Realtor email signatures are not the most vital component of a real estate transaction, but they can be an extremely helpful and convenient aspect of the process. Putting together the perfect realtor email signature for your business is an important part of branding, so we've put together this comprehensive guide to crafting the best one possible.
What is a REALTOR Email Signature?
A REALTOR email signature is your contact information at the end of every message/email you send out to give interested clients and customers that extra bit of knowledge about who they're communicating with.
So before we dive in, let's first talk about what you can and cannot put in your email signature.
Realtor Email Signature Rules
First and foremost, you cannot put anything in your email signature that is promotional or extremely personal. If it's not necessary for your clients to know who you are to achieve business, then don't give them that opportunity. It's a waste of their time and yours. Think about it, if they would have known who you were from the start, all they would need to do is Google your name and company instead of wasting time asking for more information.
As a REALTOR, you need to give your name and contact information. That is mandatory.
Should You Put Your Cell Number In an Email Signature?
You should never put your home phone number in an email signature, but if you want to put your cell phone number in there, go ahead. If you want to show that you're accessible to clients and customers, then that's perfectly fine. However, understand that if they call your cell phone number at all hours of the day and night, there will be an extra charge like toll charges on their bill. Better yet, get a Google Voice or other virtual number – it allows them to text message or call you for free.
What About Your Website?
Your website should go in your email signature. If it's too long or complicated to put in a signature, do not put it there. Of course, you can link to it in the actual body of the email message as well. Ideally, you would create a simple HTML email template and include a link back to your website inside the email signature for easy access and for reader convenience.
What Email Signature Format Is Best? And Why?
There are many great options and formats out there when putting together your Realtor email signature. These include HTML, RTF, plain text and even Microsoft Word.
It's important to make sure your email signature professional follows best design practices. For example, it may be tempting to put everything in bold or all caps but stick with plain old text for readability purposes. By doing so, you won't hurt anyone's eyesight or make them lose their focus on the message by using a simple, easy-to-read font.
How Much Should You Include in Your Signature?
Many people don't know the answer to this question, but it's easy to figure out. The rule of thumb is that you need to include your name, company name, physical address (no P.O. Boxes), telephone number and a link to your website at the most.
This is all you need for an effective REALTOR email signature that meets industry and government requirements. If you feel like it lacks information, add a brief bio about yourself or something else along those lines.
How Long Should Your Email Signature Be?
Again, the rule of thumb is to keep your email signature as short and sweet as possible. You don't want your viewers to have to scroll for half a minute or even more just to read your name. Additionally, the shorter it is, the easier it will be for them to spread it around. Think about it – if someone wants you in their contact list; for prospecting purposes at least; and clicks on your link, but they have to go scroll through a mile-long note to find out who you are, chances are they won't bother to save time. Remember – less is more in this case.
Is There Anything that can be Inappropriate to Include in Your Email Signature?
What about your religious or political beliefs, or anything inflammatory or controversial? The answer to that is a resounding no. These types of personal preferences should remain in your personal inbox instead of being passed on to the general public. All emails that you send out should be professional and consistent with your brand, not withheld as a form of passive-aggressive communication.
Should You Show Your Offices On Your Signature?
Again, there are many different ways people have put together their email signatures over the years. Some use phone numbers and addresses from all over the country, but this is illegal – at least in most states.
Those that do include all of their offices are doing so in a very unprofessional manner. You're saying, "I'm a real estate broker but I don't have the resources to maintain multiple locations, so just keep it simple and list them all here. I'm real estate whore."
Remember – an email signature isn't the place to advertise your offices or other business locations. If you want to share that information, send them an email instead and let them know you're interested in meeting with them in person. The same rule applies here – less is more when it comes to listing your physical offices on your website or even social media profiles.
How To Find Out What Email Signature Rules are In Your State
First off, if you live in the US, then you're in luck. Federal laws have established that certain REALTOR email signature rules must be followed. However, it's not enough to comply with federal standards – all states must adhere to the same guidelines. So there's no need for you to look at each state's regulations for email signature information. This is because the federal government has already set a standard that all states must follow to maintain their current real estate business licenses.
