Email Signature Audit for Mortgage Companies: Do You Pass the Test?

Think about the emails your brokers or other real estate and mortgage professionals send out of Outlook or Gmail. This high-volume channel is used every single day by you and your team. Despite other channels emerging (like Slack or Microsoft Teams), business still happens through the channel of employee email. And especially in the mortgage industry.

Consumers in this industry are always shopping for the best rate or searching for resources to guide them through the buying process. Email is the most convenient way for all parties to start or keep momentum going with a transaction. Yet there are many teams who still aren’t being strategic about this channel or controlling the most critical component of these messages - the email signature.

What if a broker within your firm had an email signature that was off brand? Or didn't include the right certifications? Or displayed the wrong logo? Overtime, how might that add up to a not-so-positive brand impression with your most important audiences? Or missed opportunities to help them and show them why you’re the best?

Relying on each and every employee to manage this could lead to undesirable outcomes, missed opportunities, and a poor experience for your buyers. Are you guilty of any of the email mistakes listed below? Are you taking advantage of every email signature win possible? Even if you pass the test, what do your colleagues’ email signatures look like? The same as yours or different? Consider this a resource for your email signature audit. Go!

‍Email Signature Audit: Are You Making These Mistakes?

Wrong use of your company’s logo

Have you recently seen an email that includes an older version of your company’s logo? Or maybe it’s blurry or shows up as an attachment? If not done right, a wrong use of your company’s logo easily becomes a missed opportunity to make a positive brand impression.

Incomplete social information (or too much)

Every brand or company has their go-to channels based on where their audiences primarily live and engage with content. Do you have the right channels listed in your email signature? Are you missing any or are you including too many? Do you have an icon or link that leads to a channel that hasn’t been maintained or updated for awhile? Make sure this component of your email signature is working for you and not against you.

No brand consistency

This is like if the New York Yankees lined up on the third baseline before the start of a baseball game and you notice that they’re not all wearing pinstripes. Do all of your employees’ email signatures look like they are on the same team? Things can easily go wrong with just a single design element like the font (size, style, too many colors, etc.). Please, no Times New Roman or Comic Sans!

‍Outdated CTAs or important links missed

We (obviously) fully support using email signatures to promote important company initiatives or things relevant to the sender. But what if that CTA is outdated? Or has a broken link? Perhaps it’s a super important message that is missed because the hyperlink doesn’t stand out? Although this digital real estate is relatively small, its marketing potential is significant and requires strategic thought.

‍Outdated certifications

Email signatures can also potentially present regulatory and compliance issues (and a risk to your brand) if a sender’s NMLS is incorrect or not up-to-date. Outdated certifications could also lead to missed opportunities to establish trust and credibility.

Email Signature Wins for Mortgage Companies

So what does it look like when brokers and real estate professionals take advantage of this opportunity? What does success translate to? Here’s a visual and breakdown of each element below.

‍Brand consistency

Matching colors, font, and design features. Just like a webpage, all of these elements work together to best represent a brand, it becomes a thing of beauty!

‍Easy access to important links or CTAs

Clickable URLs represented as CTA buttons? Check. Clickable phone numbers? Uniformity across all social media icons that lead to the most important channels for your business? Check and check. Chef’s kiss.

Personalized buyer experiences through ad campaigns

Think about how effective it might be for a first-time home buyer to see a beautifully branded email signature banner that speaks directly to their pain point? With sender and recipient targeting possible, this component of the email signature represents so many opportunities to deliver a personalized experience for your buyers.

License numbers and disclaimer information

As stated above, getting this wrong could lead to some serious issues. A company-wide email signature template can ensure this is always accurate and mistake-proof for every single employee.

Social proof

Awards, reviews, customer testimonials, and case studies. All of these can help build trust and confidence with buyers. But first, your target audiences need easy ways to find them.

A Few More Examples for Inspiration

How did you score? More mistakes than wins? Wherever you landed, we hope you realized the potential of email signatures and how they can be used in SO MANY ways to promote your brand, help buyers through their journey, establish trust, and deliver relevant content. Here are a few more examples that effectively display their full potential.

Resources for Your New Email Strategy

How can you better leverage your email volume with potential buyers, real estate agents, or brokers? It’s time to use your audit score and the examples above to start a plan. We also listed a few more resources below that can help.

Case Study: National Association of REALTORS®‍

Learn how NAR uses Opensense for scalable, easy email signature management and flexible email banner promotion.

Playbook: Capture the One Massive Brand Opportunity Most Mortgage Companies Miss

Learn detailed and actionable plays that you can start using to reach and engage with your best audience.

Workshop: How Mortgage Companies Can Maximize Everyday Email

Watch this strategy session on meeting the needs of individual brokers (while promoting your brand), led by Opensense Co-Founder, Bobby Narang.

Ready to take the next step? Schedule a demo here.