Phrases like “email workflows” and “automation” get thrown around a lot in real estate these days, but what do they really mean?
Whether you’re a new or experienced luxury real estate professional, you know time is your most valuable asset. The more time you can spend in the field networking, closing deals and getting the job done, the better. That means there are other areas of your business that could benefit from automation. In other words, there are some things best handled with a “set-it-and-forget-it” approach.
One of those areas is email workflows.
Trailing just behind in-person meetups and phone calls, email is one of the most important ways to touch base with your network.
And, as you probably already know, your network is made of a few different groups. The thing is, keeping track of all those groups, giving them the information that’s most relevant to them and keeping them engaged can be tricky.
That’s where automated email workflows come in.
Email workflows are simply sequences of emails that go out to certain groups—or “segments”—of your network. And your network, of course, can consist of different groups like past buyers and sellers, prospective buyers or sellers, vendors, or investors. So, email workflows help put the right information in front of the right segment of your network at the right time.
The best part? You can write these once, set them up to blast out to the correct segment and never touch them again until you want to optimize or change them.
Pretty amazing, right?
With that in mind, here are five email workflows every luxury real estate professional needs to consider when putting together their real estate marketing strategy:
1. A ‘First 100 Days in Your New Home’ Workflow
Want to really impress your clients? Send them an email sequence helping them settle into their new home during their first 100 days.
Even if some of the items on your “100 Days” list are obvious, moving can be a hectic time for any client, and they’ll appreciate the reminders.
Some things to include are:
– How and where to sign up for utilities
– A list of popular local attractions and restaurants
– Tax planning assistance for their new property taxes
Be sure to include anything else you know will help your new clients have the best experience possible after their relocation.
2. Birthday Workflows
Don’t be afraid to ask for birthdays! Birthdays are a great way to touch base with your clients at least once a year (although, with most, you should be touching base far more often), and they’ll appreciate the gesture.
In fact, you can even create an onboarding questionnaire to ask clients for their birthdays, gift preferences and other more personal details to help give them a more customized experience.
Make it a habit to update your CRM at least once a week with any new birthdays you’ve heard about and schedule a birthday email to go out to them on their special day so you don’t even have to think about it when the time comes.
3. Major Holidays
This one goes without saying, but major holidays are a great icebreaker with your email lists. To be more inclusive, make your messages more general if you’re not sure about your contacts’ affiliations.
4. Anniversary of Their Home Purchase
Just as you would with birthdays, make it a habit to program emails to celebrate purchases and sales with your clients. This is a great way to let your clients know their business is meaningful to you, and it’s the perfect way to check in and make sure they’re still loving their new home.
5. Opt-In Workflows
Lead magnets are great for collecting email addresses, but what about after? Opt-in email workflows continue to send relevant information to the people who opted into your list, while gradually warming them up to your pitch.
These email workflows tend to be a bit longer, and it can take weeks, months or even years for these leads to convert into business. The most important thing to keep in mind is that pitching too early can actually hurt your chances of these leads wanting to work with you since they still don’t know you well enough, but waiting too long to pitch might be confusing if they forget how they got on your list in the first place.
In general, anywhere from five to seven emails is effective, but you’ll have to optimize your email workflows as you get data from who’s opening, clicking and calling you back.
Want More Resources Like These to Grow Your Luxury Real Estate Practice?
The Institute has a wide range of resources for you to invest in yourself at any stage in your luxury real estate career—even if it hasn’t begun yet.
– Subscribe to our Estate of Mind podcast and/or Estate of Mind video series on YouTube for monthly deep-dives into specialized luxury real estate topics with industry experts;
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– Visit your Membership Portal for brand-new training sessions, as well as our book, Rich Buyer Rich Seller: The Real Estate Agents’ Guide to Marketing Luxury Homes, which is available for free to all Institute Members and also available on Amazon.
Diane Hartley is the president of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing, a premier independent authority in training and designation for real estate agents working in the upper-tier residential market. Hartley brings her passion for luxury marketing and more than 20 years of experience growing and leading businesses to her role as president of the Institute.
