We have put together a list of the top 5 helpful emails every estate agent should be sending to their clients.
Why send email marketing?
When you think of email marketing you often think of spam. You think of those sales emails that try to sell you promotional offers that you simply delete or ignore. You think of your inbox filling up with hundreds of emails of no interest to you.
However, you may be surprised to hear that as an estate agent using email marketing this is not always the case. As estate agents, you are in a unique position thanks to moving home being so important to your clients.
As a result, you can expect a much higher rate of engagement if you send high-value emails.
Following Best Practice
A new trend is emerging in email marketing called personalised email marketing automation. And whilst it sounds boring it is making a real difference to companies that use it properly.
The key to success is both what you send and also how you do it. Sending helpful content that is personal to each individual should be your ultimate goal.
Timing is also very important. Imagine if you send selling tips after the sale has fallen through. Or an email about your great service after they have complained about not knowing what is going on you with their property.
Poor timing can mean you will have both missed your opportunity to wow your clients and to have made a real difference to the process.
The 5 emails every estate agent should send
Below are our top 5 emails we think every estate agent should be sending to their estate agency clients:
1. Pre-market appraisal email
This email should set the tone for the appointment. It should help them learn about both the process and also you. It is your chance to put your agency in the first place before you meet.
Content should include some of the following ideas:
- Personalised text about looking forward to seeing them
- What to expect from the appointment,
- Some tips or things to consider either of the valuation or choosing between agents
- Any relevant local market knowledge to set you apart from the competition.
- You can also introduce your company and how it helps vendors like them. Consider adding examples of social proof such as testimonials or links to online review sites.
Try to keep the sections in the email clear and link off to additional content on your website. You may want to experiment with different layouts to see which is most successful. Also, experiment with video and images.
2. Thank you for instructing us. Here is our guide to what happens next.
The purpose of this email is to set expectations and help them understand what you will be doing next. Help them understand what you will be doing and how they need to play their part. Other ideas include sending a step by step guide to the selling process. Try not to set false expectations or use too much industry-specific jargon. Again, if you can personalise the message even better.
Bonus email: Preparing your property in the best light
Send a small teaser email to help them understand how preparing their property for sale can have a big impact on the value achieved. This could be a brief email with a link to a detailed article or video on your website. Examples include how photos can impact click-through rates on Rightmove or how small jobs can make a real difference to getting what they want, a good price for their property.
3. The email that shows you actually are listening to them
Send 1 unique email for their situation with either a link to further help or a referral to a trusted local supplier. The idea is to ensure your staff have listened and you are able to demonstrate that by adding value that is unique to them.
It could be they are downsizing, it could be they need to get something fixed or improved before listing. Whatever it is, send one email which shows you have listened and that genuinely helps them with their situation.
4. How are we doing?
The number of times I have heard complaints from friends and family about they couldn’t get the photos right, or they took longer than I expected. Or they are not keeping me updated. Communication is vital to your estate agencies long-term success.
Send them a how are we doing email shortly after the property has gone live, while the relationship is still strong. Try to find out if there is anything that could have been better or they are not happy about. Ideally, make it feel personal and genuine. Feedback is a key part of improving your service long term.
5. The sale next steps email
You know that the sale is often a complex and difficult time for both you and them. It is also a time of excitement and high expectations. However, the majority of buyers and sellers are inexperienced when it comes to sales. And even the experienced may have different ideas about the process.
Explain the process and what happens next. Consider different ways of delivering this content. Perhaps a combination of video, email, eBook or short well-timed tips. Key things to cover include what they need to do and the importance of timing. What are the key stages and what do they mean.
What are your roles, their solicitor’s roles and importantly their roles in a successful sale? And if there is a chain throw in a follow up small email dealing with a chain, what to expect.
Conclusion
The key in all of these emails is to set the tone clearly around helping and educating. Be clear, be concise and always put yourself in their shoes when writing content. We think email should encourage your clients to talk to you and compliment your service not replace it. For further help with email marketing explore our email marketing software for estate agents.
And our final tip: make sure you measure the results so that you can improve over time.
So, what’s stopping you? Get out there and start writing some great helpful emails today.
We know at first it seems like a real effort. Start small and you can build up from there. If you have any questions or need help with automating your email marketing then please get in touch.
We would love to hear if you have any comments or alternative suggestions for the estate agent community. Please post them below.