5 Steps for Success in Commercial Real Estate Email Marketing

With nearly 3 million CRE professionals in the US (IBISWorld), commercial real estate email marketing is vital to stand out as a solo agent or part of a team.

Email marketing in commercial real estate (CRE) is a strategy that uses email to send targeted information and promotions to a selected audience, aiming to engage clients, drive sales, and build loyalty by offering valuable real estate insights and opportunities.

CRE email marketing involves:

1. Build and Grow Your Email List: Use diverse, evergreen content and social media to attract subscribers.
2. Understand Your Audience: Segment your email list for targeted, tailored content.
3. Nurture Leads Effectively: Employ personalization and automation for efficient lead nurturing.
4. Ensure Email Deliverability: Authenticate your domain, use trusted providers, and comply with regulations.
5. Optimize with A/B Testing: Test email subjects, content, CTAs, and timing to improve campaign effectiveness.

Read on to discover how to take your CRE email marketing strategy to the next level:

1. Build and Grow Your Email List

No commercial real estate marketing campaign can begin in earnest until you have an email list.

If yours is sparse, try these tactics to generate more signups.

Produce Content on Your Website to Acquire Traffic

Generating a well-stocked email list is a bit of a long game. You need content that can serve twofold purposes.

For one, it can become a lead magnet (more on this momentarily), and secondarily, it can be a traffic booster.

How do you create content that brings in the views? Try these approaches:

• Keep content varied. Don’t rely solely on blog posts, but try incorporating videos, infographics, case studies, and whitepapers into the mix.
• Publish evergreen content. This way, it’s still relevant several campaigns from now and can be retooled and updated if needed.
• Do keyword research to determine what your audience is searching for, then review your competitor’s posts to find a unique angle to approach that keyword.

Does your CRE website need an overhaul? Review Mediaboom’s top real estate website designs and this list of luxury real estate website design.

Use Social Media to Drive Additional Traffic

Once you’ve built a content library that brings in more site views, turn your attention to social media.

You can cross-post your content to your social media feed, but don’t make your profile a mirror image of your website.

Share content relevant to your followers from your account and others that you find. Maintaining a high-value presence on social media is a key marketing strategy for CREs.

Create Strategic Lead Magnets

Next, it’s time to cherry-pick your highest-performing and most engaging content and use it as lead magnets.

Rather than share the whole eBook, you’d only give them a chapter. Other lead magnets are long-form blog content, checklists, and videos.

The goal of a lead magnet is to give a website visitor something valuable in exchange for their email address.

• Understanding Your Audience

By far, knowing your audience is the most important facet of commercial real estate marketing.

Without a firm grasp of who your audience is, you can’t create a successful email marketing plan. Your metrics will fall short of expectations.

Here’s how to get to know your audience.

Segment Your Email List

Generalized email blasts rarely perform well. Instead, you need segmented audience data based on geographics, demographics, and psychographics.

Once you have smaller audience groups, you can build customer avatars based on pain points, needs, interests, and budget.

Tailor Content for Each List

For email marketing commercial real estate campaigns to succeed, you must produce content geared toward each of the segments you just built.

Relying on email automation software will make it easier to schedule the messages, including those sent to new leads, leads you’re trying to convert, and longer-term customers.

2. Understand Your Audience

Get building your commercial real estate email marketing strategy with these tips, tricks, and best practices.

Build a Schedule Calendar

You need consistency when scheduling emails the same way you do when publishing content.

Sending emails on a regular basis keeps engaged users on the hook and sets up expectations for newer subscribers.

How frequently should you send emails?

There is no one right answer here.

Some companies email their audiences twice a week, others only once, and others still up to four times per week.

What matters most is audience preferences. Allow your subscribers to provide their feedback. If they find your email frequency is too high, they could unsubscribe or report you for spam, so you want to get it just right.

There is more concrete evidence about the best days to send emails. Thursday remains the top day for inspiring higher open rates, followed by Tuesday. The best times are between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.

Design Emails for Maximum Impact

Email design is as important as when you send it. If your audience doesn’t find the design appealing, they’ll gradually stop opening and engaging with your messages.

Here are some strategies for email design in the CRE sector:

• Always use a strong call to action, placing it prominently above the fold.
• Optimize your content for mobile so readers can enjoy it on mobile and desktop.
• Promote readability with clear fonts and well-designed elements that don’t overlap.

Many email marketing services have templates and tools for building your own emails, including Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and HubSpot.

Alternate Between Informative Content and Promotional Content

The email content you send shouldn’t all be promotional or informative.

You need an even blend of the two, alternating to keep your content fresh and engaging for newer and longer-term audience members alike.

3. Nurture Leads Effectively

One of the most important elements of commercial real estate marketing is personalization.

The segmentation you did before will help you create tailored content that resonates with each audience group depending on where they are in the sales funnel.

You can use automation to get your messages out as needed. After all, if you don’t capitalize at the right moment, a hot lead can quickly go cold.

Here are automation strategies CREs can’t miss.

Incorporate Automation and Drip Campaigns for Nurturing Leads

Drip campaigns are a great way to build lead relationships, as you can gradually and strategically send prewritten emails to your leads to guide them through the funnel.

Building an automation workflow for a drip campaign will make the entire process more hands-off.

You can schedule emails every two days or however often you want to send them, keeping the lead engaged and more eager to convert.

Improve Emails Based on Data You Collect

As you accrue audience information and campaign data, you’ll build more successful commercial real estate marketing strategies based on that information.

You’ll learn what kind of email content connects with your various audience segments to double down on it.

You can also discover ways to navigate beyond low open and click-through rates to improve your future campaigns.

Create Logical Paths Based on User Behavior

Building an automation workflow, whether through coding or the more popular drag-and-drop, requires you to map out logical paths for a lead to follow.

For example, they will either open and engage with your first email, or they might only open it.

You need an automation workflow for every action to keep leads going through the funnel.

4. Ensure Email Deliverability

Optimizing your emails involves more than preparing them visually for mobile. Here are other tasks you must complete before you hit send.

Authenticate Your Domain with DKIM and SPF Records

First, only send emails from an authenticated domain using DomainKeys Identified Mail or DKIM.

This method of authentication creates a signature the recipient receives stating that you own the domain you emailed from.

You should also use the Sender Policy Framework or SPF for Internet Service Provider (ISP) authentication.

This will help your sender reputation remain sterling so you can continue connecting with your growing audience via email.

Use a Reputable Email Service Provider

The Email Service Provider you choose must be trustworthy.

Companies like Sendinblue, ConvertKit, ActiveCampaign, and Mailchimp are quality ESPs that will help you send your emails reliably and consistently.

Comply with Email Regulations and Laws

You must stay abreast of privacy regulations and email laws. For example, the General Data Protection Regulation or GDPR was passed in 2016.

Although it’s based in the European Union, it affects businesses in other parts of the world that have EU customers or clients.

Review pertinent email regulations and stay on the right side of the law. Noncompliance can result in devastating fines and reputational damage.

5. Optimize with A/B Testing

Your commercial real estate email marketing plan is taking shape, but you’re still not ready to send any messages yet. You have to take the A/B test first.

Here are the elements that require testing.

Email Subject

Did you know that almost 65 percent of people will open an email (or not) based on its subject line?

Your opener should be within 50 characters (which is seven to nine words) and should use these elements:

• Personalization
• Connecting emotionally
• Seasonality
• Alignment with the email copy
• Power words
• Select use of emojis, punctuation, and capitalization

Message Content

There are many ways to connect with your audience through email copy.

You should test all elements of the message, from the tone to length, the number of links, and visual elements like videos and graphics.

Call to Action

Most email CTAs are buttons or links. Placing them above the fold will drive the most attention, but what should the CTA say?

What should it look like?

Should it be purple or blue, triangle or square?

A/B testing will answer those questions.

Time and Frequency of Sending

You’ll recall that there are specific times and frequencies to aspire to when sending emails, but these aren’t written in stone.

Discover your audience’s emailing preferences with split testing. 

The Value of Email Marketing in CRE

Commercial real estate marketing is not an industry without its challenges, which can hinder growth and hamper your email campaigns.

These strategies will be useful in helping you overcome difficulties through email marketing. 

Strategies for Dealing with Common Obstacles

Low engagement rates can be attributed to many sources. You might send emails too often, or maybe the content is irrelevant or spammy.

Your subject lines might not be aligned with your message, or they’re ineffective for other reasons (not engaging enough, etc.).

If your sender reputation is poor, an ISP can block your messages, which can also result in poor engagement.

Diagnosing the cause of your lack of engagement is the first step in repairing it. Fortunately, all the issues above are fixable in time for your next email marketing campaign.

For example, if your sender reputation is poor, getting off blacklists and controlling your email volume will help improve it.

Maintaining Relevance

The CRE market is consistently and quickly changing, which can make relevance between prospect and client difficult.

You must stay abreast of what’s going on in your industry, including established trends, and review current email marketing strategies to maintain relevance.

Here’s another tip: pay attention to what your competitors are doing. You shouldn’t copy them directly but use their steps as inspiration for your own.

Key Email Marketing Metrics

How will you know if your commercial real estate email marketing campaign was a success? Track these KPIs.

• Open rates (an average rate should be 15 to 25 percent)
• Click-through rates (2 to 5 percent)
•  Average conversion rates (1 to 3 percent)
• Bounce rates (under 2 percent)
• Unsubscribe rates (under 0.5 percent)
•  Average email open duration (longer than 30 seconds)
• Email delivery success rate (higher than 95 percent)
• Email personalization (20 percent)
• Email sharing rate (Over 1 percent)

Commercial Real Estate Email Marketing Examples

Review marketing strategies in action with the following examples of CRE email marketing.

Palos Verdes Real Estate

As seen above, Palos Verdes Real Estate drove up value to its email subscribers by producing a chart with commercial real estate trends and data, including listing volume and pending volume.

You can’t argue with numbers, so any on-the-fence leads might finally feel inspired to convert after reading an email like this.

HousingWire

Never miss a real estate insight with HousingWire.

Its welcome email, shown below, provides information on appraisals, valuations, closings, titles, mortgages, lending, and the changing real estate market to keep realtors and buyers/sellers informed.

Want more examples? Mediaboom rounded up the top luxury real estate ads.

Case Studies

Aspen Luxury Concierge

Mediaboom crafted a bespoke newsletter strategy for Aspen Luxury Concierge that not only served as a pivotal touchpoint with their elite clientele but also significantly enhanced engagement.

Through meticulously curated content, we achieved an extraordinary average open rate of 55%—surpassing the industry norm by a notable 35%.

This strategic approach not only fostered a deeper connection with Aspen’s discerning audience but also propelled their luxury concierge services to new heights, reinforcing the power of targeted email marketing in the high-end real estate sector.

Millennium Tower San Francisco

In our collaboration with Millennium Partners for the Millennium Tower project, Mediaboom employed its expertise in Commercial Real Estate Email Marketing to enhance resident engagement and foster a sense of community among the tower’s elite clientele.

Through the development of the LA VIE platform—a website and mobile application equipped with a built-in social network—we orchestrated a series of exclusive email campaigns.

These campaigns served as a bridge, connecting residents to a curated selection of luxury experiences and events rooted in San Francisco’s rich cultural tapestry.

Spectrum

Our innovative approach to email marketing was integral in crafting messages that not only captured attention with visually appealing designs but were also meticulously optimized for conversions.

Through a series of carefully targeted campaigns, we successfully enhanced Spectrum’s email communication, leading to significant improvements in open rates, click-through rates, and, most importantly, sales.

This focus on direct, effective communication underscores our role in Spectrum’s digital success, highlighting the power of specialized email marketing in driving measurable outcomes in the competitive telecom sector.

FAQs / Related Questions

1. Is email marketing good for real estate?

Yes, email marketing is exceptionally effective for real estate professionals. It serves as a direct channel to engage with potential and existing clients by sharing new listings, market updates, and valuable insights. This personalized approach helps in building relationships, fostering trust, and ultimately driving sales and listings success.

2. How do you write a cold email for real estate?

Crafting a cold email for real estate starts with personalization and research. Begin by addressing the recipient by name, introduce yourself and your role, and quickly highlight how your expertise can benefit them. Offer specific insights or value, such as market trends or exclusive listings, and end with a clear, concise call to action.

3. Should I have a website as a real estate agent?

Yes. A website acts as your digital business card, providing a central hub for potential clients to learn about you, your services, and your listings. It enhances your professional image, helps in building your brand, and increases your visibility online. Moreover, it’s a valuable resource for clients seeking information about the real estate market.

4. What makes email marketing effective for commercial real estate?

Email marketing in commercial real estate excels through precise targeting, personalized messaging, ongoing communication, cost-effectiveness, and measurable outcomes. Its ability to reach specific audiences, tailor messages, sustain engagement, and provide clear metrics makes it a powerful tool for driving results in the industry.

5. What are the best practices for optimizing email campaigns for mobile devices?

Best practices for optimizing commercial real estate email campaigns for mobile devices include using responsive design, short and compelling subject lines, concise content, prominent call-to-action buttons, thorough testing, avoiding large images, and ensuring a seamless mobile experience.

Do you have more questions?

If you’re seeking more information or have specific queries we haven’t covered, we’re here to help.

Our team at Mediaboom specializes in crafting bespoke marketing strategies that elevate your brand and drive results.

Whether it’s email marketing, website design, or leveraging social media to its full potential, we have the expertise to guide you to success.

Conclusion

Commercial real estate marketing is key to a successful business growth plan. Building a marketing strategy based on the tips and tactics discussed will help you achieve CRE business objectives and enhance your email marketing efforts.

We invite you to subscribe to Mediaboom’s newsletter for more digital marketing insights like this.

You can also contact Mediaboom for specialized email marketing services in the CRE sector.

We’re a luxury real estate marketing agency that can help you achieve the results you need to outpace the competition.