How to Grow and Nurture Your Email List

If there is one important thing the post covid world has taught me is real estate agents and property managers are going to have to think, act and become more and more like online marketers. So, this is why this topic on email lists is so important. It is essentially the first step in becoming a successful online marketer. If you have no one to market to online, how are you ever going to get anyone to engage in your services?

If you are asking why you need an email list, then listen closely. You absolutely need an email list and should be working on growing it every single day and week. Email is a great way to stay in regular contact with your clients, build relationships and grow your business. Email gives you the opportunity to reach out any time of day or night. With their low costs and high returns on investment, email lists have become a crucial real estate marketing technique, especially in the online world. Whether you use an email provider or have a custom database your emails should be stored somewhere, ideally all in the same place and a strategic approach to nurturing the leads put in place.

There are a few reasons why an email list is so important in real estate businesses:

• You own your email contacts, but you don’t own your social media. When you get subscribers you are in complete control of when they hear from you, what they read, and what relationship you are building with them.

• Marketing is all about building meaningful connections. And that starts by only having people on your list that want to be there. That means don’t just add every person you have ever met to your email list and start spamming them. That is no different from stuffing their physical mailbox with junk mail. You speak directly to people who typically want to engage with your service. You want your subscribers to willingly “opt-in” to your email list for real estate leads so they are not surprised when they hear from you.

Not every one of your ideal clients is on social media. There is a good chance your target audience will include some very tech-savvy individuals and some not-so-savvy people. But email is one of the most basic services people use online. By emailing your audience you are making it easy for them to receive, read, and hopefully act on your message. Almost 58% of people check their email first thing in the morning, so there is a good chance you are going to be successful at reaching your potential clients. 

So, how do you grow that all important email list?

 

1. OPT IN OPTIONS ON YOUR WEBSITE

This is a very simple and effective way to start adding emails to your list. You can have something simple like a subscription to our newsletter or property alerts, to something more sophisticated like an e-book or training video. Whatever you decide to use make sure there are multiple options for them to leave an email scattered throughout your website, pop ups and banners are really good too.

2. LANDING PAGE

This is generally something of value (usually free) you offer potential leads in exchange for their email address. How do you get them to opt-in you ask? Well, you offer your ideal clients something that you know they absolutely need or want. For example, if your target client is first-time investors you can offer them the 7 Steps to Buying Your First Investment Property Guide. That way when people join your list, they are clearly interested in what you have to offer and are more likely to be converted into a client.

3. OPEN HOMES/INSPECTIONS

Having a physical or electronic means to collect emails at inspections or open homes is a must for adding valuable emails to your list. These are people you already know are interested in what you have to offer, buying or renting a property. Don’t forget that tenants also become homeowners and landlord’s eventually as well. Whether you use Inspect Real Estate, an Ipad that links directly to your database, or a physical list, this is one of the easiest ways to add emails to your list. Make sure you have these people opt in correctly to receive emails from you though.

4. ONLINE ENQUIRY

We get a lot of online enquiries for rentals and sales properties, are you making sure all these email addresses and contacts are being added to your database or email provider? Databases like Vault RE and Agentbox allow automation for these to be added through your online advertising portals like realestate.com.au and domain.com.au. So, there is very little manual work required apart from the initial setup. Again you are accessing people who are genuinely interested in your services.

BREAKING DOWN THE EMAIL NURTURE

Nurture marketing is a communication strategy designed to place content in front of prospective buyers at various points in a customer’s journey. Nurture marketing involves regularly reaching out to leads and your customer base by presenting important information before they ask for it. It is generally a series of email campaigns.

Nurture marketing helps:

• Establish communication with prospects

• Be at the front of prospects’ minds when they’re ready to buy or change agents

• Strengthen current customer relationships

You can nurture in three important ways:

The first one is with your leads. Leads are at the start of their journey with you, they are not ‘actively’ making a decision about working with you. Leads are lost souls searching for solutions to their problems. 

Prospects on the other hand are aware of their problem and actively seeking a solution. They are in the market, they have something that separates them from the pool of leads called ‘buyer intent’. Buyer intent is when things get serious, this is where prospects are weighing up their options in readiness to engage your property management services … a little Nurturing might just tip them over the edge.

Clients have made the decision and gone ahead and joined your business. But this is not the end of the journey, it is only the beginning… Your clients are your voice in the world, championing your cause, referring friends, to you. Don’t make the mistake of ignoring your most precious asset, your clients. All three of these areas require consideration in your email nurture sequences, not just nurturing leads to prospects. 

Top tips to consider when it comes to sending nurture emails:

• Always include a link to unsubscribe from your emails and your office address to comply with anti-spam laws (and hope no one clicks it!).

• Be consistent but never annoy your subscribers. Your subscribers will expect your emails around the same time every day, week, or month. Keep to a regular delivery schedule but don’t send too many emails multiple times a day or you could risk unsubscribes.

• Schedule your emails for the right time when your audience is most likely to open them. Avoid sending too early or late in the day and during your subscribers’ busiest times during the week.

• Focus on only one call to action so you don’t confuse your subscribers. Give them one task and you’ll have a higher chance of them following through on it. Don’t tell them to check out your new listings and follow you on Instagram and read your blog on home inspections, for example.

• Segment your list, so that the right people are getting the right content you are sending them. Don’t just blanket email everyone, or you’ll quickly have a mass exodus clicking the unsubscribe button.

Nurture campaigns are a long-term commitment, not a quick turnaround – they give leads time to get to know your company and make their own informed decisions.

DOWNLOAD OUR 7 EMAIL NURTURE SEQUENCE FOR PROPERTY MANAGERS HERE

If you like this blog then check these out:
THREE NEW WAYS TO PROSPECT & HOW TO AUTOMATE IT 

THE BEST WAYS TO BUILD YOUR REAL ESTATE DATABASE

HOW TO PROSPECT TO FILL UP YOUR PIPELINE FOR BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT