Email marketing is incredibly important to salespeople. It's the most effective and cost-efficient way to stay top of mind with prospects. Things are a little different for real estate agents though. You've probably thought often to yourself that you aren't selling anything to your clients – you're building relationships with them and advising them through an important journey.

Shouldn't your email marketing reflect that?

We'll make the answer easy for you: YES, it should. We're well into the information age, and consumers have all of the data they need at their fingertips. If they're going to ask for help, they don't want to be marketed to. They want to find out which real estate agent will act like an advisor, protect their specific interests, and be someone they will know and like.

An important difference for real estate agents to keep in mind with their email marketing is that most salespeople are showcasing products that can be bought online with quick decisions and a few clicks. The real estate sale process can take months, and the ability of real estate agents to relate to their customers during the entire "thinking phase" is integral to the success of the conversion.

A series of well-written emails will convey that you're the right person.

What that message looks like: something you sat down and wrote that day, person to person. With the right strategy, email shows that you care, that you're available to help, and that you're human — just like your "peoplebase." (Clarification: Peoplebase = Database of Real People).

Emailing a pool of contacts in a personal way, checking in, and asking pertinent questions, you garner a much greater response than a newsletter, sales pitch, or list of accomplishments. Your peoplebase feels like it can ask honest questions and get a human response — and that's what people are looking for.

Here are some simple tips to follow when writing those emails:

1. Avoid email templates. The more it looks like a simple message, the more human you are, and the more likely someone will want to respond.
2. Ask questions. The best way to gain a response is by asking a question somewhere in the email. Try to learn what the person wants from the transaction and what questions they have.
3. Keep the email short. A short message is easy to read. Be direct and to the point, and they'll understand the message you want to communicate.
4. Begin conversation. Share information in your email that isn't about real estate or being a real estate agent — offer something that's intrinsically valuable to you recipients. Send an interesting article, recommend a great local restaurant, or talk about a fun activity in your area...and always ask a question about the things they enjoy. It makes you likeable and helpful.

Some recipients will respond to your emails right away because you caught them in their moment of need. Others will take months to be ready. Nonetheless, by continuing to reach out in a personal, human way, you will nurture a relationship with them, and they will call you when they're ready to move forward.

These email marketing strategies remove the fluff and zero-in on what your job as a real estate agent is all about: being an honest person who is helping another person. And your peoplebase appreciates that.

If you're a real estate agent who needs help implementing these email marketing, relationship-building strategies, take our assessment and see how we can do it for you.

To view the original article, visit the Happy Grasshopper blog.