Why Your Real Estate Newsletter Should Focus Less on “News” and Market Updates (And What to Send Instead)

Open your inbox right now. Take a look. Go ahead.

Chances are, it’s overwhelming. A wall of unread messages, combined with some that’ve been sitting there that are marked “read,” but are still waiting for you to have enough time and attention to actually deal with them.

There are probably a few “urgent” ones from clients you absolutely need to respond to. A bunch of semi-important ones you’ll flag for later (and hopefully actually come back to).

But there’s a lot of emails you can just select and mass delete. Nice! It feels productive, right? Then you look up and see three more emails have landed in your inbox, and you’re basically stuck in a losing game of digital whack-a-mole.

Keep that feeling in mind when you think about your newsletter landing in someone else’s inbox. Because your prospects, clients, sphere of influence, and every other person who somehow ended up on your email list are waging the same battle as you.

If your newsletter is anything but fun and easy to read, you’re pretty much sending them a mole to whack right into their trash bin.

Newsletters Are Still a Powerful Tool—if You Use Them Right

Despite the fact that people have their finger hovering over the delete button, email newsletters are one of the best ways for agents to stay top of mind without spending a fortune.

Social media is certainly a great option for low-cost (or even no cost) marketing. But unlike social posts, which can easily disappear in a never-ending feed of dancing dogs and political rants, if they even happen to check social media on a regular basis, an email puts your name front and center in a space your audience probably checks daily.

You have more control over getting your name and some information in front of them on a consistent basis. (Well, as long as you’re consistent about writing and sending one…)

Just seeing your name and a subject line each week is going to have some long-term benefit, serving as a reminder that you’re an agent, and are keeping in touch with them—which a lot of agents aren’t doing—even if they don’t open your email.

Obviously it’s a whole lot better for you (and them) if you create a newsletter they’ll look forward to opening and reading. Done right, it’s a chance to not only demonstrate that you’re knowledgeable and pass along some useful information, it’s an opportunity to entertain and amuse them.

But most of the agents who do send newsletters put way more emphasis on the word “news” than they do the entertaining. They send market data about homes recently sold. New listings. The latest mortgage rates. If they’re really endeavorous, they’ll write up an article on the local real estate market.

And at first glance, it makes sense. After all, they’re in the business of buying and selling homes, so why wouldn’t their newsletter be about buying and selling homes? It sounds professional. It seems like they’re “adding value.”

But it’s dry and probably boring to most of their audience…at least most of the time. It’s not that people don’t care about real estate. They do—when it matters to them. But the rest of the time, market updates are like elevator music: background noise, easily ignored, occasionally annoying. Most of your readers don’t want that. Not week after week. Not in their already overwhelming inbox

Readers rarely connect with you through data alone. And when the numbers blur together, so does your name.

Besides, the very thing they think sets them apart (sharing data) is the same thing everyone else is sending. They don’t stand out—they blend in.

Which is probably why some agents try to jazz it up by throwing in a recipe, some decorating tips, or a list of local events coming up in the next weekend, and cap it off with something about how they love and appreciate referrals.

It’s not that people hate them. It’s that they don’t need them.

Would You Open That Email Every Week?

You might be thinking, “Hey, I have people who tell me they love my market stats!” That’s probably true—but remember, you mostly hear from the ones who like it. But there are probably a lot more people who don’t go out of their way to tell you that your newsletter is something they avoid opening.

And even for the folks who do read it, a stats-heavy newsletter doesn’t necessarily create stronger bonds, spark conversation, or generate referrals. It informs them, sure, but it doesn’t engage them in a memorable way.

Here’s a fun thought experiment. Imagine you bought a car from a particular salesperson. And every week, they emailed you a newsletter with:

• The number of cars sold last month
• The average selling price
• A recipe for chocolate cake you’ll never make
• A local event you have zero time or interest to attend
• And, of course, a reminder that they love referrals

Would you open that email every week? Maybe once in a while. Maybe once you were shopping for a car again. But probably not. By then those emails end up in the trash bin almost on auto-pilot.

Now swap cars for houses. Most people buy or sell a home once every 7–10 years. They’re not waiting with bated breath for your newsletter about the latest market stats. They don’t need a recipe they’ll never make. And they certainly aren’t paying attention to the referral reminder tucked at the bottom.

But you just might be the distraction they didn’t even know they were looking for…

People Crave Random Tidbits and a Little Fun Distraction

Everywhere you look—TV, radio, social media—the vibe is heavy. Fear, frustration, and outrage is being served up to people all the time.

Yet many people can’t seem to stop doomscrolling, despite the fact that they claim to hate it.

Why? Because life is stressful, the inbox is overwhelming, and somewhere in that endless feed, they’re hoping to stumble across a tiny escape—a distraction, a smile, or a fun little takeaway they can bring up with someone in real life.

As Content Marketing Institute points out, joy sells just as effectively, if not more so, than fear. People remember it, they share it, and they come back for more.

This isn’t to suggest that sending someone real estate news and market data is using fear based marketing. On the contrary, most agents probably see it (and frame it) in a positive light. But numbers and data, and the current market conditions aren’t always something that makes people happy. Depending on their situation, it can actually stress them out.

They’re already getting stressed out by the barrage of things they come across each day. So giving them a few seconds of amusement can make someone smile, remember your name, and maybe even forward it to a friend.

Your newsletter doesn’t need to teach them everything about real estate. It just needs to make their inbox a little less stressful, a little more enjoyable, and a little more memorable.

Make Them Ask You About the Market

Not giving them the market updates can also be strategic on your part…

When you hand over the numbers every week, readers can digest them and move on, without ever raising their hand or letting you know they might be thinking about buying or selling. You’re doing the work, but missing the opportunity to start a conversation.

They’re either self-interpreting the data, or may even use the knowledge you dropped on them when they chat with another agent about buying or selling a house without ever calling you.

Instead, think of your newsletter as a way to plant curiosity. Every week, somewhere in your newsletter, weave in a short, casual mention of the market. It could be as simple as:

This approach does two things at once. First, it makes your newsletter more enjoyable for everyone—not just the buyers and sellers actively in the market. Second, it turns market data into a conversation starter, rather than a snooze-fest. You’re letting your expertise shine without overwhelming anyone who isn’t ready to move.

Now your newsletter isn’t a one-way broadcast. It’s an invitation to respond, ask questions, and start a real conversation. You’re gently reinforcing that context matters more than raw numbers, and that your insights are only a reply away.

Market data is still important—your expertise is valuable, and people expect you to know the numbers. But the key is letting your readers choose when they want the details. By teasing the market and inviting engagement, you’re giving them a reason to reach out—and staying top of mind long before they’re ready to make a move.

Any Newsletter Is Better Than No Newsletter, But…

At the end of the day, sending something is better than sending nothing at all. Silence doesn’t keep you top of mind. Consistency does.

So if you’re sending one packed with market data and nobody’s complaining (and your open rate looks decent), you’re still ahead of the agents who don’t send anything at all.

But if you want to stack the odds in your favor, don’t just blend into the pile of “just another market update” emails. Stand out by making your newsletter fun, worth reading, and impossible to forget. Add a little humor, a little personality, and just enough curiosity about the market that readers know they can always hit reply if they want the details.

That’s how you shift from background noise to being the agent they think of first.

If you’re looking for inspiration (and maybe even a few things you can swipe each week), check out our weekly newsletter we send to real estate agents.

And if you want to make it ridiculously easy, we’re about to launch a done-for-you weekly newsletter you can send to your clients with just a few clicks — lighthearted, memorable, and branded as if you wrote it yourself. Fill out your info below and we’ll let you know when it’s ready!