As a real estate agent, you know that the best way to sell a lot of homes is to stay in regular, constant contact with past clients as well as your pipeline of prospects, This will significantly increase your exposure and keep you 'top of mind' when clients and prospects start making real estate-related decisions. It's simple mathematics; the more people exposed to your repeated, interesting, and engaging marketing messages, the more sales you make and the more income you earn.
That being said, the marketing methods and strategies that you use to reach out should be varied and ongoing, and one of the best of them is email marketing. While it might not be as glamorous or trendy and some of the newer marketing methods available today, email marketing is still as potent as ever. There's only one problem; many real estate agents are using email the wrong way, or making mistakes that lower and even destroy their ROI using it.
In this article, we're going to take a look at many of the worst mistakes that real estate agents are making with their email marketing and, more importantly, how to fix them and significantly increase your email marketing results. If you're a RE agent looking to sell more homes in 2020, read on to find out the Email Marketing Mistakes Real Estate Agents Make and How to Fix Them.
Not All Email Marketing Mistakes are Created Equal
Before we take a more in-depth look at the mistakes, errors, slips, omissions and blunders that many a real estate agent has made, let's talk about the fact that not all of them are created equally or carry the same weight. For example, if you make a small spelling error in a single email, the chances are that very few potential clients will notice or even care. On the other hand, if you make a promise in an email campaign that you can't keep, for whatever reason, that mistake might find you in court having to defend your actions.
The point here is simply that, when you're writing email messages and crafting your email campaigns be as thorough as possible, check your work before you hit 'send' and, if you're making promises about anything, make sure they're legally permissible and that you have the ability to come through on them if and when it's time to deliver.
On the other hand, if you make a promise in an email campaign that you can't keep, for whatever reason, that mistake might find you in court having to defend your actions.
Mistake - Failing to Correctly Format Client Information Variables
Nobody likes seeing their name be mauled.
Personalizing emails is one of the most important little steps that you go through every time you create a new email letter and email marketing campaign. The reason is simple; an email message with the receiver's correct name is much more likely to be 'opened' and read than one that has a generic 'hello' greeting.
While it's a little bit technical, correctly formatting the 'tag' that is needed to make sure the correct client name and data is inserted into every email is vitally important. Without it, their names won't appear at the top or, even worse, a 'place holder' tag will be there instead. I think we can all agree that "Dear Recipient" has much less persuasive power than "Dear Jonathan" or "Hello Ashley."
Solution:
Make sure your email is formatted correctly before sending it. If you're not sure how to do that, look it up on YouTube, ask an expert, or hire a professional to handle your email campaigns. Better yet, use a well-designed email software package like eCampaignProto get the job done.
BONUS: If you're not sure how to properly format an email with the correct tags, eCampaignPro has created an excellent video that outlines, step-by-step, how to personalize your email campaigns correctly for the best results.
Mistake - Sending an Email that Hasn't Been Finished (Or is Blank)
There's no better way to look unprepared and slightly incompetent.
Silly mistakes can cause as much harm to your reputation as an expert real estate agent, simply because you look like an amateur. An email message that's only half-written or completely blank gives the receiver the impression that you either don't care, don't have a clue, or worse. It's like getting a pizza delivered that's only half-baked; it might have been delicious, but now it's just an annoying mess.
Solution:
Before sending out any email, make sure you check to see that it's been finished, has all the information it's supposed to have and makes sense. Sending the email to yourself on your smartphone and to your desktop email is also an excellent idea. That way, you can check to make sure both are formatted to display correctly, are mistake-free and aren't missing any vital information. It might sound trivial but many a real estate agent has made this mistake and paid the price in client apathy and lower sales.
Silly mistakes can cause as much harm to your reputation as an expert real estate agent, simply because you look like an amateur.
Mistake - Sending Out the Same Exact Email More than Once
Repetition isn't always the path to success.
As a real estate agent, you're always busy with a multitude of tasks, it's true. Driving to an open house, interviewing prospective new clients, drawing up contracts, and discussing the conditions of a particular sale are all part of your average day. That being said, it can be easy to overlook something now and again, including the fact that the email you just sent out was a carbon copy of the email you sent yesterday or last week.
The problem here is that as some of the other mistakes we've already talked about, sending out a duplicate email can make you look less than professional or, in some cases, incompetent, and that's never a good look for a real estate agent. It can also be embarrassing, to say the least, and that's why, before you press send on your next email marketing campaign, make sure that the email message you're sending is the correct, new message.
Solution:
Check, check, and then recheck your emails before sending them. Or hire an email marketing guru to help you so that small mistakes like these don't have significant repercussions on your sales and income. Frankly, if done correctly, email marketing should quickly pay for itself in increased sales, even if you're paying extra for an expert to do it for you. You can also purchase email marketing software to do the job for you and notice those mistakes automatically before the message is sent.
Frankly, if done correctly, email marketing should quickly pay for itself in increased sales, even if you're paying extra for an expert to do it for you.
Mistake - Forgetting to Proofread Your Email Before Sending
Those little mistakes can cause big consequences.
In the world of carpentry, there's an old adage that goes like this; "measure twice, cut once." This keeps mistakes to a minimum and keeps costs lower too since mistakes mean having to purchase more wood to finish the job correctly.
This also holds true for real estate agents using email marketing and digital marketing. Yes, if you make a spelling or grammar mistake (or worse) in an email, you won't have to purchase anything to fix that mistake, but the consequences that it can cause mean you'll be paying for it later in terms of lower sales and commissions. Potential clients have a habit of noticing even the smallest of mistakes and, if they're on the fence about hiring you, that might be all they need to choose someone else.
Solution:
Like the last email marketing mistake we mentioned, to solve this one, you simply need to check, then re-check and, if you're really on your game, send yourself a test of your email to proofread it one last time and make sure that everything is 100% correct. In carpentry and in real estate email marketing, it's a habit that will pay for itself over and over again.
Mistake - Not Optimizing Your Emails for Mobile Devices
Potential clients aren't just on their laptops and PCs anymore.
Unless you've been selling real estate on the moon, you've noticed that people everywhere are accessing the internet using their mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. In fact, it's likely that the majority of your potential clients are only using their devices to look for properties, find an agent like yourself and much more. A quick look at the statistics proves this to be true;
- Over 70% of Americans own a smartphone
- 100 million Americans own a tablet
- About 80% of consumers have used their smartphone to make a purchase decision
- 90% of consumers use a mobile device to complete 'everyday' tasks
- 40% of consumers use their mobile device to research a product or service before making a decision
- Over 50% of ALL online traffic in 2018 was through a mobile phone
What these statistics say is self-evident; email marketing campaigns must be optimized for mobile devices. They need to 'look good' on them, which means being properly formatted for several different devices so that they can be seen and read easily.
Solution:
Test and then test again to make sure that your emails look correct on mobile devices. Also, ask a colleague or someone you know to lend you their smartphone so that you can check and make sure your email looks correct. An email software program that can optimize your emails automatically is also a great option.
Mistake - Your Emails Don't Comply With the Law
They change all the time so make sure you know and follow them correctly.
Here's a fact; the laws governing the internet are in a constant state of flux, changing almost daily as new rules are created and old ones left on the ash-heap of history. If you don't know the laws and regulations or send out an email that breaks one or more of them, you could find yourself facing huge fines. It also could do irreparable harm to your reputation, something that we can all agree isn't good for your bottom line.
Solution:
Take time to acquaint yourself with the various email rules and regulations and, every so often, reacquaint yourself with them as they have likely changed. Better yet, use a software service that tracks them and updates you when they change.
If you don't know the laws and regulations or send out an email that breaks one or more of them, you could find yourself facing huge fines.
Mistake - Not Acknowledging and Apologizing When you Make a Mistake
A little gift wouldn't hurt either.
What's worse, making a mistake or making a mistake and then letting it go without acknowledging that mistake and apologizing for it? We think you'll agree that the latter is worse because it could give potential clients the idea that you don't care or, even worse, don't have a clue. The truth is we're all human, and we all make mistakes from time to time. However, the best real estate agents own up to their mistakes and, in the process, create more of an affinity for their brand and their services.
Solution:
Sending out a follow-up email explaining and apologizing for the mistake is a no-brainer. Even better would be some type of 'gift' with the email, like an article you wrote about "Top 10 Ways to Get a Better Price on your New Home". By admitting your mistake and giving something away of value, you'll create a lot of goodwill. Even better, the mistake you made won't be the reason clients remember you.
Mistake - Not having a Schedule for your Real Estate Email Marketing
Let potential clients know when they will hear from you next.
This mistake is one of the most common and, for some, the most difficult to correct. The thing is, most people today are busy as beavers, but they still make time to check and read their email. If you send yours out here and there all willy-nilly, it will likely get lost in the shuffle of their daily life and the results you get will show it.
Solution:
Make a schedule to send out your email marketing messages and stick to it. Once a week, bi-weekly or monthly is fine as long as potential clients know it's coming. Sending on the same day of the week is also a great idea because reading it can then become part of your clients' routine and increase the likelihood they respond, take notice and use you as their agent.
Email marketing should be one of your biggest priorities as a real estate agent because it can provide excellent results when done well. Using an email software program like eCampaignPro is an excellent idea if you're busy because it will take some of the burden off of your shoulders and reduce the chance of the mistakes we've been talking about.
We hope you enjoyed this article and that it answered all your questions about Email Marketing Mistakes Real Estate Agents Make and How to Fix Them. If you have more questions or would like to leave a comment, please do so in the space provided, and best of luck with your future email marketing campaigns!