Email Etiquette for Agents

Email remains a key component of communication for real estate agents. Email is easily organized, accessible to all parties permanently, and is a format in which multiple links and attachments can be included. However, because emails can be fired off in rapid succession and usually cannot be unsent, it’s all too easy to trip yourself up and make an embarrassing blunder.

Set Yourself Up for Success

Before you begin your day’s email communication, read through our guide to email etiquette for agents. Keep it handy to ensure your clients are consistently impressed by your impeccable professionalism.

Subject Lines

Keep your subject lines short while simultaneously descriptive. “Open House Tomorrow at 5PM,” “New Listing for You to Review,” or “Meeting Set for 2PM 2/27.” This prepares the recipient and also makes your email easily searchable for future referencing.

Greeting and Closing

Avoid familiar, informal openers like “Hi,” or “Hey.” Choose “Good morning,” “Good morning [client name],” or even a simple “Hello.” Even if you are sending your fifteenth email to the same client, do not fall into the trap of succumbing to casual shorthand.

Close with the same level of respect. “Thank you,” “Best,” “Kind Regards,” and “I look forward to hearing from you,” are always well-received. Include your professional signature that lists your job title, website, and phone number including extension.

Content

Emails are to be used when a phone call will not adequately address your communication needs. Send an email that contains necessary information without any rambling, padding, or non-essential details.

Additionally, sending an email is always justified when you wish to send your client or coworker attachments or links.

Formatting

Format your emails with standard fonts. Arial, Times New Roman, Calibri, and Georgia are examples of fonts that are excellent go-to choices. Opt for size 12 or 14 (particularly for those who are reading on mobile), and refrain from using color.

Sometimes it may be appropriate to bold, italicize, or use all-capital letters on one or two words, but it is not acceptable to pepper an email with a mix of these, or to apply any of them to a long phrase or complete sentence. Doing so will make your intended emphasis void; instead, your entire email will look clumsy and potentially carry unpleasant undertones of excess emotionality.

Avoid slang terms or industry jargon (unless you are communicating with another agent.) Use only one punctuation mark at the end of a sentence.

When you paste copied text in an email, you’ll want to clear the existing formatting first for easier reading. To paste text without any formatting on a PC, you will use “Ctrl + Shift + V”, and on a Mac you will use “Command + \”.

Grammar and Tone

Use your best grammar. If this is an area that has been a struggle for you, use an editing tool like Grammarly to adjust your phrasing before you send your email.

Your tone should be approachable and positive, yet professional, which is the most important aspect. Do not address a conflict in an email; instead, meet in person or over video chat. In text, your tone should not carry sarcasm, negativity, arguments, or accusations. 

Emojis are not appropriate in professional communication and cannot be substituted for proper tone within the text. Avoid using emojis with clients at any time, even if your client chooses to use them.

Be Brief

Your clients will likely access your emails on their phones. Make it easy for them by keeping your messages concise. Eliminate words like “very,” “really,” basically,” and “literally.” Keep in mind that a recipient may open an email, see a wall of text, and close it without reading.

Shorten Links

Make your emails look as clean as possible by using a link shortener or embedding links as hyperlinks within the text of your message. Avoid long, clunky, bare links. They are visually unappealing and difficult to copy and paste should your client wish to manually transfer a link into their browser.

Proofread

In the frenzy of a stressful business day, it can be all too easy to quickly tap out or even voice-to-text an email and hit send without a moment’s hesitation. Do not fall into this trap. Proofread every email from subject line to attachments and every word in between.

If you make a mistake and notice it after you’ve sent your email, the fix could be as simple as adding a note in the same email chain as follows, “My apologies. I neglected to attach the promised documents. Please find them attached below.” 

Sometimes you will not be able to fix a mistake like a grammatical error or overly casual phrasing. Do not waste time berating yourself; we all make mistakes. Accept this uncomfortable moment of realization as a learning experience and resolve to do better in the future.

CC vs. BCC

Carbon Copy, or CC, sends emails to a group of recipients. However, it reveals the address and name of each recipient to all included! You’re better off using the safer “Blind” Carbon Copy/BCC, which accomplishes the same goal of emailing a group, but hides the details of each recipient from the others. Unless your goal is sharing the contact information of one or more parties with the others, using BCC is more respectful and considerate. Your discretion will surely be appreciated.

Response Times

Respond to emails within one business day. If you need a bit more time, be polite and send a note saying, “I will respond by Wednesday at 11,” or “I will respond as soon as possible.” By communicating clearly and respectfully, you can gain flexibility without sacrificing your rapport with your client or professional contact.

The Takeaway

Email is a reliable method of communication, but it can also be an excellent way to establish and maintain your reputation for professionalism. Take full advantage of this opportunity by following the tips we have outlined above.