Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies that have been proven effective time and again in the real estate industry.
But while traditional email marketing practices and standards have been basically the same, the rules have changed with the shift in consumer and market behaviours in the real estate landscape.
With so many factors that affect traditional email marketing practices such as the effects of spam, autoresponders, and click bait among others, marketing emails either end up in recycle bins or labelled as spam themselves and do not get the attention it deserves.
New strategies need to be devised to avoid such problems and get your email marketing campaign its optimal results.
The basics of real estate email marketing
Email marketing lets real estate agents take advantage of email as an effective and efficient way to communicate with their clients. Building your email contact list usually starts from organic and paid lead generation approaches such as networking, social media marketing, and creating a referral network.
What follows is a series of emails with planned and organised content, programmed over a period of time and gets sent to email contacts.
The usual email process begins with an introductory email regarding details about your real estate business, followed by succeeding emails that include valuable information about listings, news, updates, events, information, market insights and other information that cater to the interests of the lead.
While drip email marketing can be a daunting task, the introduction of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots have given email marketers the opportunity to program automatic responses based on individual user intent and interests which can target individual preferences.
Different types of real estate marketing campaigns
There are basically five types of email marketing campaigns that are often used in the real estate market.
Drip campaigns
These are typically automated and triggered by lead intent or behaviours. The email database for this type of campaign build on the listings, secure neighbourhood updates, and other noteworthy information that gets programmed and sent over time to engage the lead.
It could take weeks or months for a lead to be converted to make a purchase, so it is important to ensure that the content throughout the campaigns can keep the lead engaged.
Targeted campaigns
This is aimed at a subset or a specific group of leads, which may be based on demographics, interest or location. This gives leads to more targeted content and information that are relevant to their subsets.
Event and open house campaigns
These are email campaigns that share information and encourages leads to attend events or open houses. While leads may not be out in the market to make a purchase, it provides them with opportunities for making an investment or reconsiders their real estate options.
Cold campaigns
These are more general email campaigns that could take some time to convert leads. These involve sending out quality content over time to provide leads with valuable information and at the same time keep them engaged while you nurture and add value to your professional network.
What makes a good email marketing campaign
When properly managed and done right, real estate email marketing campaigns can be very effective and provide long-term benefits.
Here are some of the best tips for an effective email marketing campaign;
Create a good first impression
The real estate market is a very competitive one, so make sure to introduce yourself as professional, approachable, and reputable. Offer a unique value proposition such as your knowledge about real estate and how you can be of help to them. You may highlight your experience, performance, and work ethic without appearing arrogant or snobbish.
Awareness and education
Empower your leads by educating them about the real estate industry. You may offer them valuable insights, and provide options that can help them grab opportunities in the real estate market.
Make sure to provide compelling and inspiring content that would appeal to their interests and intents so that you continue to engage them and they look forward to receiving your emails.
Call to action
Make sure that you develop your email content with a call to action towards the end of the email communication. It should also provide a means for your lead to gain additional value from taking action, such as a periodic newsletter, regular updates to events, etc.
Build and strengthen professional relationships
It pays to establish a personal yet professional relationship with your clients. Your campaigns may include getting their birthdates that would notify you to send out birthday cards or other special dates such as an anniversary, graduation rites, or important milestones that are memorable to them.
Real estate email marketing can give you, your leads, and customers the open channels to stay informed and nurture relationships. It is a small investment to make which can give you more returns than you might expect.