The last thing clients want is another promotional email—unless the subject line is tantalizing enough to get them to open it. Since email marketing is one of the top technology tools that provide the highest quality leads, according to the National Association of REALTORS®’ Real Estate in a Digital Age 2018 Report, you want to use subject lines that capture prospective clients’ attention. An unopened email can lead to a missed opportunity.

It’s important to create engaging email subject lines to help them cut through the clutter and stand out in clients’ inboxes. Here are six tips agents can use to craft better email subject lines.

1. Keep it short and sweet. Fifty-five percent of emails are read on mobile devices, according to the 2016 State of Email Report by email marketing firm Litmus. That could be problematic because only the first six to eight words of the subject line show up on mobile devices. If the email subject line is too long, there is a good chance it will get cut off, and clients will never see it in its entirety. You should write clear and concise email subject lines to help get your message across. A short, impactful email subject line is likely to catch clients’ eyes as they scan their inbox.
2. Evoke a sense of urgency. Whether it’s an email sharing a local event, a checklist, or market trends, an urgent subject line can make clients feel like they’ll miss out on something important if they don’t open the email. You can create a sense of urgency by using words like “hurry,” “won’t last long,” “fast,” and “don’t miss” to motivate clients to open their email. An email with the subject line, “new property – won’t last long” will likely get high open rates.
3. Ask intriguing questions. You can create instant dialogue with clients by asking them a question that resonates and piques their curiosity. Place the question in the email subject line. For example, you could ask, “Are you still looking in X neighborhood?” Even if your clients didn’t have this question in mind, you could get them thinking about it if the subject line is intriguing enough. Likewise, sending an email with the subject line, “How much are homes selling for in your neighborhood?” will likely get high open rates and plant a seed in clients’ minds who are interested in putting their home on the market.
4. Use emoji. Compared to text-only email subject lines, emoji appear friendlier and result in higher open rates, according to research from email marketing firm Return Path. Emoji are a creative, expressive way to create a more appealing email subject line, regardless of the target age range of clientele. You should select emoji relevant to the subject line and use them to convey emotion or emphasize an idea. Plus, there are plenty of property-related emoji to choose from, so you won’t have a hard time finding one that fits.
5. Take a personalized approach. When it comes to email marketing, emails with personalized subject lines have 26 percent higher unique open rates than non-personalized emails, according to Experian’s 2013 Email Market Study. Placing the recipient’s name in the email subject line has been a popular trend over the years, but there are other ways to show personalization. You can increase the level of personalization by segmenting email lists and taking the time to create different email subject lines based on where clients are in the buying process. No two clients are the same, so you should cater to individual clients’ needs and preferences when writing email subject lines.
6. Apply artificial intelligence. With today’s technology, you don’t even have to write your own email subject lines. You can rely on artificial intelligence tools designed to generate better email subject lines than humans. Persado and Phrasee are two options that help create engaging email subject lines based on data-driven insights.

Remember to carefully consider the email subject line before clicking the send button. Is it engaging? Does it urge the client to open the email to find out more? Being able to write an engaging email subject line that motivates clients to open the email is critical for a successful email marketing strategy.