Email marketing delivers $36 of value for every $1 spent – that’s nearly four times more effective than other types of marketing in real estate. And yet, despite the proven ROI, many agents struggle to make it work.
Real estate email marketing requires time, consistency, and clean data – three things agents rarely have. Email often gets pushed aside when the market slows down, seen as “extra” rather than essential. But that’s precisely when staying visible matters most.
Add in complicated tech stacks and scattered databases, and the result is all too common: real estate emails go out late, look off-brand, or worse – they don’t get sent at all. It doesn’t have to be this way. With the right tools and structure in place, email marketing can be easy and effective and something your agents actually use.
Here are seven best practices to help your brokerage make email marketing for real estate work.
1. Clean up the database
Your agents’ databases are private, and rightly so. But that doesn’t mean you can’t influence how well they’re managed.
If contacts sit in spreadsheets, outdated CRMs, or their Notes app, you have a problem. Scattered data leads to missed follow-ups and zero visibility into how relationships are maintained – that is if they’re being maintained.
A good CRM brings everything into one place so agents can actually use the data they’ve worked hard to collect. It helps clean up duplicates, flag missing details, and create structure. An agent’s database doesn’t need to be perfect – it rarely is – but it does need to live in one place where they can finally make it work for them.
2. Segment your audience
Once the database is cleaned up, agents can start segmenting their audience. And it’s worth it – segmented email campaigns can boost revenue by a whopping 760%, according to the Data & Marketing Association (DMA).
Segmentation means grouping contacts into categories like buyers, sellers, investors, downsizers, or open-house visitors. This helps agents tailor content to where someone is in their real estate journey, making each message more relevant and effective.
ActivePipe is our email marketing automation tool that puts your freshly cleaned data into action. It automatically tags contacts based on clicks, listing views, and engagement – so the right message reaches the right person with minimal effort from the agent.
3. Personalize content
Segmentation answers who you’re speaking to, while personalization defines how you talk to them. Both are essential. Without segmentation, your message may hit the wrong person. Without personalization, it may be ignored.
ActivePipe uses behavioral data to recommend listings, fine-tune subject lines, and deliver content based on real preferences. When someone shares their details with an agent, they’re not looking for generic real estate updates. They want advice that fits their exact situation, and that’s what ActivePipe can help your agents deliver.
4. Share property listings
Property listings are the ultimate email hook. Even people who aren’t planning to move will click on a beautiful home, especially if it looks like something from Selling Sunset or Million Dollar Listing.
With ActivePipe’s drag-and-drop builder, agents can easily share new listings, recently sold properties or off-market homes. It only takes a few minutes and gives people a real reason to open the email.
Listings drive clicks, but it’s the extra content that builds trust. Add a quick market update, a neighborhood spotlight, or a helpful tip to keep your audience engaged.
5. Survey audiences regularly
If agents don’t know what their contacts want, they should just ask.
ActivePipe makes it easy to automate short surveys that show where people are in their journey. Whether they’re browsing, thinking about selling, or ready to take action, these insights help agents tailor their content and keep data clean.
Agents don’t need to overdo it either—two or three surveys a year is plenty. Just be clear about the value. People are far more likely to respond when they know it means more relevant, useful content in their inbox.
And there’s a clear reason to stay in touch: The ActivePipe Trust Report found that 39% of sellers would look for another agent when it came time to sell again, often because they simply forgot who they worked with. Another 27.3% would switch because their last agent didn’t stay in touch.
Surveys might feel like overkill, but they’re a simple, powerful way to stay visible and ensure your agent is the first call, not a forgotten contact.
6. Automate essential campaigns
Agents don’t have time to write and send every email. And when things get busy, follow-up often falls through the cracks.
With ActivePipe, agents can pre-build key campaigns like welcome emails, buyer alerts, seller updates, and monthly newsletters. Once they’re live, those emails go out automatically, keeping the conversation going without adding to anyone’s workload.
This kind of consistency is important. Most leads need to hear from agents multiple times before they’re ready to take action, and automation ensures nothing gets missed.
It also helps your agents move faster. Top performers respond to leads in under 90 minutes, according to research from OpenAgent. With the right email workflows, your brand shows up first – even when no one’s at their desk.
It’s one of the simplest ways to scale agent impact without scaling effort.
7. Measure and optimize
Even a great strategy can underperform if no one’s looking at the numbers.
Encourage your agents to track the basics, such as open rates, click-throughs, and unsubscribes. These simple signals reveal what’s working, what’s being ignored, and where to make small but meaningful tweaks.
ActivePipe gives them that clarity. The dashboard highlights who’s opening emails, clicking, and ready for a follow-up. It even flags high-intent contacts so agents know who to call and what to say.
The goal isn’t flawless campaigns, just smarter ones. Test subject lines, adjust send times, refine the message, and small changes will compound over time.
And on your side? You get something just as important: real visibility into how your agents engage their sphere and who might need help doing more.
Email marketing works, but only when it’s done right
Email marketing for real estate agents should not be underestimated. It is one of the most powerful tools your agents can use to stay visible, build trust, and drive listings, especially in a slow market.
But it only works if it’s consistent, targeted, and easy to execute. You’re protecting your pipeline and strengthening your brand by giving your agents the right tools and a simple framework to follow.
