How to Use a Newsletter to Support Your Real Estate Business

Any successful real estate professional can tell you the importance of the hustle. You constantly need to be on the lookout for potential leads and then work to nurture those leads and turn them into customers. The persistent bird gets the worm. However, with dozens of other real estate agents in your area competing for attention and customers, it can be hard to stand out.

One tool that real estate market professionals can use to get attention is a newsletter.

A regular digital (or even print) newsletter that shares valuable news, tips and insights in the community or local market can help you stand out, generate new real estate leads, and keep your brand top of mind with past customers. 

The rest of this post will share real estate marketing tips, look at why a real estate newsletter is effective, and list the steps you can take to launch one of your own.

Why Is a Real Estate Newsletter Effective?

The average person checks their email 15 times per day.

If you work like most people, you keep your email open in a separate window or check it in line at the store, opening messages as they come in. Email newsletters are effective because the result is immediate. It only takes a few minutes to reach hundreds of people and to garner dozens of clicks.  

Email marketing is affordable.

You can set up a newsletter in a few hours and send it for a few dollars, so its time and financial costs are minimal. Plus, email newsletters aren’t just popular for the senders, many recipients like newsletters as well.

Actual newsletters that provide content, news, and valuable information have high open rates compared to the retail offers and spam messages typically found in most inboxes.

Even in print, community newsletters are widely circulated because the messages are important and interesting. The low investment cost means that it’s worth it to send an email newsletter for a few months if only to see how the messages impact your lead funnel.  

How to Start a Real Estate Newsletter

There are two parts that go into developing a real estate newsletter: drafting the actual newsletter content and building a list of people to read it.

There are plenty of free email newsletter tools that you can use to set up your real estate newsletter. Most are easy to use and have templates that you can use and fill in to create your newsletter. Later in the article, we will discuss the types of content you can add to your real estate newsletter to fill into these templates and send out.     

Once you have the look and feel of your newsletter, you can start to push it to your audience. Each real estate agent or group will have a different audience, and you can identify who should receive your newsletter based on your sales goals and network. However, there are a few people who you should consider for your newsletter:  

• Past clients who you have worked with
• Potential leads who you are nurturing
• Clients who come to your open houses
• Neighbors and community members who you are in contact with
• Professionals in the community who you partner with

Remember, the goal is to keep your name in the minds of people in your area so they are the first person they think of for their real estate needs.  

Note: As you compile your digital newsletter list, make sure your email list is FTC compliant. The Federal Trade Commission is clear in its guidelines for sending promotional emails, and you can save yourself thousands of dollars in potential fines by following them. The newsletter software you use will likely follow the FTC guidelines, but they’re always useful to know.  

What Should You Include in a Newsletter?

For many real estate professionals, assembling the newsletter is the easy part and coming up with content is the hard part.

However, if you focus on providing value to your readers, you should have a strong list of content ideas flowing to help them.

A few things you can add to your real estate newsletter include:  

• Real estate market trends, nationally and in your area. Why is now a good time to buy? What sets your area apart from other towns?
• Real estate explanations. Most home buyers or sellers don’t know much about the real estate process. You can demystify it for them.
• New houses on the market or houses that you sold. Talk about the style of the house, the interior design, and how you sold it. You can also share customer reviews of your business.  
• Top local events in the area. Provide value while showing that your neighborhood or community is a great place to live.  
• Events your hosting. Mention any events you're hosting, including open houses, educational seminars, and networking opportunities.
• Design and real estate tips. Offer advice on how to remodel a home and real estate marketing tips on staging, upgrading, and promoting a space.
• Garden and lawn advice for growing vegetables or taking care of pests. You can also provide advice for condo living and growing plants in apartments.
• Seasonal news and advice. Provide tips for dealing with current seasonal issues such as hurricane preparation, snow safety, etc.
• Local news or issues. Cover hot-button issues in the community, like city council or school board issues.
• Local business profiles on companies your readers might need. These can include insurance providers, contractors, doctors, tutors, and other connections homeowners could use.
• Recommendations for holidays and other events. For example, where in your town do you think couples could go for Valentine’s Day or for their anniversary? (Stay up-to-date on the latest events in your area. Sign up for your local MyArea Network site.)

The great thing about a newsletter is that you can include multiple sections, so you never have to pick one article or category. Once you have a topic with multiple post ideas (like the top local events in your area), the content will practically write itself each week or month that you send out your newsletter.    

Related: How to Market Professional Services in Your Local Community

Ask MyArea Network About Additional Promotional Opportunities

As you can see, a real estate newsletter is a great way to get your name out there -- and keep it out there. It allows you to reach new potential real estate clients and stay top of mind with past clients.

Use these tips to get started today.

And if you need help with coming up with content for your newsletters -- sign up for your local MyArea Network site so you can get articles about local trends, stories, businesses, and events that will make for great newsletter content.

Take it one step further and create a business page for your real estate business so local customers can find you when they are looking for trustworthy, knowledgeable local agents in their area.