The “Merge Field Code” is a part of the real estate email templates in your CRM that facilitates the personalization process. Most real estate professionals do not really understand the concept of a merge field code that is built into a template and why it is important to use them to quickly and easily automate your follow-up. Let’s get to the bottom of why and how to use merge field codes in your real estate email templates and drip campaigns!
What is a merge field code in a real estate email template?
A merge field is a code specific to your CRM software that will allow you to automatically merge into an email or text information about a specific contact or client without the need to manually type the information out for every email you send. In other words, don’t re-invent the wheel… automate it instead! The first thing you need is to do is learn about the available merge field codes within your CRM (contact relationship management software).
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For example, a real estate email template with merge field codes may look like this:
The merge fields in the example (%%) above is used to automatically insert (or merge) the first name of the client as well as the city code of the area where this contact is interested in purchasing a home. The information is pulled automatically from a saved field within the contact card of the client/prospect when the email or drip campaign is sent. See the sample of a contact card from EngageMore CRM below.
Merge Field Codes Differ by CRM
Depending your CRM software, merge field codes could look like ((FirstName)) or {FirstName} or <FirstName> or %%firstname%%. It’s important that you know your CRM code to use it accurately. Find out if your CRM will also allow you to personalize the subject lines of your emails with merge field codes too. The ability to personalize the subject line will enable you to catch the eye of your contact within the inbox subject line and get much higher open rates. For example, within EngageMore CRM, our subscribed real estate agents have open rates from less than 15% (this is the average for the real estate industry) to 50-60% open rates because the CRM provides much more personalized and engaging subject lines with inserted merge field codes.
Increase Open Rates and Responses with Merge Field Codes
Personalizing your email and text templates within an engaging drip campaign is key to better open rates and it helps you to quickly personalize and automate your follow-up process more efficiently and effectively. The extra bonus is that it also prevents your real estate email templates and texts from looking “canned” or “spammy,” which will translate into higher response rates too! Use merge field codes for such things as:
- First Name
- Budget
- Lender name or info
- Desired Area
Most real estate agents don’t like to spend time copy and pasting over and over or sending emails and texts one at a time to hundreds of potential contacts with information that they have gathered on a spreadsheet. If that’s your gig…then have at it.
Better yet, avoid the hassle with a powerful CRM and pre-built drip campaigns with all the real estate email template merge field codes that are built-in and ready to use. EngageMore CRM has over 30+ proven drip campaigns and 100+ text and email templates that are simple to customize and set up. Blast out the drip campaigns or send individual real estate email templates fast either to a whole group of people or one at time!
The name of the game is to create your real estate email templates as personalized as possible without manually having to do it! This can be accomplished by simply using your merge fields. Boom! Otherwise… the struggle is real. Work smarter and not harder and don’t forget… the Money is in the Follow-Up… so why not automate it!
Contributing Editor – Andrea Hendrix
