Who Owns Your Domain?

Thoughts on the use of a Permanent e-mail Address.

Here are a few thoughts on the use of a permanent e-mail address for REALTORS, or any business:

1. Your e-mail address is an asset of your business, and you invest in the e-mail address you use every time you give out a business card, piece of marketing material, or run an ad with it included in the ad.

2. You are teaching the world that to communicate with you by e-mail, send an e-mail to that e-mail address.

3. If you ever changed e-mail addresses, for any reason, you would probably not receive e-mail sent to the "old" e-mail address. What about a customer who sends the e-mail to you at the "old" e-mail address? If you do not receive the e-mail, you can't respond. What is the cost of potential lost business?

4. Anytime you use an e-mail address with a domain you do not own, you are investing in someone else's asset, you are a "renter" and not an "owner". Would you rather rent or own? If you use a Gmail e-mail address, who owns your e-mail address?

If you use a brokerage or franchise e-mail address, who owns your e-mail address? Not you. The "owner" can raise the rent at their option. Maybe you think that they would never do that, but it is in their power to do so and not yours, whether you think so or not.

5. Who do you want to brand you or Gmail (or any other domain you do not own)?

6. If you use an e-mail address with someone else's domain, you cannot use the unlimited e-mail address feature which allows for lead sourcing and spam control.

It makes good business sense for all businesses to own their domain and to use it not only for their website address but their e-mail address as well.