You need to own your own domain, not a domain you may have to surrender some day. What is the value of your future business?
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. You are teaching the world that to communicate with you by e-mail, send e-mail to that e-mail address. 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 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?
2. 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 an comast e-mail address, who owns your e-mail address? If you use an AOL e-mail address (LOL..yes there are a few who still do...and I must mock them), 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.
3. Who do you want to brand...you or gmail (or any other domain you do not own)?
4. Dot Com (.com) is the "800 number" of Top Level Domains...would you rather have an "888" toll free number or an "800" toll free number? New top level domains represent a risk to your business. Stick to the tried and true.