Note: We originally published this resource for realtors in 2018 — and updated it in 2019 with additional advice and data.
When it comes to effective marketing tactics, email ranks way up there. With active email accounts closing in on 5.6 billion in 2019 and 99% of consumers checking email on a daily basis — as a real estate agent, you want to be extremely active in this channel.
When you’re brainstorming real estate newsletter ideas, using email for distribution can help boost awareness, conversion, and retention rates among current and potential customers.
But it’s not always easy to come up with effective real estate newsletter ideas for email. Creating valuable and interesting content to send to your email list takes time and effort. Lucky for you, we have some great ideas to get you started.
Here are 12 inspiring real estate newsletter ideas to better engage your contacts.
1. Answer insurance questions
Many people have a basic understanding of home insurance — but there are many more details you should know. Do you know the best way to shop around for a plan that fits your needs? What if you’re located in a disaster zone? How do you figure out how to become more resistant? If you’re able to share some subtle yet valuable points about home insurance in an email newsletter, you will come across as someone who is smart, resourceful and truly cares about your clients’ well-being.
Try putting a teaser for this advice in the subject line to catch recipients’ eyes from the get-go.
2. Offer Ideas for Home Upgrades
As a real estate agent, you are versed in many areas of real estate that other people are not. Share that knowledge. Real estate marketing emails are a great way to show people how helpful and knowledgeable you are about the ins and outs of owning a home.
Get creative with this one. Many types of home upgrades can make for helpful, shareable content. The following, for example:
- Making a home more energy efficient
- Experimenting with new design techniques
- Baby-proofing a home
- Renovating a kitchen or bathroom
Be sure to cater to all styles and budgets. People often gravitate toward this type of content, and it can lead to a surge in open rates.
3. Stay in Touch Via Seasonal Content
Seasonal content is so helpful since you can easily come up with ideas year-round. Give thought to any upcoming holidays or activities people might be engaging in this time of year. Here are some simple ideas to get your creative juices flowing:
- Holiday decor tips – Below, Zillow uses the winter holidays to showcase several of its cozy, family-friendly properties.
[Source: Zillow]
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- Cheap Weekend Getaways – Weekends are all about taking a break from the grind, yet many people decide against taking big trips. This presents a great opportunity for you to put together an email about local travel spots — places that can be reached within a couple of hours. Throw in some affordable hotel recommendations.
- As June approaches, you can also make it about summer activities. Put together a compilation of family-oriented activities that people can enjoy without spending a lot of money. People love helpful information like this, and it can definitely help keep you top of your mind.
- Home Gardening Tips – Depending on the month, you can put together an email that outlines the different plants that should be planted during each season. Many of your email recipients are likely settling into new properties, and your tips on garden design, weed prevention, and vegetables to plant will help inspire them.
4. Deliver a Local Events Calendar
Keeping in line with local content, put together an ongoing local events calendar for contacts in your area. There are plenty of places to figure out the latest happenings. Try Facebook, your city government website, or your local newspaper for information. Your readers will appreciate this insight, which could motivate them to continue a relationship with you.
To be as relevant as possible, include places to visit, community events to attend, and even restaurants to try.
5. Send a How-To Email On Staging
A great how-to topic for an email newsletter is staging a home to sell. These types of emails are easy to read, and you will most likely reach someone who is looking to sell their property.
[Source: Zillow]
In the image above, Zillow clearly knows its audience. The innovative company is able to connect with people at the stage of life they’re at with young children.
You too can do some basic audience research to make your emails resonate with your readers. Tools like BuzzSumo’s Question Analyzer pore over online forums to help you determine your customers’ pain points and figure out their questions. Use this data to help solve their issues in your email newsletters.
If you don’t want to be as technical, conduct a local survey, or spend time in person with your current customers. Ask for their advice on how you can improve — and then also use this feedback to enrich your real estate email newsletters.
6. Regularly Send Cleaning and Organizing Tips
This is a simple how-to-style email that people will love. Experiment with a brief email update along the lines of “spring cleaning tips” or “how to declutter your home” that is highly practical.
Again, as an agent, you have valuable knowledge — and your contacts will welcome your expert advice. Curate a checklist, and be sure to include some images, you are good to go.
Houzz and The Spruce are two of our favorite places to go for inspiration.
7. Follow Up With Your Blog Content
Many realtors start a real estate blog to boost awareness and increase conversions. Sending an email newsletter with a digest of your blog posts is a great way to expand your reach.
Be sure to include just a snippet and not the entire post. Consider putting together an intro that sells your post to the reader, and include a link that takes them to the full article.
[Source: Zillow]
You can also include links to other posts you want to promote. This would be helpful for those readers who may not be interested in the original post you are sharing. Try to include social media share buttons within the email too.
8. Share Contractor Advice
Since many of your contacts already have a home, sending out a newsletter with advice about hiring a contractor to make improvements could pique their interest.
Again, a checklist is a great format for this. Provide several bullet points of things to look for and avoid in a contractor, such as:
- Years of experience
- Examples of their recent projects
- Client testimonials
- Education or other technical credentials
Doing a bit of legwork for your contacts will help them take the final step — and they’ll thank you for it.
9. Deliver Insights on Home Prices
Adding trends in home pricing to your real estate newsletter will give it a valuable edge. The data gives homeowners great info because it relates to the equity in their homes, the resale value, and their buying power. Several resources offer this information, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) and The Economist.
[Source: Realtor Theo Eastwind]
You don’t have to fill your email newsletter with data. Above, realtor Theo Eastwind integrates some additional price info into a nice graphic, including building specs and annual taxes.
10. Provide Client Testimonials
Since real estate is a service industry, nothing takes you further than word-of-mouth marketing. Real estate testimonials are one of your most powerful tools for building trust with current and potential clients.
We’ve put together an entire resource with examples for lead-generating testimonials here. As one example,
Redfin uses a testimonial on its homepage to build trust with its site visitors.
[Source: Redfin]
This real estate testimonial includes names, images, and the location of the homebuyers for context – as well as a quote. Together, the pieces form a package that resonates with many viewers.
Testimonials are excellent for reinforcing your real estate brand. Sharing these demonstrates both your expertise and your credibility and — when executed well — are proven to increase client retention and acquisition.
11. Go Behind the Scenes
People want to have a connection with the people they do business with. For this reason, putting together an email newsletter with behind-the-scenes content goes a long way in fostering both loyalty and interest in your business. It will help showcase your brand’s personality and lend a more human element. You can share photos, staff birthdays, and workplace meetings to underscore how you have fun and work together as a team.
In this example, Jetty Renters Insurance opens a view into their latest product expansion:
[Source]
In addition, the company also highlights where it’s going next. This is a great tactic to help readers of your email newsletter feel as though they are on the inside and welcomed into your community.
12. Include Curated Content
Coming up with valuable and informative content on a consistent basis is not easy. For this reason, incorporating curated content from reputable third-party sources is a great idea. You can summarize any key takeaways or points.
Use These Real Estate Newsletter Ideas As a Springboard
Sending out a monthly email newsletter is a key part of your lead-nurturing process. Not only is it a great way to remain in contact, but it also helps build long-term relationships. By providing content that is both valuable and informative, you will position yourself as a local real estate expert, boost repeat website traffic, and ultimately build credibility and trust with your clients.
Great info…