Clean Your Email List Once a Year to Get Better Results Without Sending More Emails

Jerad Larkin
7 hours ago
4 min read

Do you want better email results without sending more emails?

Here’s the short answer: yes, you can. One simple habit, done once a year, can dramatically improve your open rates, protect your deliverability, and even save you money.

Every December, I do the same thing. I clean up my email list.

This is one of those unsexy marketing tasks that most people skip, but it quietly makes everything else you do work better. If you are a real estate agent, lender, or anyone sending regular emails to a database, this is something you should absolutely be doing.

Why Cleaning Your Email List Matters More Than You Think

Most people assume bigger email lists are better. That is not always true.

Email platforms do not judge you on how many subscribers you have. They judge you on engagement.

Email providers look closely at things like:

Open rates
Click rates
Replies
Spam complaints
Ignored emails

If a large chunk of your list never opens or clicks your emails, it sends a bad signal to inbox providers. Over time, your emails are more likely to land in spam or promotions, even for people who actually want to hear from you.

Cleaning your list helps fix that.

Better Deliverability Starts With Engagement

When you remove people who never open or click, a few important things happen right away:

Your open rates go up
Your click-through rates improve
Inbox placement improves
Your sender reputation stays healthy

This means more of your emails actually reach the people who care.

I would rather have 1,000 engaged subscribers than 5,000 people who ignore everything I send.

How Email Platforms Like Mailchimp Judge Your List

Most email service providers, including Mailchimp, track engagement very closely.

They know exactly who is opening your emails, clicking links, or doing nothing at all.

If a large percentage of your audience is inactive, platforms assume your content is not valuable or relevant. That hurts everyone on your list, including your best contacts. This is why list hygiene is not optional anymore.

The Annual Habit I Stick To Every December

Once a year, usually right before the New Year, I log into my email platform and clean house.

Here is exactly what I do.

Step 1: Log Into Your Email Service Provider

I start by logging into my email platform and heading to the audience or contacts section.

You want access to engagement filters.

Step 2: Filter for Inactive Subscribers

I look for subscribers who have not:

Opened an email in the last 6 to 12 months
Clicked on any links
Engaged in any meaningful way

Most platforms allow you to filter by last open date or last click activity.

Step 3: Decide on a Time Window

This part is important. I usually look at a 12-month window. If someone has not opened a single email in a full year, that is a clear signal. If you email less frequently, you may want to shorten or lengthen that window slightly. Use common sense.

Step 4: Remove or Archive Those Contacts

Once I identify inactive subscribers, I remove them from my active list.

Some platforms let you archive instead of delete. Either option works as long as they are no longer counted as active subscribers and no longer receiving emails.

Why This Improves Results Immediately

After doing this cleanup, results improve almost instantly.

Here is what typically happens:

Open rates jump within the next few sends
Click rates improve
Emails land in the inbox more consistently
Engagement feels more natural and less forced

It is not magic. You are simply focusing on people who want to hear from you.

It Can Also Save You Money

Many email platforms charge based on subscriber count.

That means inactive subscribers are literally costing you money every month.

By cleaning your list, you may drop into a lower pricing tier or at least stop paying for people who are never going to engage. That alone makes this worth doing.

Why I Only Do This Once Per Year

Could you clean your list more often? Sure.

But for most businesses, once per year is enough to make a big impact without overthinking it.

I like doing this in December because:

It resets everything heading into the New Year
It aligns with planning and goal setting
It sets the stage for better performance all year long

This becomes a simple annual habit that pays dividends.

What About People Who Might Re-Engage Later?

This is the most common objection I hear.

“What if they want to hear from me later?”

If someone has ignored every email for a year, they are not paying attention right now. That does not mean they are gone forever, but keeping them on your list hurts your overall performance today. If they really want your content later, they can always re-subscribe.

Real Estate Agents Especially Need This

If you are a real estate agent or lender, your database grows fast.

Open houses, events, downloads, sign-ups, and referrals all pile into your email list. Over time, that list gets messy.

Cleaning it once per year ensures:

Your market updates actually get seen
Event invites reach the right people
Educational content performs better
Your brand stays trusted in the inbox

This is a small operational task with a big marketing payoff.

Clean your email list once a year to improve open rates, boost deliverability, and save money without sending more emails. A simple habit for better results.

The Bigger Picture: Work Smarter, Not Harder

This strategy is a perfect example of working smarter, not harder.

You are not sending more emails. You are not creating more content. You are not changing your messaging. You are simply removing friction from the system.

That is the kind of marketing tweak I love.

Final Takeaway

If you want better email results without sending more emails, clean your list.

Do it at least once per year. Filter out inactive subscribers. Protect your deliverability. Improve engagement. Save money. It is simple, effective, and completely under your control.