You’ve worked hard to craft and build your real estate email network, but that’s only half the battle. Because the perfect email list means nothing if people still aren’t opening the emails you send out. Crafting the best real estate email subject lines is a good place to start.
Getting potential clients to click on an email isn’t easy. We’re dealing with shorter attention spans, cluttered inboxes, and skepticism.
So, when your real estate subject line pops up on your recipient’s email preview pane, it needs to grab their interest immediately. Keep reading to learn the nine best ways to create powerful email subject lines that work.
1. Keep Real Estate Subject Lines Simple and Concise
It’s no secret that people spend a lot of time on their smartphones. And home buyers are likely browsing through houses for sale on their mobile devices constantly. So it’s a safe bet that they’ll be checking emails related to these listings and more on them, too.
While that may seem like a good thing, the screens on mobile devices are tiny. That means that only four to seven words of your email subject lines for real estate are in view before falling out of sight.
So your subject lines have to be punchy and straight to the point. People are more likely to click on a short, evocative subject line than a complete sentence.
The best real estate email subject lines give recipients just enough to entice them to open the email. Instead of “The real estate listings you need to see right now,” trying something like “Your new home is waiting…” or “This house made me think of you…”
2. Don’t Be Afraid of a Little Mystery
Although clients are accustomed to common mailbox sales pitches, everyone loves a little mystery.
When deciding on your email subject lines for real estate, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Offer your recipients an enticing hook that creates a curiosity gap.
A subject line like, “Something happened and…” compels your recipient to click. You could also go for “It’s been a while” or “I can’t believe I forgot,” or anything that asks a question.
These make for some of the best real estate email subject lines because we can’t help but wonder what happens, and what that means for us. However, be sure that they lead to an email that truly delivers on the initial message or you’ll lose trust.
It’s not about tricking your customers, it’s about giving them the chance to learn about the truly amazing listings, service and offers you have for them.
3. Do Your Research
Why reinvent the wheel when you can see what other real estate professionals are doing successfully?
Do your research to find out which email tactics work and which don’t. Use this knowledge of the best real estate email subject lines to improve your email click-through rates.
There are also tools available to help. The Email Subject Line Grader, for instance, allows you to type in real estate subject lines and have them scored on a scale of one to 100. This score is based on the words they contain, as well as word and character count.
4. Cultivate a Sense of Urgency
Prospective clients can be unmotivated to click if there isn’t a reason for them to do so.
And while the promise of expert real estate advice should get them in the door, sometimes you’re going to need to light a fire under them. A sense of urgency creates a sense of momentum needed to boost their interest.
Here are a few real estate email subject lines that use a feeling of urgency to promise a one-time deal:
• “One more day on the market!”
• “Don’t miss this open house”
• “Last chance for your dream home”
5. Be Honest
The best real estate email subject lines don’t shy away from blunt honesty. In fact, it’s a refreshing break from sneaky sales language that potential clients are wary of.
Honesty also makes people laugh. This opens the door to feeling good about the person on the other end of the email. It’s unexpected and makes you memorable.
Try something like: “Yet another real estate email” or “House hunting sucks! If only someone could do it for you…”
Honesty is indeed the best policy for a reason. Using it in your real estate email subject lines can build trust and credibility with recipients.
6. The Power of Threats
Now, we don’t mean actual threats. Rather, we’re talking about describing the negatives to not working with you. The key is selling the downside of not acting in your real estate subject lines.
“Don’t fall into this homebuying trap” plants a seed of doubt, making recipients wonder if they’re doing something wrong.
The line “7 mistakes buyers make” invokes worry that they may be making the same mistake as other buyers.
Suggesting a problem and promising a solution is as old as advertising itself. But it works wonders for email subject lines.
7. Make It Personal
Your potential clients don’t want to feel like a number. This is especially when they’re making the big decision of buying a home. Some of the best real estate email subject lines are personal.
Reach out with a one-to-one message with a subject line tailored to them. Include names or something that is unique to them, like… “Hi Jane. Welcome home.”
If that’s not scalable for you, try segmenting groups by things they have in common – like where they live.
Counties are good, cities are better, and neighborhoods are the best if you have that kind of intel. The bulk of the message can stay the same, but simply change the subject line and use local real estate listings.
Try “Buying a home in [LOCATION]?” or “[LOCATION] homes getting scooped up fast.”
8. Words to Avoid
When writing a subject line, try not to think of it as a label. Many people use the subject line as a title, which has been shown to immediately turn-off readers. For instance, there is an 18.7% decrease in click rates when the word “newsletter” is included.
The other side of the coin is to think of the dreaded spam filter. Spam filters are a constantly shifting target, so it’s important to search for “words to avoid in email subject lines” every six months or so to steer clear of them.
Here are a few of the words and phrases you currently want to avoid to not get hit by the spam hammer:
• Lowest Price
• All New
• Sale
• Act Now
• Best Price
There are plenty more. So constantly check for words that throw up red flags.
9. Question Everything
A question tucked into your subject line triggers an innate human response to find an answer.
So by asking a question in your subject line, your recipient is psychologically engaged with your content before they’ve clicked on the email.
A question like “Why isn’t your home selling?” drops an obvious answer in your reader’s mind: “Well, I don’t know.”
Even if it’s just in their head, they’ve recognized a potential shortcoming in themselves. And you’re offering them a life preserver, all in one swoop.
Your Emails Are Getting Opened. Now, How Do You Get Replies?
Creating the best real estate email subject lines is only half the battle. Because once people open your emails, they need to actually respond if you’re going to sell houses.
Want to find a way to elicit replies to your emails? Video email is a great way to do so.
In the following article, we talk through all the ways to structure your video emails to make sure they are played – and even responded to.
