Real Estate Bulk Email Tools: Deliverability Tips
Getting emails into inboxes is critical for real estate success. Bulk email campaigns often face challenges like spam filters, authentication issues, and low engagement rates, especially when using platforms like Gmail or Outlook, which aren't designed for high-volume outreach. Specialized tools such as Mailforge and Warmforge can solve these issues by improving deliverability, simplifying technical setups, and maintaining sender reputation.
Key Takeaways:
- Spam Filters: Avoid poor domain reputation and misconfigured authentication (SPF, DKIM, DMARC).
- Engagement Rates: Personalize emails, use plain text, and avoid spam-triggering language or excessive tracking.
- Email Infrastructure: Tools like Mailforge automate DNS setup, while Warmforge helps warm up domains and improve inbox placement.
- Scaling Outreach: Start small, gradually increase volume, and monitor metrics like open rates and spam complaints.
By addressing these issues and using the right tools, real estate professionals can run efficient, high-impact email campaigns without risking deliverability problems.
Common Deliverability Problems in Real Estate Email Campaigns
Email Authentication Protocols: SPF, DKIM, and DMARC Comparison
Real estate professionals often run into three main challenges when sending bulk emails: spam filters, authentication issues, and low engagement rates.
Spam Filters and Blacklists
Spam filters are meant to protect inboxes, but they can be overly aggressive when it comes to bulk emails. For example, if more than 0.1% of your recipients (1 in 1,000) mark an email as spam, it can cause serious deliverability problems. Even a small number of complaints can harm your sender reputation.
One common reason for triggering spam filters is a poor domain reputation. If you're using a new domain without building trust or if your email setup is missing key technical configurations, spam filters are more likely to flag your messages as suspicious. Real estate agents who dive into high-volume campaigns without "warming up" their domains often find their emails landing in spam folders within days.
Another critical factor is authentication. Without proper protocols in place, even legitimate emails may not make it to the inbox.
Authentication Problems
Email authentication protocols - SPF, DKIM, and DMARC - are essential for verifying that you're authorized to send emails from your domain. If these records are misconfigured, your emails can be rejected outright or sent to spam.
| Protocol | Purpose | Impact of Missing/Incorrect Setup |
|---|---|---|
| SPF | Specifies which servers can send emails for your domain | Emails may be rejected or flagged as spam; leaves you vulnerable to spoofing |
| DKIM | Adds a digital signature to verify the message's integrity | Emails might be flagged as tampered or forged |
| DMARC | Defines how email providers should handle failed authentication | No protection against spoofing; reduces trust in your domain |
Without these protocols properly set up, even well-crafted outreach emails may never reach their intended audience. These technical measures aren't optional - they're the backbone of successful email delivery.
Low Engagement Rates
Email providers monitor how recipients interact with your messages. If your emails are ignored, deleted without being opened, or marked as spam, it signals to providers that your content isn't wanted. This can hurt your sender reputation and make it even harder to reach inboxes.
Several technical issues often contribute to poor engagement in real estate campaigns. First, plain text emails are less likely to trigger spam filters compared to HTML-heavy messages. Second, sending identical emails to hundreds of contacts can flag your campaign as bulk mail. To avoid this, use spintax (spinning syntax) to create unique variations of your message. This approach not only reduces the chance of being flagged but also boosts your sender reputation. Finally, embedded tracking pixels - used for monitoring opens and clicks - can sometimes trigger spam filters. If you're struggling with deliverability, you might need to disable open and click tracking temporarily.
Low engagement creates a vicious cycle. Poor open rates lead to worse inbox placement, which then causes even lower open rates. Breaking this cycle requires addressing these technical and content-related issues at their core.
How to Improve Email Deliverability for Real Estate Campaigns
Once you’ve pinpointed the issues preventing your emails from reaching inboxes, you can take practical steps to fix them. Email deliverability boils down to three key areas: setting up your email infrastructure correctly, earning trust with email providers, and crafting messages that recipients are eager to open.
Setting Up Your Email Infrastructure
A solid email infrastructure is the backbone of any successful campaign. Without proper domain configuration and DNS records, even the most well-written emails might get lost in the spam folder. Automating the setup for SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can save you time and effort.
Tools like Mailforge simplify this process by automating DNS setup, SSL certificates, domain masking, and bulk DNS updates. For real estate professionals managing campaigns across various markets, this automation removes a major roadblock to scaling outreach efforts efficiently.
Choosing between shared and private infrastructure depends on your email volume. Shared infrastructure works well if you’re sending fewer than 100,000 emails a month - it’s quick to set up and doesn’t require the lengthy 30–60 day IP warm-up period that private systems need. On the other hand, private infrastructure offers complete control over your sender reputation, making it the better choice for higher volumes, though it comes with higher costs and setup time.
Another tip? Match your email service provider (ESP) to your recipient’s. For instance, sending from Google to Gmail users can help your message bypass certain filters that might otherwise flag it as spam. This small adjustment can give your deliverability rates a helpful boost.
Building and Maintaining Sender Reputation
Think of your sender reputation as your email domain’s credit score. Email providers track how recipients interact with your messages, and a sudden spike in email volume from a new domain can raise suspicion.
To build trust, start small with domain warming. Gradually increase your email volume over time, rather than making sudden jumps. Consistent sending patterns signal reliability, while erratic spikes can damage your reputation before you’ve even had a chance to establish credibility.
Pay attention to spam triggers in your content. Keep your emails simple by using plain text or minimal HTML to avoid filters that flag overly complex code. Also, steer clear of tactics like excessive capitalization, multiple exclamation points, or phrases such as "Act now!" - these can easily get your email marked as spam.
Once your sender reputation is solid, it’s time to focus on writing emails that truly connect with your audience.
Writing Emails That Get Opened
Even with great infrastructure and a strong reputation, your emails need to engage recipients to perform well. Email providers monitor open rates, clicks, and replies to assess the value of your content.
Start with a subject line that’s specific and relevant. Instead of something vague like "Great Investment Opportunity", try "3-unit property on Elm Street - cash flow positive." A personalized, detailed subject line is far more likely to grab attention.
Take personalization to the next level by referencing details that matter to your recipient. Go beyond just adding their first name - mention local market trends or specific properties they might find interesting. This shows you’ve put thought into the message rather than sending out a generic blast.
Finally, keep your call-to-action clear and simple. A direct request like "Are you available for a quick call this week?" is far more effective than asking recipients to take multiple steps.
When your email infrastructure, sender reputation, and content work together, your real estate campaigns can achieve impressive engagement rates and cost efficiency.
Using Mailforge and Warmforge for Real Estate Email Campaigns
For real estate professionals juggling campaigns across multiple markets, tools like Mailforge and Warmforge can be game-changers. Mailforge takes the hassle out of DNS setup, while Warmforge ensures your emails land in inboxes by improving sender reputation. Together, they simplify the technical side of email outreach, even if you're not a DNS expert.
Automated DNS Setup with Mailforge
Setting up DNS records like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC can be a time-consuming task, especially when you're managing multiple domains for property listings or different market segments. Mailforge eliminates this headache by automating the entire process. Instead of spending 2–3 hours configuring each domain manually, you can now get it done in under 5 minutes.
"DNS record setup for multiple domains now take a few minutes." - Danny Goff, Director of Sales, Propeller
Mailforge also uses a shared IP infrastructure designed for cold outreach. This means you're sharing reputation with legitimate senders, not random accounts, which is crucial for real estate agents who rely on consistent inbox placement to reach property owners, investors, and potential buyers. For 200 mailboxes, Mailforge costs around $484 per month, offering features tailored specifically for outreach campaigns rather than general email needs.
Email Warm-Up with Warmforge
When using new domains, building a good reputation is key to avoiding spam folders. Warmforge handles this by simulating natural email behaviors - like opens, clicks, replies, and even reclassifying emails - to improve your sender reputation.
With Warmforge, you can achieve 100% inbox placement in as little as two weeks. The platform also offers real-time monitoring with a Deliverability Score and alerts if your domain gets flagged on a blacklist. Plus, you can run placement tests to see if your emails are landing in the "Primary", "Promotions", or "Spam" folders across providers like Gmail and Outlook. Pricing starts at $12 per inbox per month, but larger teams can benefit from discounts that bring the cost down to $3 per inbox.
These tools integrate effortlessly into your outreach strategy, saving time and ensuring your emails get noticed where it matters most.
Monitoring and Scaling Your Email Outreach
Tracking Performance Metrics
Keeping an eye on key metrics is essential to spot any deliverability issues early. One of the most important metrics is the inbox placement rate, which shows the percentage of emails that land in recipients' primary inboxes. A low rate here could mean trouble. Pay attention to your bounce rate as well - this includes hard bounces (like invalid email addresses) and soft bounces (temporary issues, such as full inboxes). If you notice an increase in your spam complaint rate, it might be time to rethink your messaging or targeting approach.
Engagement metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and reply rates are equally important. These numbers give you a sense of whether your audience values the content you're sending, such as property listings or market updates. On top of that, tools like Google Postmaster Tools can help you monitor your domain health, offering early warnings if your sending reputation starts to decline. Once your metrics are in check, the next step is figuring out how to scale your outreach without jeopardizing these numbers.
Gradually Increasing Email Volume
Scaling up your email volume too quickly can hurt your deliverability. Start small - send around 20 to 50 emails per mailbox daily during the first few weeks. Gradually increase this to a maximum of 50 emails per day per mailbox. A good balance might be 20 warm-up emails and 30 cold outreach emails per day.
Keep in mind that different email providers have their own daily sending limits. For example, Google Workspace allows up to 2,000 emails per day, while Microsoft 365 supports up to 10,000. To stay within these limits, use multiple mailboxes, especially if you're running campaigns targeting various markets.
Another smart approach is to segment your contact list by engagement level. Start with your most engaged recipients and slowly expand to include the rest of your list over about eight weeks. This gradual scaling helps signal to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that you're focused on building meaningful connections, not just blasting out mass emails.
Conclusion
Getting your real estate emails delivered isn’t about luck - it’s about having the right setup and strategy in place. The challenges we’ve discussed, from spam filters to authentication problems, can disrupt even your most important client communications. However, with the right infrastructure, a gradual approach to scaling, and consistent performance checks, you can create email campaigns that reliably reach your audience.
Tools like Mailforge and Warmforge tackle the common technical hurdles that many real estate professionals face. Mailforge simplifies DNS configuration, while Warmforge focuses on building and maintaining your sender reputation. Together, they provide a streamlined, cost-effective way to ensure your emails land where they’re supposed to - your clients' inboxes.
To set yourself up for success, focus on the basics: authenticate your domains correctly, warm up new email accounts methodically, and track your metrics on a weekly basis. The real estate market moves quickly, but rushing your email setup can lead to bigger problems down the road. Using these tools and best practices will help you create a dependable, scalable way to connect with buyers, sellers, and investors.
FAQs
How do Mailforge and Warmforge help improve email deliverability?
Mailforge takes the hassle out of email deliverability by managing the technical setup for you. It automatically configures SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records, ensuring email providers can authenticate your messages. The platform operates on a shared-IP infrastructure designed for cold outreach, grouping you with trusted senders to safeguard your reputation. Additional features, like SSL and domain masking, boost credibility, while ongoing monitoring of bounce and spam rates ensures your sender reputation stays intact and your emails land in inboxes.
Warmforge works hand-in-hand with Mailforge by gradually warming up new domains and mailboxes. It carefully increases sending volume over time, checks inbox placement, and conducts tests to ensure your emails reach their destination. This proactive strategy helps catch and fix deliverability issues early, keeping your campaigns running smoothly and your sender reputation in top shape.
How do I set up email authentication protocols like SPF, DKIM, and DMARC for better email deliverability?
To set up SPF, start by identifying all the services that send emails on behalf of your domain. Once you've got that list, add an SPF TXT record to your DNS. For example, if you're using Google, your record might look like this: v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all.
For DKIM, the process involves generating a key pair. You'll publish the public key as a DNS TXT record and configure your mail server to handle the signing process.
Finally, for DMARC, create a TXT record that ties together your SPF and DKIM policies. In this record, you'll also define how unauthenticated messages should be handled - whether they should be ignored (none), flagged (quarantine), or outright rejected (reject).
Setting up these protocols properly helps authenticate your emails, making it less likely they'll end up in spam folders and enhancing their overall deliverability.
Why is domain warming crucial for real estate email campaigns?
Domain warming plays a key role in building trust with email providers by slowly ramping up your email sending volume. This gradual approach helps create a strong sending reputation, which lowers the risk of your emails landing in spam folders.
When it comes to real estate campaigns, solid email deliverability is crucial. It ensures your messages make it to potential clients' inboxes, boosting engagement and expanding the reach of your efforts.