Choosing Your Email Client: Mailchimp, Flodesk, Convertkit
When it comes to sending email newsletters, choosing the right email client is just as important as the content you're sending. There are several options available, each with its own set of features and capabilities. Some popular email clients include Mailchimp, Flodesk, and Convertkit.
CRMs vs. Email Marketing Platforms
It's worth noting that many real estate brokerages already provide a CRM tool for their agents, which may include email marketing capabilities. A CRM (like Follow Up Boss, KVCore, or Real Geeks) is a platform that helps real estate agents manage their client interactions and data throughout the customer lifecycle.
If your brokerage has a CRM, make sure to explore the features it offers before choosing a separate email marketing platform like FloDesk or ConvertKit. You want to ensure that the CRM provides the same or similar features, such as landing pages, tagging subscribers, and automated email sequences, that will help you effectively communicate with your audience and grow your email list. If does not, you may want to consider an email marketing platform in addition to your CRM.
Choosing the right email marketing platform is an important decision, and it's worth taking the time to research and compare different options to find the one that best fits your needs and goals.
Below we've compared the top 3 most popular email marketing platform we've come across.
Our Recommendation: FloDesk
We use FloDesk for our email marketing and we recommend FloDesk to our members. FloDesk stands out with its user-friendly interface, straightforward pricing ($38/month), and beautiful templates. We have FloDesk templates included in our membership to make it extremely streamlined for members. FloDesk is ideal for those seeking simplicity without sacrificing aesthetics.
Use our link below for 50% off your first year of FloDesk. (Yes, this is an affiliate link — but we would recommend it regardless!)
Can you promote listings on FloDesk?
Content related to real estate or property listings, including commercial, residential, rental, and vacation properties, is prohibited on Flodesk Email (Flodesk Help Center). This is to protect the integrity of their platform and maintain a lower risk of spam complaints and bounced emails.
It's understandable that agents might initially be disappointed about Flodesk's rule against sending out mass listings. However, this can actually be a good thing. Sending the same listings to everyone isn't very effective because not every property will catch every person's interest. Instead, using a CRM or the MLS, agents can send out listings that match what each person is specifically looking for. This way, every message they send is more likely to be relevant and welcomed. This approach not only makes potential buyers happier but also boosts the chances of the right property reaching the right person.
Pricing Comparison: FloDesk, ConvertKit, MailChimp
**CHECK THESE WEBSITES DIRECTLY FOR MOST UP TO DATE PRICING**
| FloDesk | ConvertKit | MailChimp | |
| Free Version or Trial? | Free trial for 30 days. | Free version (does not include automated email sequences and limited to 1000 subscribers) | Free version (does not include automated email sequences and limited to 1000 subscribers) |
| Pricing (for comparison: these packages include up to 5,000 subscribers + Pre-built Journeys/ Email sequences included) | $38/month or $420/year. No limits on audience, emails, or subscribers. | $79/month (Creator package, up to 5,000 subscribers) | $100/month (Standard package, up to 5,000 subscribers) |
| Pros of the platform | Stunning designs Extremely user friendly Simple pricing | Easy to use, extensive capabilities for tagging subscribers | Extensive capabilities |
| Cons of the platform | Against the terms of service to promote real estate listings | No pretty templates included (but you can use C&C email newsletters in the emails) | No pretty templates included (but you can use C&C email newsletters in the emails). Not very user friendly |