As a real estate agent, you’re always looking for new leads and ways to stay in touch with your current clients. One of the best ways to do this is through email marketing.
But how can you ensure your emails are standing out and being read?
The email subject lines.
Your email subject line is the most important element of your email marketing campaigns.
Catchy email subject lines can mean the difference between an email that’s opened and read versus one that’s immediately deleted.
With so many brands and companies constantly vying for attention in people’s inboxes, a well-crafted subject line can make all the difference.
It may seem like a pain to spend more time on your email subject lines after you’ve already spent hours perfecting the body of the email, but it’s worth it in the end when more people open and read your message.
Follow these tips to create the best email subject lines for your real estate business.
What is an Email Subject Line
The subject line of an email is the brief summary of the email’s content that appears in the recipient’s inbox. The subject line is intended to give recipients an idea of what the email contains so that they can decide whether or not to open it.
The Importance of a Good Subject Line
47% of email recipients will open an email based on the email subject line.
But even more, people will delete or mark an email as spam if it comes across as unprofessional.
In real estate, as in any other business, first impressions are key. A great email subject line is essential to making a good first impression and getting your foot in the door with potential clients. After all, if don’t give a reason for your list to open the email, it doesn’t matter how well-written the content is.
5 Ways to Improve Your Real Estate Email Subject Lines
Most people start their home-buying journey online, so it’s crucial that you’re able to capture their attention and nurture them through the process.
And while having a great real estate website and beautiful listing photos are important, none of that matters if your potential clients never open your emails in the first place.
Keep these five tips in mind to write the best email subject lines for your real estate email campaigns.
The Best Subject Lines are Short and Sweet
A good rule of thumb is to keep your subject lines to 50 characters or less. Why? Because people are busy and they don’t have time to read a novel. So make your point quickly and leave the rest for the body of your email.
Create a Sense of Urgency
Time is of the essence in real estate, so use language that conveys a sense of urgency in your email subject lines. For example, “Act fast! This one won’t last!” or “Don’t miss out on this hot property!”
Add Personal Touches
One way to stand out in someone’s inbox is to add a personal touch to your subject line. This could be something as simple as mentioning their name in the subject or recognizing a special occasion.
Keep it relevant
The best email subject lines are relevant to both the recipient and the content of your message. For example, if you’re sending an email about a new listing, then your subject line should reflect that. On the other hand, if you’re sending a general update about the market, then your subject line should be reflective of that as well.
Ask questions
Asking questions in your email subject lines is a great way to pique someone’s curiosity and get them to open your message. For example, “Have you seen this property yet?” or “Could this be your dream home?”
Preventing your emails from being marked as spam
If your emails end up in recipients’ spam folders, they’ll never see them. Here’s how you how to avoid that fate and make sure your emails always end up in inboxes.
Punctuation Marks:
While an exclamation point or question marks here and there won’t trigger the spam filter, too many in a row will. So, when you’re writing your email, be mindful of how many punctuations marks you’re using. A good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to two per sentence.
Spammy Words and Phrases:
Some words and phrases are more likely to trigger spam filters than others. If you’re using any of the following words or phrases in your email, try to find a different way to say it: “free,” “guarantee,” “click here,” “act now,” “call now,” and “for only .”
Excessive Use of Symbols:
Using too many symbols in your email can also cause it to go to spam. So limit your use of symbols such as #, @, and %.
All Caps:
Writing in all caps is equivalent to yelling, and no one likes being yelled at. So avoid writing in all caps altogether.
Emojis:
Emojis are fun, but they should be used sparingly in professional emails. A good rule of thumb is to limit yourself to only one or two.
Measuring the success of your subject lines
Your subject line is the first thing that recipients see when they receive your email, so it’s important to make sure that it’s engaging and informative. But how can you tell if your subject lines are successful? There are a few key metrics you can look at to gauge the success of your subject lines.
Open Rate
One metric you can use to measure the success of your subject lines is the open rate. Your open rate is the percentage of people who open your email out of the total number of people who received it. To calculate your open rate, simply divide the number of people who opened your email by the number of people who received it.
The real estate industry’s open rates average is 13.42%. However, if most of your emails are below this number then it may be time to pay closer attention to which subject lines perform best for you and convert more leads into clients!
A/B Testing
Another way to measure the success of your subject lines is through A/B testing. A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of an email subject line to see which one performs better.
To do this, you would send subject line A of your email to half of your list and subject line B to the other half. Then, you would compare the results to see which version had a higher open rate.
A/B testing is a great way to fine-tune your subject lines and ensure that they’re as effective as possible.
By keeping an eye on these metrics, you can ensure that your emails are being opened and read by recipients.
Real Estate Subject Lines Formulas
If you want your real estate subject lines to be effective, use a combination of the strategies mentioned below. Your emails should be clear and concise while offering value to the reader. Use the following formulas to write subject lines that will get your emails opened.
Ask a Question
One of the best ways to pique someone’s curiosity and get them to open your email is to ask a question in your subject line. For example, “Thinking of Selling Your Home? Here’s What You Need to Know.” This type of subject line not only asks a question but also promises value in the form of helpful information.
The ‘How To‘ Subject Line
People love learning how to do things, which is why the “how-to” type of subject line is so effective. For example, “How to Sell Your Home in 60 Days or Less.” This type of subject line tells the reader exactly what they can expect to learn by reading your email, which makes it hard for them to resist opening it.
The Announcement Subject Line
If you’ve got some big news to share with your list, make sure you include it in your subject line! For example, “We’re Moving! New Location and Office Hours.” This type of subject line creates a sense of urgency and excitement that will encourage people to open your email right away.
The Number Subject Line
Who doesn’t love a good list? The use of numbers in your subject line is a great way to grab attention and let people know that your email contains valuable information that they can use. For example, “10 Tips for Selling Your Home Fast.” This type of subject line is both helpful and informative, which makes it hard for recipients to resist opening your email.
The Curiosity Gap Subject Line
The curiosity gap is a powerful psychological principle that you can use to get people to take action. Essentially, it works like this: you create curiosity by starting with something intriguing but incomplete, which compels the person to want to know more (hence the gap). For example, “You Won’t Believe What Happened When I Listed My House for Sale.” This type of subject line creates intrigue and curiosity that will make people want to find out more by opening your email.
The Surprise Subject Line
Who doesn’t love a good surprise? A surprise element in your subject line is a great way to pique curiosity and get people to take action. For example, “I Didn’t Expect This When I Listed My House for Sale.” This type of subject line creates intrigue and gets people curious about what kind of surprise awaits them in your email.
The Personalized Subject Line
Nothing grabs attention quite like seeing someone’s name in print (or, in this case, in an email subject line). A personalized subject line is a great way to show that you value your relationship with the recipient and that you’re taking the time to send them content that’s relevant and tailored just for them. For example, “John, Here’s How You Can Sell Your Home Fast.” This type of subject line shows that you’re thinking about the recipient specifically and that you have something valuable to share with them.
Tools To Help Your Email Marketing Strategy
There are a lot of factors that contribute to writing your best email subject lines, but if you keep these tips in mind, you’ll be off to a great start. And, as always, testing is key. Try out different variations and see what works best for you and your subscribers. If you want help with your real estate email marketing strategy or access to ready-to-use real estate emails, check out Rockstar Agent.
