REALTORS® Share Advice About Building a Successful Email Newsletter

When REALTORS® are seeking to expand their marketing efforts through an email newsletter, it’s not enough to just produce and distribute one. A successful newsletter is one that actually gets read. 

The difference lies in the quality of the content, says Melissa Salazar, vice president of national program adoption and transformation at Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.

Writing an effective real estate newsletter 

Don’t focus too much on self-promotion, Salazar says. Rather, first-person content about the state of the market, for example, is good, as it conveys authenticity, having been written by the REALTOR®. Consider including property listings you are looking to promote to your client base, packaging them in a way to showcase yourself, the REALTOR®, as an expert voice or guide. 

In terms of style, she says for better readability it’s best to use one or two sentence paragraphs, possibly bolding the punchlines, and include lots of white space. The ultimate goal is a newsletter that’s simple and easy to read, with a modern design and high-quality visuals. With all of that in mind, try to make yourself stand out from the crowd, she says, so that your newsletter is a memorable inbox experience. 

Additional strategies for newsletter success 

Each newsletter, which ideally should be sent about every two weeks, should have just one clear call to action, Salazar says. A single “just sold” story works, as does something on price changes in the neighbourhood. Use a personal tone and try to pique the reader’s curiosity in the subject line. 

It’s important to give the reader value by complementing the core content with other material, such as interior design ideas or restaurant recommendations for the neighbourhood around a property listing. Feel free to be creative in finding something that makes sense for you and your client base.

“Real estate is a relationship business, and [a newsletter is] a way of being connected beyond calls and text,” Salazar says. It should offer “visual appeal, easy to click on items, lots of market insights and practical value. 

“The strongest newsletters provide lots of market insights and lots of lifestyle content, if you are farming a particular area, with content on new shops and trends around local businesses,” she says. “You want to make the reader know what it feels like to be in that area, what it’s like to live there.”

Real estate is a relationship business, and [a newsletter is] a way of being connected beyond calls and text.”

Melissa Salazar, REALTOR® and broker

Salazar says she particularly likes ‘Top 5’ or ‘Top 10’ lists in newsletters. Ideas for these can include top steak restaurants in a neighbourhood, top smart technology for the home, or top trends in design or décor, as the REALTOR® is selling a lifestyle, not just a home.

Keeping clients top of mind 

“The REALTOR® is there to be helpful for people,” she says, “and not be too sales-y. Ten per cent of the content should be promoting yourself, whether that’s testimonials or recent sales activities.” 

The most important metric the REALTOR® should be focusing on is consistency in getting the newsletter out, Salazar says. The journey is also important: If a reader has clicked on a floor plan for a 1,500-square-foot, two-bedroom condo from the newsletter, a few days later there could be a follow-up, perhaps calling out similar properties available in the area, asking the reader if they want more details, or even asking if they want more lifestyle content. 

More topic ideas, and how to measure impact 

Margaret Burt, a REALTOR® and salesperson with Century 21 Fusion in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, says the objective of her newsletter is to establish herself as an agent the reader feels connected to, one they can trust and who remains top of mind. In her view, an ideal newsletter should include:

• Local market updates, highlighted with simple graphs, key stats and brief rundowns.
• Buyer/seller tips, such as maintenance reminders, seasonal checklists and staging advice.
• Community highlights that feature new businesses, and neighbourhood spotlights and events.
• Real estate news explained: An example might be “What the latest rate announcement really means”.
• Your current listings and recent sales, but keep it limited.
• Behind-the-scenes content, such as client stories, renovation wins and personal insights.
• Homeownership education, on such things as tax credits and insurance resources.

Burt says it’s important to pay attention to the data that shows actual engagement, not just the number of people who receive it. Key data points are the open rate, the click-through rate, unsubscribes and the reply rate.

Stay compliant and accessible 

In addition to having a clean design and a look that doesn’t feel like a corporate mass mailer, make sure the newsletter is mobile friendly, Burt adds.

“Clean up your contact list periodically to check for bounced and undeliverable addresses and inactive contacts,” she says. “Make sure you stay compliant with Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation [which prohibits sending commercial electronic messages without the recipient’s consent], include your brokerage details, and follow any other rules and regulations set out governing advertising. Consider segmenting your audience to provide a more targeted approach to your content. Different groups need different content.”

This article is for information purposes and is not legal advice or a substitute for legal counsel.