The Problem
When it comes to email marketing software for estate agents many would have you believe that fully integrated expensive custom software is the way to go.
Whilst there are many benefits to working with a provider like Propology who gets your industry-specific requirements, it is also worth considering your options. If you are just starting out with email marketing then it may make more financial sense to try an off the shelf email marketing software until you start to see results.
GDPR and Consent
With the impending GDPR legislation, many of the automated practices such as adding everyone to your mailing list without consent are likely to be considered non-compliant.
This means without consent you will not be able to market to your leads and clients. With that in mind, the majority will need to implement a system where you either ask every client and record their permission or find ways to get clients to sign up themselves online.
Estate agents requirements for email
Email remains at the heart of the majority of marketing campaigns. The reason is that unlike Facebook or Twitter where you rent your audience, email gives you direct access to a list of people who have signalled they actually want to receive your message.
When it comes to choosing estate agency email software for the majority of independent estate agents the requirements are really quite simple:
- Quickly creating and sending newsletters to their own mailing list
- Setting up automated email nurture sequences to engage new prospects over time for relatively little effort
- Sending helpful professional looking follow-up emails
- Easily adding GDPR compliant sign-up forms for lead capture from their website and social media
3 email marketing options if you are on a budget:
With all that in mind. We thought it would be good to put together a list of 3 email marketing software alternatives for you if you are just getting started and or on a limited budget:
1. AWeber
AWeber is one of the cheapest options for your email marketing. AWeber can cost as little as $19 for up to 500 subscribers & unlimited emails. If you want to run a basic newsletter then its perfect for that. Easily create sign up forms and add them to your website or blog.
You can also deliver your basic email sequences. Design a sequence of emails to follow up leads and have them automatically delivered within days or weeks.
Our view is while AWeber is a great cheap option, it is less refined than the other systems on the market. However, if your requirements are basic then why pay more? Check it out using our banner below:
2. Gmail templates
You might be surprised to hear us mention this one but when you are just starting out or small then using templates in your email program can actually be the best option. It allows you to decide who gets which email and when.
Save time when sending common emails by creating a template and then simply adding the client’s details and personalising before sending. Examples include before a valuation, welcoming new applicants and following up valuations. Sharing templates across teams is a bit more of a challenge. This option is a good place to start when making your emails more consistent and more professional looking.
For those of you using Gmail we’ve found this helpful article which shows you how to enable templates in Gmail
This option, unfortunately, doesn’t scale well. Imagine trying to keep track of multiple emails for each client in your list and sending each one manually. This can soon add up to hours making it cheaper to use a proper email marketing system instead.
ActiveCampaign managed through Propology Digital.
Yes, this list would not be complete without our own recommendation. We are an official partner of ActiveCampaign and can sell it to you at competitive rates. Using our service means you get support from an industry specialist without paying the heavy cost of bespoke software.
Emails are really easy to create using the drag and drop editor. When it comes to building up nurture sequences and creating automated flows for your clients then ActiveCampaign wins hands down.
With Propology we also help you configure these as part of our service. It is still one of the cheapest systems available but with the power of a proper marketing automation platform. Bonus features include Facebook integration, website tracking and much more.
To find out more information why not explore our marketing software for estate agents
So there you have it. If you are in the market for email marketing software for your estate agency then it is worth considering our recommendations. If you found this article useful please share it with your colleagues.