

Choose an email marketing software

The emailing software you choose should enable you to:

  • Launch your email campaigns with ease
  • Create mobile responsive emails
  • Segment or group your list
  • Automate your campaigns with workflows

2.2. Create real estate landing pages

Ever heard of real estate landing pages? To effectively build your list, you need well-designed, high-converting landing pages on your site.


Additionally, you should design more than one landing page for your real estate business. Why?


Multiple landing pages will cater to your prospects' different interests or housing needs —businesses with more than 15 landing pages generate 55% more leads than those with less than 10 landing pages.


On each landing page, include the following:

  • A signup or opt-in form to collect customer information
  • A visually appealing design to help you make a great first impression
  • High-quality imagery and a strong headline
  • Strong copy that emphasizes the benefits of your offer
  • A call-to-action (CTA) button

Once you’ve created and optimized your landing pages, viewers are less likely to bounce off as soon as they land on your site.


Also, ensure the pop-up forms on your landing pages are mobile-optimized to capture leads and enhance user experience (UX).


Here’s a great example of a signup form:

Source: Campaignmonitor.com

Source: CampaignMonitor.com

If you’d like some tips on how to create these forms, click here.

2.3. A/B split testing

A/B testing can be useful in your real estate email marketing campaigns because it can increase your open and click-through rates when done right.


For example, research shows that simple subject lines get more responses (541% more) than those that are creative.


Email A/B testing involves creating 2 emails that are exactly alike except for one difference.


Doing this will help you ascertain which of the 2 versions drives more engagement with your subscribers to yield optimal results.


Other than your subject line, you can test:

  • A different preheader text
  • A different CTA
  • A different sender name

Keep testing different elements of your emails to increase the efficacy of your real estate email campaigns.

2.4. Social media marketing

As of 2022, 58.4% of the global population is on social media. Real estate professionals can benefit from social media in more ways than one.


To start, you can invest in social media ads, like Facebook Ads, to launch targeted marketing campaigns to grow your list.


Additionally, you can run social media contests where people enter their email address to participate.


Another great option is to create a social media strategy where you can post a mix of educational and sales content to enhance awareness of your real estate business.


Identify where your target market spends most of their time.


If you target millennials and they’re primarily on Facebook, focus your marketing efforts on this platform.


Include your website URL in your bio(s) so that people interested can click through to your landing page for further information.

2.5. Start a blog

Having a blog on your site can not only help you gain new leads but it will also be beneficial to your existing subscribers.


Schedule blog posts the same way you would schedule emails, to keep readers engaged with your content and coming back for more.


Here’s a strategy to help you gain leads through blogging:

  • Publish relevant content (like How-To’s) to address customer pain points; for example, a post on “How to secure low-interest loans”
  • Optimize your blog content for SEO to increase organic traffic to your site — Google Analytics can help you pinpoint high performing posts
  • Add timed pop-ups or exit popups to your blog posts
  • Repurpose your blog posts for social media
  • Share some of your blog posts via email once you start your campaign
  • Include a CTA in your posts

Besides using blogging, social media, landing pages and more to build your list, you can also:

  • Build business relationships with other real estate agents who may refer clients to you
  • Create a real estate referral program on your website to attract new leads — A good example is Jacquie Smith’s referral program where she offers $222 for every new referral

Now that you’re aware of the steps to build your email list, here’s how you can launch your real estate marketing campaign.

3. How to launch an email marketing campaign

Source: ReallyGoodEmails.com

As your list continues to grow, you’ll need to have a plan regarding the marketing emails you send out once you launch your real estate marketing campaign.


The steps below will guide you in this regard:

3.1. Segment your subscribers

Segmentation is crucial to your real estate marketing as it helps you organize your list to send out personalized emails.


You can group your leads based on:

  • Demographics
  • Interests
  • Behavior
  • Geographical location

Your email marketing tool will do all the heavy lifting and segment your list based on these categories.


If you have CRM software, it can also help you with segmentation since it collects and stores information about your customer base.


You can also include quizzes and surveys in your emails to help segment your leads and drive engagement.


Here are some examples of the different types of content your subscribers will be interested in:

  • Homeownership vs. rentals
  • Mortgage financing or home prices
  • Local events for real estate (e.g. open house invites)
  • Neighborhood guides
  • Home maintenance advice

If a subscriber clicks on a link to find out about new listings in their local area, you can tag them and automatically send them emails about local housing prices or mortgage assistance.


As long as you send out the right content to the right person, your email marketing efforts are sure to pay off with better open and click-through rates.

3.2. Choose the best time to send emails

What is the best time to send emails to your real estate list?


The most logical answer to this question would be to send them out when people are most active online.


Or, if you can figure out what email frequency works best with your subscribers, you may get an idea of the best time to send them emails.


Since your email list consists of diverse people, knowing the exact times they’re most active can be an uphill task.


That said, there are varying methods you can employ to determine the best times to engage with your subscribers.


Here’s what you can do:

  • Send out your marketing emails on different days and times
  • Analyze email metrics, like open rate, to gain insight into the best times to send emails
  • Send emails during transition times like lunch breaks (1 pm) and evenings at 6 pm (after subscribers leave work)

Again, since subscribers are different, these tactics may not always work.


On the whole, take the time to get to know your leads and keep analyzing your metrics.


Soon enough, you’ll learn the best times to send emails to your prospects.

3.3. Automate your emails

Once you’ve created specific segments of your subscribers, it’s easy to set up automated email sequences for your email nurture campaign.


Automated email sequences or drip emails can be based on triggers.


Here are examples of how such triggers work:

  • When a new lead signs up to join your real estate email list, based on this action, they’ll automatically receive a welcome email
  • If they land on your squeeze page and give you their email in exchange for a lead magnet, they’ll automatically receive this resource

Besides trigger-based emails, automated emails can also be time-based.


Let's use our earlier example of a subscriber receiving a welcome email.


With time-based email automation, you can delay this email:

  • For hours
  • A day
  • Or send it out instantly

This not only works for welcome emails but also for follow-up emails, referral emails, and more.


However, when it comes to welcome emails, it’s best to send this email immediately after a lead signs up to your list.


Such email sequences eliminate the need for you to send out real estate emails manually, saving time, and can be easily set up using your service provider.

3.4. Know the types of emails you can send

There are different types of emails you can send to subscribers depending on their position on the customer’s journey, among other factors.


For example, a prospect who’s interested in buying property should receive emails about:

  • New listings
  • Open house invitations
  • Mortgage financing

Such targeted emails drive engagement and prevent your emails from ending up in the spam folder.


Starting with welcome emails, let’s find out what the different types of email mean for your real estate business and your overall marketing campaigns:

3.4.1. Welcome emails

Source: ReallyGoodEmails.com

Welcome emails are exactly what the name suggests and have an open rate of 50%.


They’re only sent out to people who express a desire to receive your real estate content.


Moreover, you must reveal what real estate content they’ll receive in future emails.


Since your Welcome emails will receive the highest engagement of any of your email campaigns, they need to be done right.


Here are some tips on how to write your Welcome emails:

  • Ensure your subject line is clear and concise
  • Include subscribers’ first name to personalize your messaging
  • Use an action-based CTA in the first person — For example, “Reserve my spot”
  • Use a color scheme that’s consistent with your branding

Create welcome email sequences and send out 4-6 emails to establish trust with new leads.


Each email should be designed to move prospects to the next step of their journey.

3.4.2. Email newsletters

Source: ReallyGoodEmails.com

Email newsletters reinforce the fact that you have full control over your real estate email list.


They typically come after your welcome emails and are designed to continue to nurture and educate your leads.


The same tips we mentioned above on how to write your welcome emails can also be applied to your email newsletters.


Furthermore, with this type of email, you should:

  • Remain in contact with your new subscribers till they’re ready to hire you
  • Create shareable real estate content that will help expand your network
  • Keep your subscribers up to date on events, real estate trends, new listings and more
  • Convince your leads that you’re an expert in the real estate industry
Source: Activetrail.com

Source: ActiveTrail.com

This type of email works best for real estate educational content.


Additionally, a newsletter email frequency of once a week is a good place to start.


However, you can conduct a survey to find out how many times subscribers wish to receive your emails.


Alternatively, during the sign-up process, ask subscribers which email frequency they prefer.


For example: weekly, bi-weekly or monthly — your ESP can set this up for you.

3.4.3. Referral and testimonial emails

Source: Unlayer.com

Source: Unlayer.com

Referral and testimonial emails are powerful weapons in the real estate industry and can grow your business exponentially.


Even though nurturing existing clients is essential, past clients should also be a top priority.


They can refer you to their network and enlist your services again in the future.


However, only ask for referrals from happy and satisfied clients.


Provide an incentive, like a voucher or a gift card, to encourage customers to refer business your way.


Also, pay attention to the language you use in your emails — the email shouldn’t sound awkward or make them feel uncomfortable.


Aside from asking former clients to refer your services to their network, you can also ask them to:

  • Leave a testimonial on your website, which you can display on your landing page(s) or homepage — You can also use these testimonials to create case studies
  • Send you a video review via email
  • Leave feedback on a third-party review site like Trustpilot — 88% of consumers read online reviews about local businesses
  • Participate in surveys and use the data on your site to close in on new leads

There are many other types of emails you can send to subscribers apart from the ones discussed above. Such emails include:

  • Birthday or anniversary emails
  • Thank You emails
  • Follow-up emails

Why not use real estate email templates to streamline your real estate emails?

4. Email marketing templates for any real estate business

Real estate email marketing templates can help you save time and keep you on schedule with your email marketing campaigns.


These email templates can be personalized and work with any type of real estate email, such as:

  • New or expired listings emails
  • Open house emails
  • Buyer lead emails
  • Seller lead emails

Depending on the email template, the subject lines, CTAs and email copy will vary.


You can also tweak or modify your email templates to align with your real estate business model.


Below are 2 examples of real estate email templates you can draw inspiration from:

Source: ConstantContact.com

Source: ConstantContact.com

In the above welcome email template, they’ve managed to:

  • Use an email design in line with their branding
  • Inform leads that they’ll receive content throughout the year
  • Give details on what real estate content subscribers should expect
  • Include social share buttons to encourage further engagement
  • Provide resources for new leads to access straight away
  • Provide their contact details in case subscribers have questions to ask
  • Personalize the email by including a photo of the sender

Here’s the second example of a real estate email template:

Source: ConstantContact.com

Source: ConstantContact.com

In this example, Green Acres Realty’s email template works because:

  • They offer details about the house — The price and year built
  • They include a video tour of the house
  • The design contains images to enhance visual appeal
  • They include social share buttons to connect further with leads
  • The email copy is concise and to the point

Now that you know how to build your list and launch your campaigns, let’s look at what makes systeme.io the best emailing tool for your business.

5. Systeme.io: The best email marketing tool

systeme.io logo

systeme.io logo

Systeme.io is a SaaS (software as a service) tool that you can use to launch your real estate marketing campaigns.


You can send targeted emails and email drip campaigns.


We also have built-in email marketing software and done-for-you email templates you can use for your real estate business.


Additionally, our emailing tool uses a tagging system to help you segment your list when launching your campaigns.


Here’s what else you can do using our software:

  • Send unlimited emails on any plan
  • Create squeeze pages and opt-in forms to collect prospects’ emails
  • Check your email analytics — Open rate, conversion rate, and spam rate
  • Set up IF/THEN automation workflows to automate your campaigns
  • Customize your email templates with our drag-and-drop editor

And more.

5.1. Systeme.io’s other features

systeme.io’s features

systeme.io’s features

Besides an emailing tool, systeme.io has other features that make it the ideal marketing tool.


These features include, but aren’t limited to:

  • Website builder — Create a beautiful website with our free high converting templates
  • Blog — Launch a blog to educate and entertain your real estate prospects
  • Funnel builder — Create your real estate sales funnel to promote your real estate business and increase conversions

5.2. Systeme.io’s pricing

systeme.io's pricing plans

systeme.io's pricing plans

The best part about launching your real estate marketing campaigns with systeme.io is that you can start for free without needing to add your credit card information.


We currently have 4 pricing plans, and if you opt for annual billing, you’ll save 30%.


Here are our pricing plans:

  • Free plan — $0/month for up to 2,000 contacts
  • Startup plan — $27/month for up to 5,000 contacts
  • Webinar plan — $47/month for up to 10,000 contacts
  • Unlimited plan — $97/month for unlimited contacts and features

Each plan scales with your business and provides more features as you upgrade.

6. Conclusion

If you want to take your real estate agency to the next level, you need to invest time and effort into real estate email marketing.


Ensure you set up your real estate strategy the right way by first building a list, choosing the right tool, and sending relevant and valuable emails to your contacts.


Let systeme.io help you build the perfect email campaigns and watch those real estate deals stream in.


Get started with our Free plan today!

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