From the first time potential clients find you online to when you officially become their agent, the customer journey can last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Buying and selling homes are huge transactions that move slowly compared to buying everyday items like tech gadgets or clothing.

The key to helping leads move forward in their journey is to keep them engaged. The best way to do this is with drip email campaigns. You want leads to remember your name, services, quality standards, and more. Since your leads are at different stages of their customer journey and need different information, automated email campaigns save you time and are more efficient than calling each lead individually.

Emails are a great marketing tool, but it’s challenging to come up with new email ideas to send — especially if you’re new to email marketing. To help you, we’ve come up with 10 real estate email templates of the kinds of emails you can send to nurture your leads and sell properties.

Getting started with drip email marketing campaigns

Email is one of the most direct ways to connect with your audience. Most people have their phones within arm’s reach all day and check email multiple times a day. For example, a recent study found that millennials spend an average of 6.4 hours in their inbox every day! More agents are catching on to the fact that email marketing is a must if they want to turn more leads into clients. In fact, 63% of agents currently use email marketing, and that number is likely to keep growing.

To set up a drip email campaign:

1. Figure out your campaign goals. This might be to convert more leads to clients.
2. Figure out what action will trigger your campaigns. For example, someone submits a lead form.
3. Create content for the emails. Content should match your goals.
4. Create email subscriber segments. This allows you to customize your campaigns.
5. Create a schedule for when emails will be sent. Over the course of several weeks or months, you can send an initial welcome email and then tailor the following emails based on the needs of the recipient.

We’ve put together some ideas of real estate email templates to help you get your creative juices flowing. Once you figure out what series of emails to send and how often, you can customize these templates to meet the specific needs of your leads.

Let’s dive in.

1. The welcome email template

The first email in a drip campaign should make an impact, get leads excited to work with you, and reinforce the value you’re offering. A welcome email helps with this and should always be the first email you send to new subscribers.

For example, if you offer free home valuation reports, thank subscribers for their inquiry, include a general valuation based on the lead’s neighborhood, and share links to similar properties you sold recently.

Welcome email template elements:

• Include a short welcome message at the top of the email.
• If applicable, include the product you promised. For example, send an eBook, access to a webinar or virtual open house, or an option to schedule an appointment.
• Reintroduce yourself and your agency.
• Include your contact information.
• Link to your site, so readers can get to know you better.

2. The educational email template

Until a lead decides to buy or sell a property, they’re likely doing research to learn more about the market, neighborhoods, and agents. As a real estate agent, you can help with this research by sharing links to your blog.

More real estate websites include a blog for visitors to browse through. This is important because blogs can be used to make it easier for people to find you. With a little keyword research, based on the type of content your audience searches for in Google, you can build your blog into a valuable resource.

In your drip email campaign, include an email that focuses on sharing blog content with subscribers. Based on the pain points your audience deals with — like being able to afford a home — include links to content that focuses on this.

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You can also segment your email list based on these pain points so that you’re always sending relevant information to subscribers. Remember, the goal is to keep your leads moving forward, so they choose you as an agent. Showing them how knowledgeable you are with specific content helps.

Educational email template elements:

Tailor the blog content you share to match your audience’s interests and pain points. If a segment of subscribers wants to sell their home quickly, share a blog post about how to stage homes. Each email in your campaign should include:

• Acknowledgement of the pain point
• A short excerpt of the blog post to pique interest
• A call-to-action (CTA) to read the rest of the blog post

3. The social media invitation template

If you’re like a growing number of real estate agents, chances are you spend a lot of time on social media. You’re likely engaging with your audience, sharing insights, or expanding your network. To encourage more people to follow you on social media, include an invitation as part of your drip campaign.

Hi [Subscriber Name]

I want to take a minute to invite you to join me on [link to Facebook] and [link to Instagram]! I’ve been posting a lot of new featured listings on both sites and have been getting lots of interesting comments from followers. There are a few gems that I think you’ll be interested in seeing.

I’m also running a contest for free passes to the upcoming home show. When you follow me and tag a friend, you’re automatically entered for a chance to win the passes.

As always, if you have any questions, please give me a call.

Thanks and have a great day!

Sincerely
[Agent name]

By encouraging your email subscribers to join you on social media, you make it easier for them to interact with you directly and see how you engage with other followers. Social proof is a huge motivator to get leads to take action.

Social media invitation template elements:

This should strictly be an invitation-only email; don’t use it to sell your services or to promote new listings. Save these for other more specific emails. For social media-focused emails:

• Include a list of benefits to following you on social media. This might include behind-the-scenes image galleries, videos of past and current client testimonials, special contests to win gift cards, and other incentives.
• Include links to your social platforms.

4. The event reminder template

In-person events — like open houses, conferences, community events — are a great way to meet potential leads, interact with current leads, and to get the right properties in front of the right people. Use your drip email campaign to invite email subscribers to events you’re hosting or will be attending.

Successful real estate businesses understand that building relationships with leads help sell properties. Use your email campaign to encourage subscribers to connect with you offline, so you can get to know each other better.

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Event reminder template elements:

• Include a summary of the event.
• List the benefits of attending.
• Include a link to the event page — either on a website or on social media.
• Include time and date reminders.
• Include a CTA for subscribers to register.

5. The financing information template

Whether your customers are first-time buyers or seasoned investors, pricing and financing are a big part of real estate. Regardless of the level of expertise your leads have, use your drip email campaign to offer them guidance. Again, segmentation works here so that you’re only sending relevant financing information to leads.

By making it easier to understand financing and pricing, you improve the customer experience and help leads make a purchase or sale decision quicker.

This email template can be more sales-driven — for example, you can say, “Now’s the time to buy while interest rates are low” — or the email can be more of a reminder where you reinforce what homes are worth in the areas leads are looking to buy or sell in. Either way, you’re helping leads come to a decision.

Financing information template elements:

• Highlight the financing pain point to show you understand the issue.
• Share financing tips, mortgage rate insights, a mortgage calculator, or a link to a mortgage broker’s website.
• Include a CTA to encourage subscribers to use the tools you’ve offered.

6. The special offer template

In addition to helping clients buy and sell homes, you might also offer special services like:

• Marketing and advertising ideas
• Insights into real estate trends and news
• Home valuations
• Community-specific searches
• Relocation assistance

Use these services to attract new leads. Promote them on social media and on your website, then when new leads subscribe to your newsletter, create a drip email campaign that includes separate emails for each service. Each email should give more details about each of your services.

For example, if you offer relocation services, explain the process you use and include a link for interested subscribers to submit their information.

Special offer template elements:

• Include a summary of the service.
• List the benefits of the service and the value leads get out of it.
• Include a link to your website with more information.

7. The client testimonial template

Your current and past client base are more powerful than any advertising campaign you can run. They’ve experienced the value you offer firsthand, and leads are more likely to believe their feedback than yours. This isn’t a bad thing. It simply means you have the option to use your current and past customers’ experiences to convince leads to become clients. So, instead of you explaining the benefits of working with you, your current and past clients do it for you.

Use your drip email campaigns to ask clients for testimonials. This approach has two benefits:

• It helps you gauge your clients’ level of satisfaction.
• It gives you content to use on your website to sell properties.

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Also, share the testimonials you get as part of your email campaigns. This works well for leads who are close to the end of their buying journey — they’ve been nurtured, and they’re ready to list their home or put in an offer. Seeing testimonials at this point helps affirm that they’ve made the right decision to choose you as their agent.

Client testimonial template elements:

• Include a catchy subject line.
• Include three or four testimonials with client names and pictures attached.
• Include a CTA for subscribers to click and book an appointment with you.

8. The referral request template

Word-of-mouth is one way your real estate business grows. Your clients talk to their friends and families about their experience, and when someone asks for a referral, if you’ve impressed your clients, you’re the one they share.

This type of referral happens organically without any input from you. To proactively seek out new leads, use your drip email campaign to encourage past clients to share their experience within their network. Then in exchange for every new lead who comes your way, give past clients something like a gift card to a popular store or something else they’ll value.

Hi [Subscriber Name]

How are you and how are you enjoying your new home?

It’s been a little while since we last worked together, but I wanted to take a minute to ask you about your experience and whether anyone in your network is looking to buy or sell a home.

If you know of anyone, I’d be happy to set up some time to speak with them and send you a little gift to say thanks.

Give me a call anytime if you have any questions or want to talk about this more.

Thanks and have a great day!

Sincerely
[Agent name]

Keep in mind, the majority of your satisfied clients are willing to share a referral, but only a small fraction of them actually do. Increase referrals by running drip campaigns where the sole purpose is to encourage clients to refer people. Think about it, the more leads you have, the more chances you have to grow your customer base and sell more homes.

Referral request template elements:

Before you send your referral request emails, send your current and past customers a survey to figure out which of them are most likely to share referrals. For example, you can use a Net Promoter Score (NPS) survey to find promoters. These are the clients who say they’re the most likely to recommend your services to others and shout your praises. Segment this group, and send them a drip email campaign that:

• Introduces the idea of sharing referrals
• Outlines the process
• Includes the reward details

9. The new property listing template

To sell more properties, you have to show your audience what you have to offer and re-engage them multiple times. Let’s say you host an open house, and a lot of new leads share their budget, desired closing date, and house type with you. If they share their email address, set up an email campaign that helps them keep your listings top of mind — for example, share new listings either weekly or bi-weekly that meet your leads’ needs.

If your list of leads is big enough, this is another opportunity to segment them based on their budget and the type of property they want to buy. This way, the listings you send are relevant and have value.

New listing template elements:

Instead of compiling and sending a basic list of MLS listings, include:

• Listings with large images of properties
• A summary of the unique features of each property
• List price
• Location details
• A CTA to see more listings on your website

10. The website search template

Once you’ve found new leads, you need a way to drive them to your website repeatedly. To get more people to use your search feature to find property listings — especially those in the early stages of their customer journey — include this email template throughout your drip email campaigns. You can also use this follow-up email to remind subscribers of what’s new on your website — like blog posts, featured listings, and services.

This type of email is meant to nurture your leads so that they see you as a trusted source of information and as someone who’s able to guide them through the purchase or sale experience.

Hi [Subscriber Name]

It was great meeting you a few weeks ago at the open house I hosted. You mentioned you were looking for a property in the [Area name] neighborhood and have a budget of [Budget amount].

Just a quick reminder that my website has a new search feature that makes it easy to filter by your needs. Simply head over to [Website link] to get started. You’ll save tons of time and avoid scrolling through endless lists to find what you’re looking for.

If you have any questions, please give me a call or send me an email.

Thanks and have a great day!

Sincerely
[Agent name]

Website search template elements:

Position this email as “what’s new” and send it to leads in the middle of their customer journey who are considering whether to work with you or to book an appointment to see some of your properties.

• Include a highlight of the website feature — like property search.
• Include a CTA to get subscribers to your website.
• Include a special offer — something to get leads to click.

Making real estate email templates work for you

There are a lot of options available to you when it comes to creating engaging drip email campaigns. Figure out what your audience wants to know and then create and customize multiple types of campaigns. This shows that you understand their needs, know the industry well, and are the best choice.