There has been plenty of chatter within the past ten months about the GDP, inflation, interest rates, and their impact on commercial real estate. What isn’t discussed as much is what’s happening with digital marketing in the CRE space.
To help spur the discussion, SharpLaunch, in partnership with ConnectCRE and CRE Daily, just launched “The State of CRE Marketing: 2025.” The report provides an analysis of marketing best practices, based on user data from thousands of CRE listings issued by local, regional and global firms.
Here’s some of what the data show:
Ensure Stunning Subject Lines
In answering the question, “What works best in subject lines?” the answer came down to two things:
- Specific prices and dollar amounts (38.7% average open rate)
- Cap rates and percentage yields (37.3% average open rate)
On the other hand, using all caps in a subject line led to underperformance in opens, while emojis didn’t offer measurable benefits. SharpLaunch commented that creativity is all well and good, but open rates increase with “shorthand that signals opportunity at a glance.”
Succeed in Scheduling
Here’s an interesting fact: What time the email goes out is as important as what’s said in the subject line. Specifically, peak opens take place on weekday mornings (8 a.m. to 10 p.m.) and late afternoons (4 p.m. to 5 p.m.). Meanwhile, performance tends to lag on weekends and evenings.
Days of the week matter, as well:
- Monday: The best day to capture attention (especially in the early morning)
- Tuesday: Best late-day performance
- Wednesday and Thursday: Moderate performance
- Friday: Great in the morning, while engagement drops by the afternoon
Comprehend the Channels
The report indicated that 92.1% of CRE listing traffic comes from just two sources:
- 58.5% from the website
- 33.6% from email campaigns
This doesn’t mean that other channels (organic search, CRE portals or social media) should be ignored, however. “Double down where the audience actually is, while still keeping a healthy mix so you’re not over-reliant on a single stream,” the report advised.
Mobile Optimization: a Must
The report emphasized the importance of ensuring that websites, emails, and other marketing tools are optimized for mobile devices. “Almost a third of visitors to your property pages are relying on mobile to get the information they need,” the report pointed out.
In addition to looking good on smartphones or tablets, those property pages should load quickly and offer a friendly user experience.
Investing time in properly optimizing information on the go also helps improve satisfaction and boosts SEO rankings, while increasing lead flow, building brand credibility, and delivering competitive advantages.
Improve Marketing Mastery
This past year has experienced many shifts in CRE deals, developments and leases. Additionally, 2025 trends have impacted how those deals, developments and leases are marketed online.
The report explained that other issues impacting digital marketing activities include:
- The demand for better data, including more accurate returns on investment and joined-up reporting
- The desire for more personalization, excluding one-size-fits-all blasts
- An improvement in tech stacks, involving a move from single platforms to multiple integrated tools versus single platforms
- A move from print to more ROI-friendly channels, including email and SEO, to drive traffic
The post SharpLaunch Unveils CRE Digital Marketing Best Practices Report appeared first on Connect CRE.