How To Email a Real Estate Agent: Tips and Examples

How To Email a Real Estate Agent: Tips and Examples
27 February, 2023 • ... • 20909 views
Natalie Voloshchuk
by Natalie Voloshchuk

Whether you are a home inspector, a contractor, a home buyer, or even a real estate agent yourself, email is one of the most effective ways to connect with a real estate agent. Facebook or Instagram aren’t ideal for that task, plus not all agents have social media accounts. But they definitely have an email address and use it daily in business communication.

So how to write an email to a real estate agent and increase the odds of your email getting opened and replied to? In this article, you will get over 10 great tips on how to make sure your email doesn’t end up in the trash or spam folder.

Tips on how to write an email to a real estate agent and get a reply

Email writing is a process, and there are always things that can be improved. Better email writing skills mean more success in your marketing, and from there, more profit in business overall. 

Craft an appealing subject line

The sender’s name and the email’s subject line are the first things the recipient sees, and these two determine whether they open the email, or send it to the trash folder. Consider these tips to write a great subject line:

  • Make your subject line direct and to the point: the reader should know what they will find in the email from the very start.
  • Keep it under 70 symbols. The maximum length of a subject line on Gmail (desktop version) is 70 symbols. For mobile, it’s even shorter — down to 41 characters on iPhone. This means a longer subject line would be cut off. One tip to make the subject line shorter is to write “home” or “house” instead of “property”.
  • Pay attention to how the sender’s name looks, as well: the sender’s name should make it clear to agents who the email is from. You can use your name, or a combination of a name plus a name of the business you represent. 
  • Don’t forget about the preview text. It works together with the subject line to convince the recipient to open the email.

Set the right tone

The tone of the email should be casual but not overly familiar. Although you write a business email, if your tone is too formal or impersonal, it can come across as robotic, scripted, or phishing. The opposite isn’t good either — being too friendly while you are not that particular real estate professional’s friend or family makes it sound awkward and out of place. 

❌Too formal: 

“Dear Mr. Green, 

In reference to your listing information in the local newspaper Times Daily, dated 13th January 2023, I am sending this email to apply for a viewing of a property located at 1234 Main Street.”

❌Too friendly:

“Hey there!

Wanted to pop up here for a sec to touch on 1234 Main. Let me check it out tomorrow, will you?”

✅Just right: 

“Hi Alan,

My name is Ray, and I’m getting in touch to request a viewing of the property at 1234 Main. I’m hoping to find a stable longer-term tenancy and make a home I can be proud of.”

Make the email easy to read

Many people do not read line by line, but rather scan through from top to bottom. Format your email so that it is skimmable:

  • Write simply: use everyday words and short sentences. Avoid long compound and complex sentences that sound like they are straight out of a legal contract.
  • Contractions are better than using the full form: “I’m reaching out” sounds smoother than “I am reaching out”. 
  • Break it down into short paragraphs with 2-4 sentences in each.
  • Use bullet points or bold font for the most important parts.

All in all, make your email easy to read and understand even when real estate agents are on the go from one home to another.

If you are struggling with writing, here is a tip to work around the issue. Switch on the voice recorder on your smartphone or laptop and just speak as if you are talking to a friend. Then write down what you’ve recorded and use it as a base for the email.

Don’t forget to personalize

Personalize by greeting your recipient by name — i.e., “Hi, Nick”. Then follow with more personalization to make the email tailored to that particular recipient. Make sure to apply that to all emails you write to agents.

How? Take some time to research their website and social media for clues on their interests. If there is something you have in common, consider mentioning it in the email. 

Some examples of this could be going to the same school, having mutual acquaintances, or being fans of the same sports team.  Alternatively, you could find something about their business to compliment or congratulate — moving to a new office, closing a deal, or closing a deal on a property.

Keep the email to the point

Your email should be direct and get to the point quickly to avoid wasting the busy realtor’s time. 

Get rid of words and sentences that are there for fluff. Provide the context. Add a few pieces of key information about your services or experience and if you want to share more, point your reader to where they can go to learn about it — i.e., your website or your home inspection report.

Keep your email between 50 and 180 words — that’s big enough to say all that’s important yet still short enough for a busy recipient to read. In some cases, you could go up to 200 — but more than that is a big “no”. No one wants to comb through a long piece of text from an unfamiliar sender to figure out what the message is about.

Learn to use a unique value proposition

The unique value proposition (UVP) is what sets you apart from other competitors like fellow home inspectors or contractors. It drives home the benefit of working with you. Some industries (and businesses) can do fine without it, but you will have an advantage if you have a relevant UVP. 

The UVP should state a direct benefit to the agent. It can be a service only you can offer, a type of work your competitors refuse to do, or convenience in interacting with you — i.e., an online scheduler to book a meeting without multiple back-and-forth emails to agree on the time.

Back up your words

Show the reader you can walk the talk — add a sample report, a portfolio piece, or a link to testimonials to demonstrate that you are good at what you do. If you are relatively new in the business and don’t have a big selection of cases yet, you’d want to offset that by showing off your most impressive one.

Finish with a call-to-action

End your email with a call-to-action (CTA) to prompt the recipient to respond. CTA makes it clear what you want the real estate professional to do after reading your email, and that you do actually want them to do something.

An example of a CTA: “Just respond to this email and let me know what you think about my home inspection offer”.

Include your contact info

Make it easy to connect with you — add all your contact info to the email, after or within your signature:

  • Your company’s name
  • Email
  • Phone number
  • Social media handlers
  • WhatsApp, Slack, Skype, or other messengers if you use any for business communication
  • A link to schedule a call with you (Calendly is a good choice to do this)

If you are a real estate agent yourself, check out our article on the realtor email signature.

Proofread and avoid typos

Read over your email to catch any email mistakes and typos before you send it out. The error-free copy gives off a better professional impression, so it’s well worth the effort. 

If you’d like some help with the process, standard Microsoft Word and Google Docs spelling and grammar checks can catch most errors. To improve the text further, consider using software like Grammarly or Hemingway. Grammarly’s free version will detect most of the grammar and spelling mistakes and offer corrections. The Hemingway app would do the same plus suggest how the phrasing of your email can be improved. 

Choose a good time

The real estate market has its peak season during May, June, and July, and many regions have their local micro-markets with their own peaks and downtimes. During such busy seasons, buyers and sellers are very active and realtors are less likely to reply to an unexpected email from an unknown sender. On the opposite side are October and December, the two slowest months of the year. 

The slowest months are a good time to send an email to an agent, but it will work in other periods as well — as long as you use the tips from this article and keep at it. Plan out and send your first email, then a follow-up email to agents with an interval of a few days between them. If there is no response, try again in 2-3 months. 

Consider the time to send an email and the day of the week as well. Tuesday, Thursday, or Friday are all solid choices. The ideal time to send emails can vary from the start of the workday to lunchtime. Experiment with your strategy and test the results to find the most effective option.

Remember to follow up

Following up is an essential part of sending cold emails. That is because following up multiple times can double the response rate. Although the exact boost you get depends on many factors, the average response rate (how many answers you got compared to the emails sent, in %) would no doubt improve.

According to the same Yesware research, on average, 70% of unanswered emails never get a follow-up email from the sender. If you send a follow-up, you have a 21% chance to get an answer to your second email, and a 25% chance to your third. So, you might want to send up to 5 follow-up emails in the span of 60 days if you haven’t received a response.

Sample emails to real estate agents

A sample of an email from a contractor to a real estate agent

The email example below is from a general contractor to a real estate agent.

Renovation work for 1234 Main

Hey John,

Forgive the cold email, but I noticed you’ve listed 1234 on Main street for sale.

I was looking through the photos and it seems that the house does not have windows in the kitchen. As you surely know, this might be a deal breaker for the otherwise great property.

My contractor company Swift Constructions Ltd. has been around since 2010 and completed over 400 house renovations so far. Our designer did some mockups on how the kitchen there could brighten up and turn into a real gem with a bit of investment.

Can I present those mockups to you? I think you’d be able to sell the house faster and for a better price if you could show them to the potential buyers along with a cost estimation.

Just respond to this email and let me know if you’d consider it.

Best,

Sam

Samuel Morris,

owner,

Swift Constructions Ltd

swiftconstructions.com 

[email protected]

+1-518-889-7524

Book a quick call with me here.

It applies most of the tips, and some of them in a creative way:

  • The subject line is short and zeroed in on the topic the email is going to discuss.
  • The greeting by name and the first line personalizes the email and shows the recipient that the contractor did the research.
  • The email then gets straight to the point and explains its purpose, as well as proof of this contractor’s expertise — over 400 renovated homes.
  • He wraps it up with a call-to-action — to reply to the email — and there is a signature with more contact information.
  • The email itself is less than 180 words and has an easy-to-read layout.

A sample of an email from a home inspector to a real estate agent

Strong relationships with realtors in their community help home inspectors stay top-of-mind when there is a need for their inspection service. The email below is an introduction from a new home inspector and aims to establish a relationship between them and a realtor. 

A feature they have in common — they started their own businesses recently — is something both can relate to.

Congrats on the new start!

Hi Mark!

I noticed you just moved from Trade Co. to start your own real estate office. Congratulations on your new venture — it’s sure to be valued as buyers keep coming to Morrison for all it has to offer!

I’ve also just launched my own business venture — Roderick’s Home Inspections. After 15 years in general contracting for custom construction, I’m now using my expertise for buyers looking for their dream homes.

I’m the only home inspector in Morrison (so far) that knows all about Smart Home systems — and since you work with elite real estate you might need someone knowledgeable on such systems.

Here is what agents I worked with think about me: roderickhomeinspections.com/testimonials.

Feel free to reach out and hear from them directly!

Just respond to this email and let me know if you have any questions. I’m also available at (518) 889-7524 during office hours.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Best,

John

John Roderick

Roderick’s Home Inspections

www.roderickhomeinspections.com

[email protected]

(518) 889-7524

An email sample from an agent to another real estate agent or broker

Networking with fellow real estate agents keeps you in the loop and updated on the current trends and workings of the industry. This creates connections and opportunities to meet other professionals like lawyers, reliable contractors, tax specialists, and so on. It also opens opportunities to cooperate with other agents to find buyers or sell homes faster.

The email sample below shows the agent promoting one of their properties on sale to a colleague.

New listing!

Hi Alan,

Just a short note to let you know that I just listed a new home in this area. Here is the link to the listing with all the details and photos: link.

If you know someone who may be interested in buying this home, I would appreciate the opportunity to work with you on the transaction.

Address:

Bedrooms:

Baths:

Special features:

Price:

Please feel free to call or email me if you have any questions or suggestions.

I would certainly appreciate your help in selling this nice home.

Best,

John

John Anderson

Real Estate Agent

Bluebell Real Estate

www.bluebell.com

[email protected]

(618) 889-7524

A sample of an email from a hopeful tenant to a real estate agent

If you want to rent a property, reach a real estate agent via email to make a good first impression and discuss the matters. And you’d want to start off on the right foot because the realtor might use your email inquiry as a pre-screening method. 

Are you serious about renting, can you afford the cost, are there potential issues or reasons you might change your mind in the near future (which means looking for a new tenant and a new round of work) — answers to these and more questions would influence the real estate agent’s decision.

Below is an example of an email that answers some of the questions while applying the tips from this article.

Viewing request for 1234 Main

Hi Alan,

My name is Ray, and I’m getting in touch to request a viewing of the property at 1234 Main. I’m hoping to find a stable longer-term tenancy and make a home I can be proud of.

The area is perfect because I work locally and my kids go to school nearby.

My income is $62,400. I’m happy to show proof of income and provide landlord references if offered a tenancy.

If this particular home isn’t available anymore, please let me know of any similar properties. I know that Bluebell Real Estate values good customer service, and I’m looking forward to working with you to find a home.

I’d be grateful if you would work with me to arrange a viewing. Please feel free to call me directly at (518) 889-7524 or just reply to this email to discuss it.

I look forward to hearing from you and working with you to find a home.

Best wishes,

Ray

Ray White

[email protected]

(518) 889-7524

Use Selzy to send personalized emails at scale

If you are looking for a way to up your email game and reach, consider using Selzy. Thanks to this email marketing service you can create and send personalized (with the recipient’s name and other details) emails in bulk, so you can get a lot more work done in a day. With Selzy’s bulk email marketing service, you can even send up to 1,500 emails to 100 real estate agents for free. 

It comes with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop editor where you can create the email without any design or coding knowledge, choose the perfect timing for sending, and add links to your website and testimonials page. Register today and send your first campaign in 15 minutes!

Final thoughts

Emailing a real estate agent is a powerful way to engage, and it doesn’t need to be nerve-wracking and time-consuming. Use the tips and email examples in this article to get more responses from your recipients and leave a good impression:

  • Send the emails when the agents are not too busy, i.e., during downtimes and low season.
  • Use a straight-to-the-point subject line and a casual but not too friendly tone for the email itself.
  • Make sure to greet the recipient by name.
  • Write a concise email (up to 180 words) explaining your unique value proposition and how working with you is beneficial to them.
  • Always include a call-to-action in the message that conveys what you expect the recipient to do — schedule a call with you, go to your website to learn more about you, etc.
  • Make sure to proofread your email for mistakes and typos — they ruin the impression just as quickly as coming improperly dressed to a face-to-face meeting.
  • Follow up on your email within a few days if there is no response.
Article by
Natalie Voloshchuk
Natalie is a content writer and blog writer that specializes in SEO and on-page optimization. Her specialty is marketing and sustainability niches, with years of actual hands-on experience in the roles like digital marketer generalist, webmaster and Facebook advertiser. Outside and in the course of work, Natalie remains an animal lover and a human-nature coexistence enthusiast.
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