In email marketing, engagement and action rule the court. As email is both about content and creating action with that content. It’s about motivating folks to do something, whether that be a click, share, respond.

Here are a couple of email templates you can personalize to help kick start your next email campaign.

Introductory Email 

Hi (Client’s Name),

My name is (your name), and I am a (job title) from (company name). (Insert one or two introductory sentences about your experience in the industry and your company).

If you are looking for an industry expert and have a loan scenario I can help with, I would love to shop around for you and get you a competitive quote. I’d also be happy to discuss the different lending resources I work with, and if any fit your lending needs.

Contact me anytime via phone (phone number) or email (email address) with any questions or scenarios you may have.

Looking forward to working with you and helping you achieve your investment goals.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

Request for More Information Email 

Hi (Client’s Name),

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me earlier, and letting me know your real estate investing goals and the type of projects you usually work on.

As promised, I have attached additional resources and materials to help you better understand how I can help you reach your goals. (Describe a bit more about the materials attached)

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Best,

(Signature)

Phone Call Follow-up Email 

Hello (Client’s name),

I enjoyed speaking with you and learning more about your financing needs. I wanted to follow up with more information on the program I believe can be the best suited to your investing needs:

(Insert a couple of bullet points about your products based on your phone conversation)

Looking to get a quote? Contact me anytime, phone (phone number) or email (email address).

Looking forward to working with you and helping you achieve your investment goals.

Sincerely,

(Signature)

TouchPoint on Cold Clients 

Hi (Client’s Name),

It’s been a while since we last spoke. I hope all is going well on your end.

First of all, I’d like to catch up to hear how you and your business are doing and see if there’s a chance to help you further.

I remembered, last time we spoke, you were interested in (product X). We have made significant progress on this product which has been impressively received by many of our clients.

I would love to share these key updates with you when you have a moment. Please let me know if (date and time) fit into your calendar, if not, feel free to suggest a time that works best for you.

Please let me know if you have any questions prior so that I can have those answers lined up.

Best,

(Signature)

In today’s marketing world, marketers have emphasized the new technologies available such as chatbots, social media, and influencers to reach customers. But these new marketing methods shouldn’t dissuade folks from one of the most effective messaging channels – email marketing.

Folks might be wondering if email marketing is still a worthwhile effort in connecting with current and prospective clients, and well yes, yes it is. According to HubSpot, there are on average 3.9 BILLION daily email users and 80 percent of business professionals believe that email marketing has increased their customer retention.

Here are some important aspects to consider when crafting your next email campaign.

Subject Line

The main items to consider when creating a subject line for your email campaign is to keep it short, limit punctuation, be descriptive, and add some personalization. Low open rates typically show that the subject line is not relevant or interesting enough for your subscribers to want to open the email.

The best way to know what resonates with your clients is to test out different subject lines to increase your open rates. An effective subject line clearly describes what’s inside your email and is intriguing enough to get folks to want to learn more.

To test the subject line craft two to three versions that differ slightly, and then set them up in an A/B Testing Campaign. Most marketing email platforms will have A/B Testing as part of their software, but if not, you can segment your list of contacts evenly, with each list receiving one of the subject lines you are testing. This will allow you to see which subject line had a higher open rate, and you can craft your future emails using this similar style of subject lines.

Email Structure

Get to the point quickly. Most folks will skim through their emails first, so it’s important to keep your email short and right to the point, so it grabs their attention and, they respond right then and there.

Make the email personable. Greet your client by name, add in something you’ve talked about before and thank them for their business.

Provide a Call to Action (CTA). Make it easy for your client to respond or make it clear how you want them to respond. Include a calendar invite with your next planned call, your phone number, and any required information or documents you need.

Building Your List 

Segmenting your client lists can help increase engagement, open rates, and follow-up efforts. You can have folks on more than one list but split the list’s into contacts with similar demographics, interests, lending patterns, and where you met them, so you can send the right content to the right people. Research shows that a segmented email campaign can have a 14 percent higher open rate than non-segmented campaigns.

Additionally, if your combination of contacts in a segment is not receiving the engagement you’d like to see, experiment with the lists until you find the most effective way to reach your contacts.

Overall, emails are necessary to maintain relationships with your current and prospective clients. Email marketing is an increasingly preferred communication method, but like other forms of marketing still works hand-in-hand with phone calls as well to keep your interactions personal.

There are many advantages to using a smartphone, both for personal and work use. With upgraded technology nowadays, there’s an app for almost everything! Have you thought about apps that might benefit you as a real estate investor to download? With numerous options to choose from, here are a few categories every real estate professional should think about downloading.

Edit Your Photos

Capturing the work you’ve done on fix & flips is extremely important. Photos are one of the best ways to market your product. But what do you do if you took the photos on a day with overcast? Or if they’re close to perfect but not quite there yet? This is when photo editing comes into play. Of course, you never want to mislead potential clients and completely distort the photos. However, minor touch-ups here and there can transform your photo from good to great. Great apps to use include Snapseed, VSCO, and Adobe Lightroom just to name a few. With a photo editing tool, you’ll be able to control exposure, adjust sharpness, and crop to your liking in no time!

Keep Track of Your Expenses

Tracking expenses is extremely important to stay within budget. With numerous purchases of materials that can occur during a fix and flip, maintaining a log of everything you’ve bought will only help you in the long run. Doing multiple projects at once? Even more of a reason to keep track of the expenses each project requires. QuickBooks is an extremely popular app many real estate professionals use. It’s also worth taking a look at Freshbooks and Xero among others to choose which app works best for you.

Scan Your Documents

Lots of paperwork can be overwhelming to deal with, which is why having a digital copy and filing it into folders can be very helpful. What’s even more convenient is being able to scan a document using your phone! Notable document scanning apps include Adobe Scan, Scanbot, Genius Scan, and CamScanner. Forget the photocopier and just grab your phone!

There are many more apps out there that can benefit you as a real estate investor. Start with these categories and see what additional apps can best suit you!

Now more than ever our homes have become a top priority as the pandemic has shifted our day to day life in every aspect. Our homes have become office spaces, classrooms, workout studios, restaurants and more. And as COVID-19 has proven how folks are fully capable of working remotely, the work from home trend is expected to hold strong and consequently, will continue to shift home design trends for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year.

Well-designed living areas, outdoor areas, and designated spaces are at the top of everyone’s list as people are spending more time at home. With this in mind, here are three things remote workers are looking for in their rental properties.

Designated Spaces

As schools, offices, and gyms have all closed their doors, having spaces for these in our homes have become the top item on peoples wish-lists. The open floor plan of the past is no more, as renters are looking for designated, and flexible spaces within their homes. Extra bedrooms that double as a home office, finished basements for a home gym and space for the kids to hunker down and do their schoolwork. Specifically advertising these areas in your listing can help draw in more prospective tenants.

Additionally, outdoor living areas and backyards have become more sought after and something to still consider when looking for your next rental property even in the winter months. More renters are leaving their current homes for properties with more outdoor spaces.

Location

The lure of rental properties surrounded by bars, restaurants and shopping areas in larger cities is now being outweighed by homes in smaller cities with more space. According to the National Association of Realtors Research Group’s November Report, rents declined in the larger city of Dallas, while being up in Waco and Arlington, Texas. Additionally, rents declined in Los Angeles, while they rose in Bakersfield.  Smaller cities are seeing more surges as folks are flooding out of the crowded major cities.

Pet Friendly

Pet adoptions since March have surged as people are spending more time at home, and have taken the next step into pet ownership. Rental units and landlords who are more flexible about allowing cats and dogs will see more tenant applications than those who do not allow pets into their rental properties.  Plus, you can make more money by adding in a pet-rent fee or non-refundable security deposit upfront as well.

Overall, as flipping properties has decreased since March, rental units are being sought after by real estate investors. The National Association of Realtors Research Group’s November Report shows that the median apartment rent rose 12 percent in Q3 of 2020, and though some areas are showing signs of occupancy lose average rents have remained stable. When looking for your next rental property or renovating a current one, keep in mind how folks are spending more time at home and are looking for specific needs.

After the renovations of your fix and flip have been completed, capturing the moment is essential! Not only to hold all the hard work you’ve done in a tangible form, but also for marketing. Don’t have a professional camera? Not a problem! With the right steps, you can take amazing photos with just your phone. Additionally, marketing your rental is also key to making a profit. And it starts with the perfect photos to share with potential clients.

Lighting

Good lighting can make or break any photo. If there isn’t enough lighting, the rooms can appear gloomy and overall give off a bad appearance. The goal of these photos is to give prospective clients the feel that they can see themselves in the space. Therefore, warm and inviting light helps create the illusion as well as opens up the space. Capitalize on getting the most amount of light into the room by taking photos on bright sunny days, opening the blinds, and turning on all the interior lights. Natural light is your friend so be sure to take full advantage of it. Although when taking photos be careful of shadows that can be cast. Shadows often come into play but can be dependent on the angles you take the photo.

Angles

Take a variety of photos from different angles. You don’t have to use them all, but it gives you an abundance of photos to work with. Not only can different angles give a variety, but the quality of the photos can change when factoring in other variables such as shadows. Keep in mind taking photos from corners opens up the room and adds dimension compared to straight-on photos that can make the room appear smaller.

Outside

Of course, capturing the rooms inside is essential, but so is capturing the outside! Outdoor living space can be a major attraction to prospective clients. Again, lighting will be a major component of getting the perfect photo. Be sure no personal belongings are in the shot such as your car in the driveway. And don’t get too caught up in the season you shoot! Although spring or summer may seem like the best options for blossoming flowers, fall and winter can be just as beautiful! Taking an outdoor photo with a fresh blanket of snow on the property or the fall foliage surrounding your fix & flip can add the perfect charm to your array of photos.

Shooting your fix and flip should be fun! All of your hard will pay off in these photos, so you want to be sure to capture the beauty. With these tips in mind, you will be able to take beautiful photos on a budget.

Now that autumn has begun, so has the chilly weather! Those beautiful outdoor spaces you created shouldn’t only be reserved for the summertime. Make your outdoor spaces usable all year.

Stay Warm

If you haven’t already, you should certainly look into investing in a firepit! This is an easy way to stay warm during the colder months of the year while enjoying your outdoor patio. Choose from wood burning, propane, gel fueled, or natural gas fire pits to fit your needs. Firepits are a win-win situation because not only do they serve for warmth, they are perfect for roasting yummy treats like smores! In addition to a firepit, consider adding heat lamps to stay warm and cozy outside. A patio heat lamp is simple to assemble and can often be positioned to heat an individual directly, rather than just the surrounding area. With a wide variety of heating lamps to choose from, match the style to your already existing patio!

Privacy Screen

Think of getting a privacy screen to put up wherever you please. This helps transform your patio from summer to fall, as well as blocks the wind as the temperature drops. Such a quick and simple fix to change seasons! Outdoor screens can add a nice visual to your outdoor patio space and gives you more seclusion from others. Enjoy the peace and quiet of your outdoor space with a beautiful new privacy screen.

Let There Be Light

Just because the sun goes down sooner, doesn’t mean you have to sit in the dark! Add some more lights to your outdoor space to create a warm ambiance. Dive into your style of either twinkling lights, tiki torches, or glowing lanterns. Make sure your lights are weatherproof to avoid having to constantly change them out.

Add Some Aesthetics

Put down an all-weather rug (or a few) to fit the season and giving your feet something warm to walk on. Rugs made from polypropylene are great at withstanding whatever nature may throw at it during the season. Have a gazebo or pergola? Add in some curtains! Allow yourself to draw in the curtains when the temperature drops and that transformation of the summer to fall feel.

Just because summer’s gone doesn’t mean your patio has to close up. Use these tips to maintain enjoying the beautiful outdoor space you’ve created. And don’t forget, throw some more pillows and blankets out there to keep the space extra cozy!