As a real estate professional, you likely have a lot on your plate. From juggling the day-to-day responsibilities of home showings, open houses and client inquiries to managing your personal life, it can be overwhelming, to say the least.

You’re constantly on the move, ensuring every detail is perfect, every client is satisfied and no opportunity is missed. Amid all this hustle, finding time to dedicate to social media can seem impossible.

Work smarter, not harder, by repurposing content across all platforms

Social media, however, is a critical component of your marketing strategy. It’s where your dream clients discover you, where you build your brand and where you can showcase listings and your expertise. But when creating content, engaging with followers and staying up-to-date with fleeting trends feel like just another mountain to climb, it’s easy to push social media marketing to the bottom of your to-do list.

If this sounds familiar, it’s time to work smarter, not harder, by finding clever ways to maximize your social media marketing efforts without sacrificing quality or consistency. The answer is simple: repurpose your content across all platforms. Today, we’re sharing our agency-approved tips for repurposing your content quickly and effectively, saving you time and energy. 

1. Turn blog posts into social media posts

Blog posts are a goldmine for content. If you’ve spent time writing detailed, informative blog posts, don’t let them sit idle on your website! Instead, break them down into bite-sized social media posts or repackage them on LinkedIn. 

For example, a “5 Tips for First-Time Home Buyers” blog post can be transformed into a five-part Instagram carousel or a series of tweets. This not only maximizes the value of your blog content but also keeps your social media feed active and informative. Additionally, you can repurpose your blog posts on LinkedIn to extend your reach further. A new headline, bullet points and updated image can make your older content feel fresh and new. 

2. Create video snippets from long-form videos

A well-shot long-form video can be repurposed into Reels, TikToks or YouTube Shorts. For example, if you’ve filmed a video tour of a property or an in-depth discussion on market trends, you can extract shorter clips highlighting key points. 

These snippets are perfect for engaging your audience on platforms where short-form content thrives. Additionally, shorter videos are more likely to be shared, increasing your reach and attracting new followers.

3. Share email content on social media

Your email newsletters are another untapped resource for social media content. If you’ve crafted an insightful email update for your subscribers, don’t hesitate to share it on your social platforms. This strategy not only saves you time but also promotes your email list, driving more traffic to your primary communication channel and increasing your database of leads.

You can post snippets of your email and a call-to-action inviting followers to subscribe to your list for more exclusive insights. For example, you might pull out a key statistic or an interesting takeaway from an email, and turn it into a visually appealing social media post. Pair it with a compelling call-to-action like, “Want more exclusive insights? Subscribe to our newsletter for the updates!” 

4. Bring your audience behind-the-scenes content

People love getting a peek behind the curtain! Sharing behind-the-scenes content humanizes your brand and builds a stronger connection with your audience. Whether it’s a day-in-the-life of a real estate agent, a sneak peek of an upcoming listing or a glimpse of your team at work, this type of content is both engaging and easy to create. Behind-the-scenes posts give potential clients a taste of what it’s like to work with you, fostering trust and familiarity.

For example, you can document a day-in-the-life of a real estate agent by sharing short clips on Instagram Stories, from your morning coffee to showing homes and meeting clients. You can also host a Facebook Live video tour of your office, introducing your team and giving a real-time look at your work environment. Additionally, you can write a LinkedIn article titled “Behind the Scenes: A Day in the Life of a Real Estate Agent,” detailing your daily routine and the challenges you face. 

5. Repurpose testimonials

Client testimonials are powerful marketing tools that build trust and credibility with potential clients. Instead of limiting them to your website, you can also share them on social media. Create visually appealing posts featuring quotes from happy clients, or have past clients film short video testimonials. Highlighting positive feedback on social media can reassure potential clients and encourage them to reach out to you.

By repurposing your content, you can maintain a consistent and engaging social media presence without the constant pressure of creating new material from scratch. Implement these strategies to streamline your marketing efforts, and watch as your online presence grows with minimal added effort.

Working smarter, not harder, will allow you to focus on what you do best: helping your clients find their dream homes!

Social media is what we make of it — for better or worse. I recently shared how competition drives innovation at the best of times, but when things are tough, comparison leaves us miserable. Expanding on what’s helped me achieve authenticity with integrity, here’s some more food for thought.

Build a real brand

I’m not talking about pretending you’re on a private jet or going to Fyre Festival or driving your Bugatti, unless that’s your actual life. I’m talking about thinking about what makes YOU happy and finding those in alignment. 

Here’s an example from my experience.

Jiu-jitsu is a bit of a niche sport. Maybe not so much these days, but when I started back in 2005 it was akin to the movie Fight Club in most people’s minds. As a kid I was bullied and martial arts was something I naturally gravitated towards. Having made it a part of my life for more than a decade, it taught me discipline and resilience and I still give it credit for much of my success today. I didn’t share much about my life in that world back then because I never thought it mattered. Why would anyone buying real estate care about jiu-jitsu?

The reality was I was overlooking the fact that on the mats daily were police officers, lawyers, musicians, tradespeople and everything in between. As I shared more and more about my progression in the sport, more people would engage on those posts and my newest listing or sale — by a LARGE margin. DMs would come asking for gym recommendations — they would show up and I would make new friends. Then it clicked again when I met one of my mentors, Ryan Serhant, who said, “No one wants to be sold, but everyone loves shopping with friends.”

In one year I did close to a dozen transactions strictly from my gym family. I helped them relocate the building, all without ever pitching anyone. 

Actually, when I think about it, I ACTIVELY didn’t speak about real estate, but it always came up. Because through my content, I was sharing what I was doing day-to-day when I wasn’t in the gym. This led to giving my people the ability to decide if I was right for them. Rather than trying to sell someone who would never want to work with me anyway, this was a much more natural and sustainable approach. Not to mention the hack of getting to do something I love all while building my business.

So what is it you love? Restaurants? Sewing? Fitness? Fishing? Cars? Cats? It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you don’t hide your light. The more you shine your light, the more the right people can find it.

Tell stories of your true journey — reputation is built over time but lost forever in a moment

People love stories. They love hearing about struggle and, more than that, when the underdog overcomes the struggle. New agents struggle with what to share and often make the mistake of trying to showcase they are more advanced in their careers than they actually are.

 A trend in real estate is new agents booking “previews” of luxury listings and attempting to showcase those listings as their own. They’re hoping to build a reputation of being a “luxury agent” without having the skill set to go along with handling clients of this calibre and complexity.

There’s nothing worse than getting an opportunity for a sale, only to have them know very quickly that you’re not qualified. Reputation is something built over time but lost forever in a moment. 

Instead, share your ACTUAL journey and where you’re at. People want to be part of the come-up.

Just learning contracts? Take time to be around people with experience and share that journey with your community. Formulate unique perspectives and insights. You’ll quickly find that people appreciate frank candour rather than being sold.

For example, I once shared about the residency clause in the typical APS. I learned that a BUYER could be liable for capital gains if the seller was a non-resident and fled before paying. Furthermore, if the agents didn’t do their due diligence in identifying the parties, they could be sued.

I shared this in a post on Instagram when I only had 150 followers. A builder was in the middle of a deal, saw the video and told me he saved himself from a costly mistake. He never liked the post. He never shared it. But, he did call me for coffee and a partnership which, to me, is far more valuable. 

Social media can save you from the wrong clients

I almost forgot to mention how much social media saved me from the wrong clients. The business we’ve built would not survive on a discount model. That’s not saying that a discount model doesn’t work for others or is wrong, it’s just not what we chose. 

Putting out as much content as we have, I’m positive that we’ve saved hundreds of hours of effort from working with people who don’t see the value in what we do. 

There are nearly eight billion people on the planet. If only one billion want to sell their houses with me, I’m okay with that. Every “no” gets me closer to that one billion. 

Now what?

You’ve now peeked behind the curtain. You realize that the “fake” side of social media will always be there. At the same time, you realize the “social” side of social media is underutilized. 

It doesn’t mean you need to dance on TikTok. It doesn’t mean you need to book a trip and hire a lifestyle photographer — unless, of course, that’s who you really are. Instead, it means that it’s okay to be yourself.

Share your interests. Share your passions. Find the place where the things you love intersect with what people will pay you for. Share it consistently for long enough, and I’m sure a builder will be calling you before long for that coffee that you always wanted. Attract the right people. Repel the wrong ones. 

In today’s digital world, where the majority of consumers research and begin their home search online, a strong social media presence is essential for building a lasting impression in competitive real estate markets across the country.

To stand out in a sea of agents, real estate professionals need an effective social media content strategy to drive business growth. Your content strategy serves as a roadmap for creating valuable, relevant and engaging content that resonates with your target audience and leads to meaningful outcomes.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through three steps to developing an Instagram strategy that converts. By getting the hang of these essentials, you can level up your online presence, nurture client relationships, and generate valuable leads.

1. Set clear content goals

When crafting your content strategy, kick off by setting goals. For best results, start by identifying your yearly, big-picture aspirations. Next, break it down to quarterly goals, and then each month, zoom in on what really matters to move the needle.

Whether your goal is to increase property inquiries, drive traffic to your website, grow your email list or secure more listings, ensure that each piece of content serves a purpose in achieving your desired outcome.

Goalsetting is an important part of your strategy because it provides a clear direction and purpose for your content creation. Not only that, but it helps you measure the success of your content strategy, providing insights into whether your efforts are yielding the desired results. 

In turn, you can adapt and optimize your strategy based on data and analytics. If you’re not meeting your set goals, you can analyze what’s not working and make the necessary adjustments to improve results. On the flip side, if you’re seeing success you can make note of what is working to optimize your strategy further. 

2. Define your content pillars

After establishing your goals, we encourage clients to focus on three core pillars for their social media marketing efforts. Keep in mind, your content pillars will differ from your brand pillars. 

While your brand pillars are unique to you, think of your content pillars as the structure and guideline for your content creation efforts. Your content pillars allow you to focus on actions that are aligned with your goals. They also prevent you from getting overwhelmed with too many ideas and ensure that you’re investing your time and energy where it matters most.

Here’s an example for the real estate industry:

• Grow (expand your reach). Showcase property listings, local market updates and neighbourhood insights. 
• Nurture (build trust and connect with potential clients). Share glimpses into your daily life, offer free educational resources and showcase testimonials. 
• Sell (drive conversions). Highlight successful transactions, offer exclusive deals and provide expertise on the buying or selling process. 

Each piece of content you post should prioritize one of these pillars. As a real estate agent, it may feel like you’re often doing all three simultaneously (growing, nurturing and selling); however, by working with content pillars, you can focus on the most important action for your business at any given time. 

Remember, it’s not only about the content you’re creating and sharing — it’s also about the way you’re engaging with your audience. Aim to build personal relationships with your audience by sparking conversations in the DMs. You can foster engagement by inviting questions, sharing polls or hosting Q&A sessions on Instagram Live, positioning yourself as a trusted resource for ideal clients.

3. Create your monthly content calendar

The key to a consistent Instagram presence? Planning. Instead of brainstorming new ideas from scratch for every piece of content, you can leverage your established pillars and current goals to generate relevant topics and angles. This saves you from staring at a blank page with the dreaded question, “What the heck do I post today?” 

Start by mapping out key topics and themes for the month ahead, plugging in special occasions, open houses, local events or anything else that automatically translates into a marketing opportunity. From there, fill in the blanks with valuable content that aligns with your key goals.

For real estate professionals looking to thrive in today’s digital landscape, a strategic social media marketing strategy is no longer optional but fundamental to your success. A winning Instagram strategy blends clear, strategic goalsetting, consistency and the right mix of content. By following these steps, you can create a memorable online presence that remains top of mind with your target audience.

You hate social media because you think it’s fake.

You think it’s fake because you see many people showing versions of themselves that seem “off.”

You don’t post because you’re scared you must do the same to succeed. 

Meanwhile, the people who grow the most understand that the OPPOSITE is true. 

I was just like you

Early on in my career, I was super naive. I saw people with more significant followings and assumed they were the real deal. I wondered why I only had 100-200 followers. I wondered why I only got four likes on a post, and what I had to do to become an authority in real estate. 

I put out SO much content, hosted events and supported other people like CRAZY, but I didn’t see any traction online. I watched other accounts (TOO much) grow by tens of thousands of followers and felt like I was failing. 

Then I noticed something.

My phone was ringing. People called me saying they wanted my content and wanted to work together. 

I got listings. We grew. 

I also noticed those same people with 5-10 times my following were NOT selling. Online, they looked great, but it didn’t translate to REAL relationships. 

Then I figured out the problem

When I reached a certain threshold, I started getting pitched to BUY followers — the new trend in getting engagement/comments/views.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. 

It felt GROSS, and I had to make a decision. If I was going to go that route, there was no going back.

Some people will do it because, “It’s sales, baby!” If that’s your jam, go for it. For me, when people hear my name, what’s more important to me is this proverb:

“A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, loving favor rather than silver and gold.” 

This business is fraught with pitfalls. Competition is great. Comparison is not.

In the best of times, competition drives innovation. It can show us what’s possible and help us refine our best selves. 

In the worst of times, comparison leaves us miserable, despite the fact that we still have so much. 

So how can you solve this? Here’s what helped me achieve authenticity with integrity.

Shut out the noise

What you focus on expands. I did a time audit and started catching myself when I was spending more time worried about my competition than growing my own business. So, I researched better ways to curate my feed: 

1. Unfollow and block people

I know this sounds aggressive but it was necessary at the time. It may not have been a “them” problem — their content actually WAS that good. Rather, it was me realizing that to accomplish the dreams I had required drastic measures, and this was one of them. 

I FORCED myself to unfollow anyone that gave me that negative feeling.

It wasn’t a lot of work. I didn’t overthink it. I just went off feel. 

At first, it didn’t make a difference. But, after being thoughtful about it for a couple of months, I found myself being MUCH more productive online. Posting with a purpose and GHOSTING. Not doomscrolling or feeling bad. WIN. 

2. Build community

After I figured out who I didn’t want in my feeds, I realized the algorithms on ALL platforms WANT to serve you the RIGHT people. 

Think about it.  If your feed is filled with terrible things, it’s probably more a reflection of what you actually look at or engage with.

Did you know that just PAUSING on a post for 1.5 seconds counts as an impression?

When I realized this I did another quick Google search: “How to clean up your feed on ‘insert any social platform here’”

I’ll save you the research:

• Click “see less” 
• Click “X” to close the post
• Unfollow 

Every single platform has a simple way to tell it you don’t want that content in your feed. Ask yourself when you last took time to TELL the platforms what you WANT.

Same as unfollowing people, it didn’t take much effort. It was simple actions done consistently over time that allowed me to succeed here.

This was one of the BIGGEST unlocks. Slowly but surely so many people I wanted to communicate with were popping up in my feed.

So much of what I didn’t like about social media went away: The petty political arguments. The provocative. The violence. The fear.

Social media is not fake unless you assume so or engage with it in that way

What dominates the bulk of people’s feeds adds nothing good to your lives, I promise you that. 

What dominates my feed is a community of people who are driven and intelligent, with integrity. 

What dominates my feed are things that make me smarter.

What dominates my feed are people who are IN my community. 

Social media is meant to be social. It’s not fake unless you assume it is or engage with it in that way.

Social media is the cafeteria at your high school. You choose the table to sit down at, and guess what? You can stand up and change tables anytime. So, I did.

I doubled down on MY people. The ones who cheered for us and wanted us to win. I continued trying to provide valuable solutions to their problems regardless of the vanity metrics.

It took me a LONG time, but the platforms figured out who I was talking to, and the compound effect is undefeated. We’ve now reached over nine million people and climbed across multiple platforms, but that’s unimportant.

What’s important is that we continue to find the RIGHT people.

What’s important is slow growth over time will yield something sustainable and valuable. 

Stop worrying about followers. Stop worrying about likes. Stop worrying about views. 

Instead, focus on the human beings at the other end of the DM or phone call. They are REAL people. Stop treating your “community” like income lines on a spreadsheet. When you do that, everything will change.

Stay tuned for my next piece with more on how you can use social media in a way that helps you achieve authenticity with integrity.

In 2023, HubSpot reported that the main reason 63 per cent of realtors were using social media was to promote their property listings. Given today’s digital landscape, this hardly comes as a surprise. 

But does social media really lead to leads for realtors?

An end to door-knocking and cold-calling

While the days of door-knocking and cold-calling aren’t quite over yet, social media might be calling for the end of an era.

“I was actually making 50 to 75 cold calls a day when I first started and wasn’t enjoying it,” says Conor Kelly, an agent with Stonehaus Realty. “So, I started doing two TikToks and one Instagram story a day. I was anticipating it to take three to five years to get a decent lead flow. But, a month and a half later, the phones started ringing.”

If you’re a realtor who’s interested in social media platforms but you’re unsure where to start, follow these tips from other agents who live and breathe social media.

Tip 1: Listen to your audience

When it comes to social media, it can be easy to overlook the “social” component. Social media is more than about creating high-quality content — it’s also about engaging and listening to your audience.

When Alex Dunbar, an agent with the Real Brokerage, first started creating content in 2018, he was making videos he thought would be of interest to his audience, primarily on educational topics like explaining property transfer tax or closing costs. But then he started analyzing data on what his audience was actually most interested in.

“Now, I go back at the end of the year and actually look at where all my deals come from,” says Dunbar. “I can tell you I had this many come in through TikTok, YouTube or Instagram.”

Listening to his audience has helped Dunbar create content now that is more aligned with what his audience is truly interested in seeing — whether that’s city and neighbourhood guides, moving and relocation tips or market updates on Greater Vancouver, for example.

Tip 2: It’s not all about you 

Imagine you’re having dinner with someone and they only talk about themselves the entire time. No fun, right?

Same goes for your social media content. It shouldn’t be all about you.

Take Tyler Burrows, an agent with Oakwyn Realty. He’s recently gained social media attention with his hashtag #TouringWithTyler. Burrows regularly posts walkthrough video tours of properties for sale, especially unique ones like lofts, on his social media accounts. The catch? They’re not his own listings.

Now, Burrows estimates that about half of his leads come from social media. Not only has he been able to build relationships with the listing realtors of the properties he’s viewing, but people have begun reaching out to him when they’re in search of properties similar to the ones in his video tours, like lofts.

Tip 3: Don’t let the trolls get to you

While your social media engagement will likely be mostly positive, it might also attract the occasional troll or two in your comment section.

“Some of them are so bad that I can’t even say them here,” says Kelly.

It may be easier said than done, but the simplest advice would be to simply ignore the trolls. 

“I just don’t let other people’s words have power over me,” Dunbar mentions.

Tip 4: Give it time

Becoming a social media sensation isn’t an overnight process. Having a strategy and being consistent is key to a realtor’s success.

“You have to consistently put things out on a daily, weekly, monthly, annual basis to actually start to see results,” says Dunbar. “If people see you one time, they’re not immediately going to like you or build trust with you. But when they see you’ve been doing it over a long period of time, that’s when they’re going to reach out.”

“Views don’t necessarily equal deals,” explains Kelly. “I didn’t get a legitimate lead until I went to a presale in Mission and ended up closing four deals off of that one video.”

But, it took time and a consistent social media presence for Kelly to gain that level of influence from a single video. Gaining credibility and trust might be more important metrics than views, impressions and engagement rates — even if they can’t quite be quantified.

There’s no one formula for social media success. What might work for one realtor might not work for another. It’s about finding your voice and what works best for you.

“The important thing is you do it your way,” says Burrows. “And you stick to it.”

The celebritization of our industry has reached a breaking point. 

In 2022-2023, many newer agents came into this business with the dreams of Selling Sunset. Now, they’re facing a new reality.

The highlight reel of life promised by Instagram comes with some fine print.

Sales are a result of core competencies, not followers and likes. Yet, the roadmap for new agents seems to be in reverse order:

• Take lifestyle photos to show you are successful
• Pick a colour scheme and design a logo
• Take videos of yourself in other agents’ listings (don’t worry, the consumer will think it’s yours!)

But, what happens when the phone rings and that ever-elusive buyer has chosen YOU?

Do you understand the market and product you’re selling?

Can you explain to them the roadmap of buying a home?

Are you educated on your legal and compliance obligations?

Because the agents doing deals can definitely answer yes to these questions.

Offer sound strategy and data interpretation

In an age driven by attention, there’s a silent return to the age of the craftsman. 

Consumers are becoming desensitized by seeing the same repurposed content strategy.

They’re exhausted by being re-marketed and resold to through many advertising platforms.

It has never been easier to stand out if you can showcase market intelligence. How? By offering sound strategy and interpretation of data.

That’s not to say building online platforms won’t help. It’s to say that if you don’t focus on being able to do the job like a true professional FIRST, a large platform might end up exposing rather than helping you. 

Consumers are hungry for professionals

The good news is if you’re willing to put in the effort, it has never been easier to succeed.

But how? By following the learn, build, do framework.

Learn

Spend time studying the market. Speak with other agents — they’re your best friends in this business. Get out of the echo chamber of real estate and understand the conversations happening around you. 

Spend time learning from economists (like Benjamin Tal if you’re in Canada). Listen to how lenders are thinking. Speak with consumers and ASK them questions rather than SELL to them.

Uncovering their concerns will give you a clear path to where your value lies. Interpret the market and be their guide rather than just another salesperson.

Build

Work ON your business, DAILY. Build SYSTEMS for how you handle every step of a transaction. Once you have a system, stick to it, review it and refine it.

The best businesses have come from agents who are improving their workflows. 

Do

Leaning and building are only helpful if you practice your craft. They say you can’t call yourself an artist, athlete or craftsperson if you don’t do the thing two hours a week.

The bar is low, people. The number of “real estate agents” who have no ambition to actually sell a house would astound you. 

This framework should excite you, as the opportunity to become part of the top 1 per cent doesn’t need uncommon talents or skills. Rather, it requires an uncommon ability to be consistent over time with the principles of pricing, marketing and negotiation — in that very order. 

Pricing, marketing and negotiating consistently

So how do you become consistent in these three key aspects?

Pricing. Add a daily habit of checking the MLS feeds. Get specific to your niche or product type and area. By doing something as simple as this, you’ll find yourself seeing patterns in new listings and sales. Then, when you’re in the field, you’ll be shocked at how that information becomes valuable when that lead reaches out, the phone rings or someone asks you about the area or market.

Marketing. FOCUS on your marketing efforts. Plan how you will run campaigns on your listings. Budget your marketing plan for the year. Measure what’s working, double-down on what’s working and cut back on what’s not. What separates the professional from the amateur is treating your business like an actual business.

Negotiation. Spend time around people who are levels above you and be a fly on the wall. Be present, listening to what works and what doesn’t. Ask questions. Read books. Study the craft. The best negotiations are made practically and tactically. They have a plan. The difference between a pro and an amateur? While everyone has a plan, the amateur’s plan is not having a plan.

Our industry is at a crossroads. If we choose to prioritize vanity metrics (likes, views) over quality of work and character, we may win in the short-term game of attention but my fear is we’ll lose in the long-term view of the consumer. By prioritizing the work and the craft, we become undeniable. 

“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.”

 

– Steven Pressfield, The War of Art

You need to post on social media every day to stay relevant!

You’ve heard it time and time again from agents, trainers, influencers, etc. … It’s well-intentioned advice, and much of its original meaning was right at the time. However, I believe that, over time, the original intention has been lost. As social and online marketing has evolved, so should the advice.

Do you need leads from an organic social media pipeline?

The phrase “You need to post on social media every day to stay relevant” in its full form would be, “If you want to build a pipeline of business from organic social media, you need to post on social media every day to stay relevant.”

But, you may not actually need that pipeline. Any pipeline of leads that helps drive your business should be able to get you at least 25 deals a year. Organic social media is one of them. Even within organic social media, you could build strategies to drive clients that don’t require daily posts. 

On top of that, as social media has evolved, our feeds are flooded with content every day that people post for the sake of posting. It’s a common joke in real estate conferences, one I’ve said on stage before, that people don’t need that email with the latest pumpkin pie recipe or a reminder to change their clocks. Well, guess what? They also don’t need to know that it’s National Talk Like a Pirate Day on social media.

Let’s look at a few of the reasons NOT to post daily anymore.

Quality over quantity

When people post daily, they regularly struggle with what to post so they look for anything they can post. That means a lot of what goes out is just bad content. They’re jumping on the “I have to post something today” bandwagon.

Take the Daniel Day-Lewis approach. He doesn’t take every role he can just for the sake of being in another movie. He takes one when he feels it’s right. Roles that ignite his passion and he feels connected to. He puts everything he can into them.

You can go for the take-every-role approach and make a career, or you can choose the Daniel Day-Lewis approach, opt for the highest quality content you can and put everything into it.

Engagement over frequency

Let’s compare two scenarios.

Agent 1: Super organized, spends a day creating a ton of content and then schedules it out a month ahead of time. Now, they can move on to other important tasks and not look at social.

Agent 2: Posts maybe once a week, every other week, and some months only posts once. Throughout the week they spend time on social. Mostly engaging and talking to people.

I would be willing to bet that Agent 2 is the one who actually pulls clients from social media. They’re out there engaging with people. Building relationships. Agent 1 just checked the social media box and then threw the content into the void.

The brochure presence

Regular posting is a great strategy for many. It works for a reason. But, it’s not the best use of time and money for many others.

Some agents only need what I call a brochure presence. 

This means when people look them up on social, it acts like a brochure that shows the agent is good at their job. It shows their professionalism, what they offer and some social proof. A living brochure instead of a static printed one. 

This doesn’t need daily posting to achieve it. You can do this with a weekly or even bi-weekly post, plus your listings. This way, if someone looks you up, it won’t make them not want to hire you. If you still want to get business from your social media with a brochure presence, you’ll need to spend time engaging with people.

Opportunity cost

When you’re spending all this time thinking about what to post, worrying you’re not posting enough, then creating the post, figuring out how to post, then posting … then checking constantly to see what kind of engagement it got … that’s time you could be spending on other activities.

What other opportunities are you overlooking because you’re spending a lot of time doing these things? All of that time could have been spent taking a referral source out to lunch or being helpful in a local Facebook group. Those activities could potentially drive more business.

I hear from agents all the time about getting so stressed with social and how they’re dropping the ball. Except, they don’t even know where social fits into their marketing strategy. Take a step back first and map out your strategy. Then, figure out where social fits in for you.

Just because so many of us are saying you should be posting daily on social media doesn’t mean it’s true for you. Step back. Evaluate your marketing strategy, look at what time and resources you have and think about where they’re best spent. 

Your answer may be that you’re going to post daily on social because that’s the best fit for your business — but, it doesn’t have to be.

In true December fashion, let’s focus on the trending holiday sounds and templates!

If you’re new to Instagram Reels, check out our article, Instagram Reels 101: Your ultimate starter guide.

Hear those sleigh bells jingling

You can use this Reel template and trending sound in many different ways. Show off your latest listing, your area covered in winter snow, a local holiday event, your team putting the finishing touches on office decorations or staging a home. Get creative!

What you’ll need: For this Reel, you’ll need 17 short clips ranging from 0.7 to 0.9 seconds.

How to make it:

Step 1: Tap here to view the Reel on Instagram.

Step 2: Tap “use template” to get started.

Step 3: Input your 17 short clips in the order you prefer.

Step 4: Tap “next”, then input your caption — keep it short and sweet with a clear call-to-action (CTA).

Step 5: Select “edit cover” to either add your own cover or select a moment in the video you’d like to use as the cover image.

Step 6: Scroll down and tag your location so the algorithm shows your content to people interacting with content in the same area.

Step 7: Hit “share”.

Views: 205K
Source: reclaimedinspiredgoods

Family dinner

Set the table — the whole family’s coming for dinner! Does your new listing have fantastic entertainment space for the whole family to enjoy during the holidays? Dress up the dining room and show potential buyers what their holiday get-togethers could look like.

What you’ll need: One to two videos lasting a total of five to 10 seconds.

How to make it:

Step 1: Tap here to view the Reel on Instagram.

Step 2: Tap the Reel sound at the bottom left of your screen, then tap “use audio”.

Step 3: Input your video.

Step 4: Tap “next”, then input your caption — keep it short and be sure to mention the fact that it’s for sale, with a CTA.

Step 5: Select “edit cover” to either add your own cover or select a moment in the video you’d like to use as the cover image.

Step 6: Scroll down and tag your location so the algorithm shows your content to people interacting with content in the same area.

Step 7: Hit “share.”

Views: 346K
Source: studio__billie

The 2023 season comes to an end

What you’ll need: 14 short clips of the beautiful homes you sold, fun team events you hosted, your favourite local spots and anything else that made this year awesome.

How to make it:

Step 1: Tap here to view the Reel on Instagram.

Step 2: Tap “use template” to get started.

Step 3: Input your five videos in the order you prefer.

Step 4: If you’d like, you can add text at the center or top of your video along the lines of “2023 was …” or “the best of 2023”.

Step 5: Tap “next”, then input your caption — keep it short and sweet with a clear CTA.

Step 6: Select “edit cover” to either add your own cover or select a moment in the video you’d like to use as the cover image.

Step 7: Scroll down and tag your location so the algorithm shows your content to people interacting with content in the same area.

Step 8: Hit “share”.

Views: 379K +
Source: envisionstockmedia

POV: You are home

This Reel doesn’t have a template, but the trending sound from The Holiday is brand-spankin’ new, so jump on it! I’d follow this creator’s lead and start the video by welcoming your audience through the front door.

What you’ll need: Five to 16 video clips of your latest listing. Focus on the best areas of the home.

How to make it:

Step 1: Tap here to view the Reel on Instagram.

Step 2: Tap the Reel sound at the bottom left of your screen, then tap “use audio”.

Step 3: Input your four video clips in the preferred order.

Step 4: Add this text to your video “POV: You are home”.

Step 5: Tap “next”, then input your caption — keep it short and sweet with a clear CTA inviting people to learn more about the listing or to book a private showing.

Step 6: Select “edit cover” to either add your own cover or select a moment in the video you’d like to use as the cover image.

Step 7: Scroll down and tag your location so the algorithm shows your content to people interacting with content in the same area.

Step 8: Hit “share”.

Views: 353K
Source: chloecleroux

Jazzy holidays

What you’ll need: About six videos of a specific room in your latest listing. For example, show off every angle of the kitchen and its features.

How to make it:

Step 1: Tap here to view the Reel on Instagram.

Step 2: Tap “use template” at the bottom left of your screen.

Step 3: Input your clips in the desired order.

Step 4: If you’d like, you can add the title “Spend an evening in [AREA]”.

Step 5: Tap “next”, then input your caption — keep it short and sweet with a clear CTA.

Step 6: Select “edit cover” to either add your own cover or select a moment in the video you’d like to use as the cover image.

Step 7: Scroll down and tag your location so the algorithm shows your content to people interacting with content in the same area.

Step 8: Hit “share”.

Views: 84.2K
Source: salinamariahome

Are you finding our Reels for Realtors articles helpful or inspiring? We’d love to get your feedback, and please don’t hesitate to ask any questions you may have. Drop a line in the comments below.

Happy holidays!

We’ve been getting some awesome feedback on our monthly ‘Reels for Realtors‘ columns, so we figured, why not take a step back and give the Instagram Reel newbies the ultimate starter guide? We have all the goods to help you create quality content.

So first things first, what are Instagram Reels?

Reels are a short-form video feature on Instagram that allows users to create and share videos with various creative elements. If you’re filming within the app, Reels can be up to 90 seconds long. If you want to post a longer video, up to 15 minutes, you can upload it as a regular post, and it’ll be automatically shared as a Reel.

Reels offer a wide range of tools, such as music, text, stickers, effects, and filters, which can be used to enhance the videos and make them more engaging. Although, the only things you really need to focus on are music and text.

For realtors, using Instagram Reels can be highly beneficial for several reasons:

1. Increased reach and engagement: By consistently posting Reels, realtors can reel in (see what I did there?) a bigger crowd and connect with more potential clients. Reels are shown to a wider audience beyond your followers, and they often capture the attention of users as they are short, visually appealing, simple, and entertaining.

2. Showcasing properties: Realtors can use Reels to showcase their listings. Instead of relying solely on images or long videos, Reels offer a more dynamic way to present a property, highlighting its key features in a concise and visually appealing way. Instead of one long video, create a Reel for each staged room! You can go from posting once about your listing to creating and posting 20 Reels, all with a call-to-action that leads to your website.

3. Demonstrating expertise: Show off your real estate expertise! By creating informative Reels, realtors can demonstrate their years of experience in the real estate market. They can share tips on buying, selling, or investing in properties, helping to establish themselves as knowledgeable professionals in the field.

4. Building brand awareness: Consistent and creative use of Reels can help realtors build their brand and increase their visibility on Instagram. When people start sharing and engaging with your Reels, your realtor game will reach a whole new level of recognition!

5. Capitalizing on trending content: Reels often follow popular trends. Realtors can leverage these trends to stay relevant and connect with a wider audience, potentially gaining more followers and clients.

6. Connecting with the audience: Reels offer a more personal and authentic way for realtors to connect with their audience. By sharing behind-the-scenes moments, success stories, or even fun snippets, realtors can create a more relatable and approachable image.

Now that we’ve successfully convinced you to start using Reels (right?), we’ve listed basic things you need to know about the app so you can spot trends and optimize your posts for the best results.

“How do I start making a reel?”

Told you we’d start with the basics! To start creating a Reel, follow these steps:

Step 1: Open your Instagram app and tap your profile icon at the bottom right of your screen.

Step 2: Next, tap the + at your screen’s top right or bottom center.

Step 3: Select “Reel.”

Now you know how to start the process of making a Reel. So far, so good! But before we go deeper into what comes next, I want to show you a couple of tricks to find trending Reels and sounds.

“How do I know something is trending?”

An easy way to get more reach with Reels is to jump on trends. There are a couple of ways you can do that.

The first way is to sign up for our newsletter, where you’ll be notified when I publish our monthly Reels for Realtors articles, where I give you 5 trending Reels and/or sounds.

The second way, and one I highly recommend, is to spend time scrolling on the app to see what’s going on. More often than not, whatever Reel trend you start to notice is attached to a specific sound.

“Wait… what’s a sound?”

Great question. A sound is what Instagram (and TikTok) call the music or spoken recording you hear while the Reel is playing. Sometimes it’s just background music, sometimes the video is timed to the specific sound playing, and other times people lipsync to the song or spoken recording. You’ll find it listed at the bottom left of the Reel.

“Listen, that’s great, but I don’t have time to sit there and scroll forever until I spot something that is trending.”

I get it, realtors are reel busy people (ha, I did it again!), but that’s why I’m here to give you the tricks needed to speed up and make the process easier.

How to spot a trending sound

It’s easy. Here’s how:

Step 1: Open the app and tap the Reels icon.

Step 2: Keep scrolling until you spot an arrow next to the sound being used.

Step 3: Tap the trending sound. Here you can either use it right away or save it for later. You can also scroll down and spot any other videos that are in the real estate industry and have used this same sound for some inspiration!

“Okay, I’ve got the sound, but editing the video so the clips match perfectly to the music seems really tedious. Is there an easier way to do this?”

Again, great question. And yes! There is an easier way to do that. Let’s take a look at this image again, shall we?

You’ll notice a button that says “Use template”. Let’s tap that.

As you can see, Instagram has set it up, so all you need to do here is add the media you’d like to use for this Reel. And by tapping “Use template,” the trending sound that goes with it is automatically added to the Reel you’re creating.

“Can I create my own template?”

WOW. You are really coming in hot with the awesome questions today.

What’s great about Reels is you can promote your listings in an endless amount of ways. You can take the footage that was recorded for your listing and split it into a ton of Reels. You can create a Reel for each area of the home using trending sounds!

But you can also create your own templates that you can reuse over and over and over again, whether you choose to use a trending sound, a non-trending sound (those still do well, too!), or your own sound!

Click here to check out Instagram’s how-to article on creating your Reel template!

“Great! Is that it? Are we done?”

Nope! Having a fantastic, entertaining, quality Reel is a good start, but you need to optimize the way you’re posting to not only reach as many people as possible but to ensure your Instagram Feed is looking amazing and you’re leading people to the link in your bio to get in touch with you.

With that being said, here are a few more tips to make sure your next Reel is polished and ready for success:

Add a cover image

Ideally, when people see your Reel, they’ll feel compelled to tap on your handle, learn more about you, and hit the follow button. I always tell people to think of your feed as your storefront. If it looks good and inviting, people will come in. If it looks messy, most people will walk over to the next shop.

Once you’ve created your Reel and you’ve made it to the last section where you input your caption, make sure you upload a branded cover with text that lets people know exactly what they’ll be looking at or use the slider to select a part of the Reel that’ll make a nice cover image.

Always add a caption

It’s pretty surprising how many times I’ve seen Reels added without captions. Yes, sometimes there’s text on Reels, so you may be thinking, what’s the point? The point of your Reel caption is to lead people back to your profile. Especially if you’re showing off your latest listing, ideally, viewers are heading over to your profile to tap the link in your bio and learn more about the home.

So be sure to add a short (because people do not go to Reels to read blog posts) and a sweet caption with a clear CTA. Grab people with fun facts about the home! That and your entertaining Reel will leave people wanting more.

Hashtags

Alright, this one’s a little tricky. If you ask Instagram’s CEO, they’re moving away from hashtags entirely and focusing on the copy written in your caption and your Reel. Yep, the text you add to your Reel gets soaked in by the algorithm to show your content to people who interact with similar posts!

When it comes to regular, static image posts, Just Sell Homes tested out using no hashtags vs. using 10-12 hashtags. The posts WITH hashtags continued to do better. When it comes to Reels, honestly, it’s still up in the air. There’s no clear sign as views and engagement are so up and down for both. What I’d recommend is to use location specific hashtags to help the algorithm show the content to people in your area.

The idea is to test it out. If it doesn’t do much, switch up your tactics and see if that works better.

Sharing to feed

If you share your Reel to your feed, Instagram will show your Reel to your audience and to new people in the Reels feed. It will also show up on your regular feed AND your Reels feed.

I’d recommend testing this out too. I’ve found that if I share my Reel to my regular feed, I get less reach. If I only share it to the Reels feed, my numbers tend to go up. That being said, if you have a solid following already, you may see a better reach by sharing it to your feed for your followers to see. Again, something to test out and see what the results look like.

Don’t forget your location!

Because your content is so specific to the area you serve in, you want to make sure you include the Reel’s location. Whether it’s a specific area your latest listing is in or a more general area, you’re giving the latest market stats about. Show the algorithm exactly where your audience is!

You did it!

Phew! You did it. You’ve learned the very basics of creating your first or optimizing your next Reel. Now you need to make yourself your favourite beverage, have a seat, and start creating!

I’d love to see what you’ve made! Be sure to link your Reels in the comments below. And if you have any questions, leave those below, too! I’ll be checking in to offer any help I can.