The ultimate guide to email newsletters for real estate professionals

What follows is a detailed guide to email newsletters — a deep dive into strategy, content, tools, and best practices. Think of this as your “newsletter playbook” — with more nuance and hands-on advice than a simple checklist.

Why email newsletters still matter

Email newsletters are still one of the most effective marketing methods you can use to generate listings.

Why? It's all about leverage.

You can contact thousands of people in a matter of minutes. Email newsletters are also low-cost, and super time efficient. You can find time to send an email newsletter even when your schedule fills up and your other prospecting activities fall by the wayside.

Here are a few more reasons why email works so well...

• When it comes to finding sellers, we're working with what we call a long lead sales time. You can meet an owner years before they put their home on the market. As a result, you need a way to keep in touch over time.
• In periods when you run out of time for traditional prospecting activities (cold calling, door knocking), you can still “push send” and keep your communication machine running.
• With email, you control the audience. Your reach can't be taken away by a social media algorithm overnight.
• There's no limit to the information you can send. You can pack loads of value into every email if you want to.
• Over time, your database becomes an asset: those who stay subscribed are the warmest potential leads you’ll ever have (versus cold outreach).

That said: not all newsletters are equal. Let’s walk through how to make yours not just “another email” — but one people look forward to.

The Core Components of a Strong Real-Estate Newsletter

You can template this structure. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel every time:

You don’t need all of these every time, but over time, you want variety and consistency.

How often should you send an email newsletter?

One of the most common questions is frequency — and at Agent Monday, we recommend the following:

• Growth phase: keen for more listings? Email once a week. Choose a consistent day and time (e.g. Wednesday, 10 a.m.).
• Slow growth phase: Perhaps your business is growing, you are flat out running from house to house and don't yet have admin support in place. Or perhaps the idea of emailing people every week just doesn't sit right, no matter how much I try to convince you otherwise. In that case, fortnightly is acceptable — but only if you send high-value content and stay consistent.
• Maintenance mode: Got enough work but want to maintain your current level of activity? Email your database once a month, minimum. Anything less and you risk falling off your contacts’ radar in a highly competitive environment.

For more on frequency, check out this guide:

If you email more often, you will get unsubscribes. But this is counter-balanced by the benefit you'll receive by keeping in touch more often with clients who are open to receiving your message.

If you want to break past a mid-tier income ceiling, you’ll need a communication machine — and regular email newsletters are a core lever of that.

Generating Ideas — What Should You Send?

A big obstacle is “what do I write?” You don’t have to start from scratch. At Agent Monday, we have a content library full of information that can help your clients make smart real estate decisions.

We created this library to make sending email newsletters as easy as possible.

Here are some more proven newsletter themes:

1. Hyper-local sales & price updates — recent sales in your suburb, overview of pricing trends. News from the 'coalface'.
2. Buying / selling tips — what fixes give the best return, timing advice, negotiation pointers. See our website library for pre-written, white-label content.
3. Local business spotlight / community stories — builds goodwill and connection. Give a shoutout to a local tradie or business you use and love.
4. Local events & happenings — festivals, school events, new amenities.
5. Seasonal / maintenance content — “winter prep for your home,” “holiday & security checklists.”
6. Question prompts / surveys / Q&A — e.g. “What’s the biggest concern you have about selling right now?”
7. Client stories / case studies — short before/after stories, success stories highlighting what went into achieving a great recent result.

Here’s something to lean on: you do not have to write the content yourself. Pick one of our pre-written articles — copy it into your email template and send.

Also, rotate themes — don’t be the “latest listings” and nothing else agent. Your database needs variety and substance. Target sellers one week, buyers the next. We also have content specifically written for investors and homeowners who aren't quite on the selling path just yet.

Tools & Platforms for Designing & Sending Newsletters

Depending on your scale, budget, and technical comfort, here are some tools (with pros / cons) you should consider:

Tip: Start with a simple tool you understand. You can upgrade later. Many agents begin with Mailchimp or Substack if they don't have an in-house solution available.

Building & Segmenting Your Database

Your newsletter is only as strong as your list. Here’s how to build and organise it:

• Every contact gets added — friends, old clients, open-home visitors, new appraisals, sphere of influence. Make asking for email a routine.
• Capture new subscribers — use a free home valuation tool, “what’s your home worth” landing page, or “neighbourhood update” signup.
• To segment or not — avoid the temptation to send different emails to different groups. You won't have time for this once you get busy. Send the same email to everyone with an email address in your database (as long as they haven't already unsubscribed!).
• Clean your list periodically — remove inactive emails, bounced addresses, etc. Don't remove people just because you can't remember who they are, or they haven't engaged with your email. Keep your list as large as possible!
• Ask for referrals — occasionally invite your subscribers to forward your newsletter to friends or neighbours who might benefit.

Technical & Deliverability Best Practices

Sending a beautiful email is one thing — making sure it lands in the inbox is another. These are crucial:

• Use a recognisable “From” name (your name, or “Jane Smith, X Realty”)
• Keep subject lines concise (under ~50 characters). Change your subject line each time, too. TIP: Use the headline from the Agent Monday article you include, eg. 'Five things to know before selling your home.'
• Use preheader text to complement or expand the subject line
• Avoid spammy trigger words (e.g. “free,” “urgent,” “deal”)
• Send from a verified domain (not a generic Gmail address)
• Use responsive design if possible (many read email on mobile) or just keep it plain text
• Test across devices and email clients to make sure it's readable
• Monitor and optimise open rate / click-through rate / bounce / unsubscribe — see what content/styles get the best engagement
• Always include an unsubscribe link and basic contact info (legally often required)

Avoid These Common Mistakes

• “Just listings, no value” — newsletters that are only “here are my listings this week” quickly become spam.
• No consistency — if people don’t know when to expect you, they stop paying attention.
• Adding too much information - your recipients should be able to read your entire newsletter in 5 minutes max. Keep it punchy and helpful. If you have more to say - save it for next time.
• Overthinking perfection — many agents delay “sending the first one” because the template isn’t perfect. Better to start simple and improve.
• Ignoring metrics — don’t just send; review open rates, clicks, and unsubscribes. Learn what works.
• Trying to make it pretty - the simple truth is, plain-text emails are far more likely to be opened and read, because that's what traditional 1 to 1 emails look like.
• No calls to action — every newsletter should invite some response: “reply to me,” “book a chat,” “download guide,” etc.

Final Thoughts: Building Your “Email Muscle” Over Time

• Your first few newsletters won’t be perfect — that’s okay. What matters is consistency and learning.
• Listen to your metrics: open rates, clicks, and unsubscribes — they tell you what your audience values.
• Over time, your newsletter becomes a communication engine — part of your “attraction business” model.
• Combine this with other channels (social media, printed mail, open homes) so people see your name in multiple places.

Always default to help first, sales second. Your newsletter is not your pitch; it's your way to build trust.

Make an appointment with yourself. Block out time in your diary and commit to sending your first email during that time.

Remember, you are in the information business. Your clients need to hear from you.

Last but not least, if you are still worried about unsubscribes or upsetting contacts, read this:

Got a question about emails I haven't covered? Simply reply to this email and get in touch. We are here to help!

Have an epic week!

Andrew Duncan

PS. Click here to book a one-on-one coaching session.

PPS. For a deeper dive into the power of content marketing, check out this guide.