Email warmup techniques and how to boost my sender domain
- Real Intent
- Jan 30
- 7 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Key points:
- Email warmup builds trust with email providers
- Sender domain reputation affects email deliverability
- Process takes 4-8 weeks for best results
Quick guide to email warmup:
- Start small: 5-10 emails per day
- Increase slowly: Add 5-10 daily each week
- Use authentication: Set up SPF, DKIM, DMARC
- Monitor metrics: Watch open rates, bounces, spam complaints
Boosting sender domain:
- Use professional email address
- Clean your email list regularly
- Implement double opt-in
- Maintain consistent sending schedule
Week | Daily Email Volume |
1 | 5-10 |
2 | 15-20 |
3 | 30-40 |
4 | 50-75 |
Avoid common mistakes:
- Don't send too many emails at once
- Never buy email lists
- Focus on quality content
By following these steps, you'll improve your email deliverability and connect with more potential clients.
Related video from YouTube
What is Email Warmup?
Email warmup is crucial for real estate agents' email marketing. It's about gaining email providers' trust so your messages hit inboxes, not spam folders.
Definition of Email Warmup
It's a process of slowly ramping up your email sending volume. You start small and grow, proving to email providers you're legit.
Here's a simple warmup plan:
Week | Daily Email Volume |
1 | 5-10 |
2 | 15-20 |
3 | 30-40 |
4 | 50-75 |
Why It Matters for Real Estate Agents
In real estate, timing is everything. Your emails NEED to reach potential clients. You can't afford to have messages lost in spam.
Get this: In 2022, 46% of all emails ended up in spam. That's almost HALF! For real estate agents, that could mean missed deals and lost leads.
Benefits of Email Warmup
- Inbox Placement: Your emails are more likely to land where they should.
- More Engagement: People actually see and interact with your emails.
- Better Reputation: Email providers start to trust you.
- Less Risk: Your account is less likely to get flagged or shut down.
Nick Brown, CEO of Accelerate Agency, nails it:
If an unknown email address is sending lots of emails, they're more likely to be blocked. If, on the other hand, the email is 'warmed up' properly beforehand, the chances of it going to the spam folder are massively reduced.
Getting Ready for Email Warmup
Before you start warming up your email, you need to set up your system right. This is crucial for real estate agents who want their emails to hit inboxes, not spam folders.
Setting Up Your Email System
Here's what you need to do:
- Use a professional email address (yourname@yourrealestatecompany.com)
- Set up a real "from" line with your actual name and company details
- Create a proper signature with your full name, job title, company, and contact info
Picking an Email Service Provider
Choose an ESP that:
- Supports gradual volume increases
- Offers list segmentation
- Provides automation tools
- Has good deliverability rates
Popular options for real estate agents? Mailchimp, Constant Contact, and ActiveCampaign.
Setting Up DNS Records
Proper DNS setup is KEY for a good sender reputation. You need to set up:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
Here's a quick guide:
Record | Purpose | Example |
SPF | Authorizes senders | v=spf1 include:_spf.google.com ~all |
DKIM | Adds digital signature | k=rsa; p=MIGfMA0GCSqGSIb3DQEBAQUAA4GNADCBiQKBgQCrLHiExVd55zd/IQ... |
DMARC | Sets policy for failed auth | v=DMARC1; p=quarantine; rua=mailto:postmaster@yourdomain.com |
Get these right, and you're on your way to better email deliverability.
How to Warm Up Your Email
Want your emails to land in inboxes, not spam folders? You need to warm up your email. Here's how:
Manual Warmup
Start small. Send 5 emails on day one, then 10 the next. Keep adding 5-10 daily until you hit 80-100 emails per day. Stick at this level for 2 weeks before launching campaigns.
Who should you email? Trusted contacts, colleagues, friends - people who'll actually reply. And keep an eye on your open rates, replies, and spam complaints.
Warmup Tools
Don't want to do it all yourself? There's a tool for that:
Tool | What's Cool | Monthly Cost |
TrulyInbox | Warms up multiple emails | $22 - $217 |
Lemwarm | Uses AI | $24 - $40 per email |
Warmup Inbox | Tracks inbox placement | $15 - $79 per inbox |
Folderly | Custom warmup plans | $56 - $96 per mailbox |
These tools send and receive emails automatically, acting like a real person to boost your sender rep.
Mix It Up
For best results, use both manual and tool methods:
- Let tools handle daily warmup tasks
- Personally reach out to real contacts
- Use tool analytics to tweak your manual approach
- Keep warming up even after you start campaigns
This combo creates a natural email pattern and builds a solid sender reputation over time.
Improving Your Sender Domain
Want your emails to hit inboxes, not spam folders? Let's boost your sender domain reputation.
Email Authentication
Email authentication proves your emails are legit. Set up these three methods:
1. SPF (Sender Policy Framework)
SPF tells email providers which servers can send emails from your domain.
- Create a TXT record in your DNS
- List allowed IP addresses
2. DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
DKIM adds a digital signature to your emails.
- Generate a public-private key pair
- Add public key to DNS as TXT record
- Configure email server to sign outgoing messages
3. DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting & Conformance)
DMARC builds on SPF and DKIM, telling providers what to do with failed authentications.
- Create DMARC policy in DNS
- Start with to monitor
- Gradually increase to or
The end goal is ideally a policy of p=reject. That's what DMARC is for. Ensuring that your domain cannot be spoofed and protecting our mutual customers from abuse." - Marcel Becker, Senior Director of Product at Yahoo
Building a Good Sender Reputation
Your domain reputation affects email deliverability. Here's how to build a strong one:
- Use a subdomain for marketing emails
- Clean your email list regularly
- Implement double opt-in
- Maintain a consistent sending schedule
Keeping Your Domain Healthy
Ongoing maintenance is key:
- Monitor your sender score
- Watch your engagement metrics
- Avoid spam trigger words
- Use a real reply-to address
Checking Your Warmup Progress
You've started warming up your email. Now what? Let's look at how to track your progress.
Key Metrics to Watch
Keep an eye on these numbers:
- Open rates: Shoot for 15-25% or higher. Lower? Your emails might be hitting spam.
- Bounce rates: Keep it under 5%. Your sender rep depends on it.
- Spam complaints: Less is more. Even a few can hurt you.
Tools to Check Email Delivery
Here are some handy tools:
Tool | What It Does | Cost |
Sender Score | Rates your IP (0-100) | Free |
Google Postmaster Tools | Shows domain rep | Free |
MXToolbox | Checks blocklists | Free basic |
Snov.io | Tests deliverability and spam | From $39/month |
Using Your Results
1. Check Your Sender Score
Aim for 80+. Lower? Time to up your email game.
2. Where Are Your Emails Landing?
Use Google Postmaster Tools to see: inbox or spam?
3. Take Action
- Low opens? Spice up those subject lines.
- Bounces high? Clean that list.
- Spam complaints? Rethink your content and timing.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Let's talk about three big no-nos when warming up your email and boosting your sender domain.
Sending Too Many Emails at Once
Imagine opening the floodgates and drowning inboxes. Not a good look. ISPs are watching, and they don't like sudden email tsunamis.
What happens? Your emails might get tossed into spam. Or worse, you could get blocked. Ouch.
So, what's the fix? Start small and build up. Here's a simple plan:
Week | Daily Email Limit |
1 | 100 |
2 | 150 |
3 | 200 |
4+ | Increase as needed |
Buying Email Lists
Thinking about buying a list to kickstart your email marketing? Don't. Just don't.
Why? Those lists are often full of duds. Outdated addresses, fake ones - you name it. You'll see bounces galore, and your sender score? It'll tank.
Instead, grow your list organically. It's slower, sure. But you'll end up with people who actually want to hear from you.
Ignoring Email Content Quality
You've done everything else right. But if your content stinks, you're still in trouble.
What's the problem?
- Emails that don't matter to your readers
- Sounding like a used car salesman
- Emails that look like a mess on different devices
How to fix it?
Give your readers something worth reading. Keep it clear and simple. And for Pete's sake, test your emails before you hit send.
Advanced Tips for Real Estate Emails
Let's kick your real estate emails up a notch with some pro-level strategies.
Group Your Contacts
Don't blast the same message to everyone. Here's how to slice and dice your list:
1. Buyer types
First-timers, investors, luxury seekers - they're all different. Treat them that way.
2. Property interests
Group | They're After |
A | Houses |
B | Condos |
C | Commercial |
3. Engagement levels
Hot leads open everything. Cold leads? Crickets. Sort accordingly.
Get Personal
Generic emails = deleted emails. Try this instead:
- Use names in subject lines and body text
- Mention past chats or viewings
- Drop in local market stats they care about
John, 3 Downtown Chicago Listings You'll Love" beats "New Listings This Week" any day.
Nail the Timing
When you send matters. A lot.
- B2B (other agents, investors): 9-10 AM or 5-7 PM weekdays
- B2C (buyers, sellers): 7-10 PM weekdays or weekends
But here's the kicker: Watch your open rates. Your audience might be different.
Wrap-Up
Email warmup is a big deal for real estate agents who want more leads. Here's why it matters and how to do it:
Why Warm Up Your Email?
It's simple:
- ESPs trust you more
- More emails land in inboxes
- You dodge the spam folder
How to Warm Up
- Start small: 5-10 emails a day
- Grow slowly: Add more each week
- Keep an eye on things: Check opens, clicks, and replies
Numbers to Watch
Metric | Goal |
Deliverability | 99% |
Open Rate | 20%+ |
Reply Rate | 5%+ |
Tips for Real Estate Agents
- Use property details in subject lines
- Share local market info
- Try sending at 7-10 PM for regular folks
This isn't a quick fix. Plan on 4-8 weeks to build your rep. But it's worth it: more leads, fewer lost emails.
Email warm up is like prepping a house for sale. It takes time, but it makes everything work better." - Priya Nain, Writer and Content Marketer.
Stick with it. Keep your emails relevant. Watch those leads roll in.
FAQs
How to warm emails up?
Email warmup isn't a sprint. It's a slow, steady process. Here's how to do it:
1. Set up your account
Get your SPF, DKIM, and DMARC records in order.
2. Start small and grow
Begin with 5-10 emails a day to people you know. Each week, bump it up by 10-20%.
3. Mix it up
Send to different email providers. Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo - spread it around.
4. Get chatty
Reply to emails. Get others to reply back. It's all about engagement.
5. Keep an eye on things
Watch your open rates, click-throughs, and spam complaints.
Week | Daily Emails | Weekly Total |
1 | 5-10 | 35-70 |
2 | 15-20 | 105-140 |
3 | 25-30 | 175-210 |
4 | 35-40 | 245-280 |
This process usually takes 8-12 weeks. As John Mueller from Google puts it:
Email warmup is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Consistency and patience are key to building a solid sender reputation.
Don't buy email lists or use spammy words. Focus on good, personal content instead. It'll help your emails land where they should.
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