Key Takeaways
- Targeted emails written for the right group get opened and clicked. Mass emails don’t. The more specific the message, the better it performs.
- When your list is built from real leads and grouped by intent, you can send emails that speak directly to what each person wants. That’s how relevance beats volume every time.
- Every email should have one purpose and one action. When you track performance and cut what doesn’t work, your emails stay focused, and relevant. That’s what gets results.
You don’t need a billboard to stay in front of people. A well-timed email does more.
Real estate moves fast… buyer inquiries, inspections, appraisals, contracts. Between the phone calls and walkthroughs, there’s not much time left to chase cold leads. That’s where email fits.
It gives you a direct line to people who’ve already raised their hand. You stay top of mind without constantly following up. One message can warm up old leads, push a buyer to book a viewing, or remind someone to call you back.
And with the national average home price now hitting $1,002,500, according to new ABS data, there’s more at stake with every deal. You can’t afford to let serious interest slip through the cracks.
You can pull leads from your site, open homes, or referrals and keep them in the loop with little effort. The right emails do the talking when you’re tied up on the ground.
This guide shows tips for best email marketing for real estate agents and how to turn quick updates into conversations that lead somewhere.
1. Build a clean list from people who want to hear from you
Start with people who’ve already shown interest.
Open home visitors, website sign-ups, referrals, even warm leads from social DMs. These are the contacts most likely to open your emails and act on them.
Avoid buying lists or using shared databases. They might boost your numbers, but they don’t build trust. Cold contacts rarely convert, and too many bad addresses can tank your deliverability.
When someone signs up, ask for a name, suburb, and what they’re looking for… property alerts, market updates, or general insights. It gives you context and makes it easier to send something useful, not generic.
Then keep it clean. Review your list every month. Remove bounces, fake emails, and contacts who haven’t opened anything in a while. A smaller, active list will outperform a bigger, unengaged one every time.
Once your list is clean, the next step is sending the kind of emails people actually want to read. That means not treating every contact the same.
2. Send the right message to the right person
First-home buyers, upsizers, downsizers, investors, they’re all looking for different things. If you send everyone the same listings or updates, most of it won’t land.
Break your list into groups. You don’t need fancy software to start. Even a few basic tags like “buyer,” “seller,” or “past client” go a long way. From there, tailor your messages.
Send first-home buyers tips on finance, grants, and low-maintenance homes.
Investors care more about yield, vacancy rates and off-market deals.
Past sellers might just need a quick update to remind them you’re still active.
Relevance gets results. The closer your message fits the person, the more likely they are to open it, read it, and respond. Generic emails get skipped while targeted ones get action.
3. Write subject lines that get opened
Think of your subject line as the headline on a flyer. If it doesn’t grab attention, nothing else gets read. Keep it short, clear and specific.
“Two-bedroom homes under $600K” gives people something real. “Check out this week’s listings” sounds like every other agent in their inbox.
Avoid spammy language. No “must-see!” or “won’t last!” Stick to facts people care about. Mention location, price range, or a feature that’s hard to find.
Also, don’t waste space with your name or business. They already see who it’s from. Use that subject line to tell them why they should open the email, not who sent it.
Most people don’t organize their inbox. A study of Yahoo Mail found that 70% of people have never set up a single folder. So if your email doesn’t grab attention right away, it’s gone. Buried under unread promos and noise.
A strong subject gets the click. A clear email keeps them reading. Both matter.
Once people start opening your emails, you don’t want to lose momentum. That’s where automation helps… without making you sound like a machine.
4. Automate without sounding robotic
You don’t have time to write every email by hand. But that doesn’t mean they should feel canned. The goal is to stay consistent, not scripted.
Start with a basic sequence. When someone joins your list, send a welcome email right away. Something short, personal, and useful.
A few days later, follow up with a quick local market update. A week after that, send them a curated list of properties based on what they’re looking for.
Space it out. Don’t flood their inbox. And keep the tone simple and human. Write like you’re talking to someone at a weekend open home, not reading off a brochure.
Automation saves time and keeps you visible, even when you’re at inspections, appraisals or in a long phone call. But it only works if people feel like you’re talking to them and not at them.
Now you’ve got their attention, don’t waste it. Every email should do one thing well, not five things poorly.
5. Keep it simple and track what works
Don’t overload people with options. One email, one message, one clear next step.
Whether it’s booking a viewing, replying with a question, or downloading a guide, make that action obvious.
Avoid long blocks of text or too many links. People skim. Keep it tight, and make the call-to-action easy to spot.
Then check your numbers. Open rates tell you if your subject line worked. Click rates show if your content landed. Low numbers? Test something different. Change the timing. Rewrite the copy. Try a new format.
You don’t need to guess. The data tells you what’s working, if you pay attention. Small tweaks over time make a big difference.
Track what works and stay above board
As you test and improve your emails, make sure you’re also playing by the rules. Email regulations vary depending on where you work. Spam Act 2003 in Australia, CAN-SPAM in the U.S., Canada’s anti-spam legislation (CASL) in Canada, The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in Europe.
Every email you send should include your business name and address. There should be a clear unsubscribe link, and any opt-out request needs to be processed quickly. Ignoring these basics doesn’t just break trust but it can get you flagged as spam and tank your deliverability.
When you’re unsure, check the official guidelines in your area. Staying compliant isn’t hard, and it protects the list you’ve worked to build.
The takeaway
Email isn’t flashy, but it works.
A good list, a strong subject line, and a message that speaks to the right person, that’s what gets results. You don’t need to send more. You need to send better.
Keep it clear. Keep it useful. Track what lands. Drop what doesn’t.
And if you want to do all of this without the manual setup, an email marketing platform gives real estate agents and teams the tools to automate, personalise and track campaigns that stay sharp and consistent, without eating into your day.
Stop writing emails that fill space. Start writing ones that drive action, because when inboxes are full, the clearest message wins.
