It seems like everybody and their mother is a “social media expert” these days. Sure, “post great pictures” is indeed good advice, but effective real estate social media marketing requires a bit more … well, everything.
That’s why we worked with our friends at Wicked+, the Aaron Kirman Group at Compass, Leverage Real Estate Partners, and Derring Do to build out a list of real estate social media marketing tips from actual real estate rock stars who are crushing it on social.
Sick of hearing from “influencers” who have no clue what dual agency is? Read on for our list of the best real estate social media marketing tips from top Los Angeles and NYC agents.
1. Focus on Variety & be Your Authentic Self on Instagram
2. Get a Boost From The Pros to Supercharge Your Social Media Marketing
Lily Stern, Digital Marketing Associate,
3. Focus on Authenticity, Engagement, and Thought Leadership
Erica Langendorff, Marketing Manager at
Authenticity: It’s not just about pretty pictures. Strike a balance between polished, beautiful photography and the behind-the-scenes gritty details (i.e. sweeping the floors to prep for an OH, painting walls, etc.). It helps tell the story of how you arrived from point A to point B. Engage: Reply to comments on your posts. Get your followers to engage by asking them questions like, “White Marble or Black Granite?” Hearing from your followers helps you better understand what content to post in the future.
Thought leadership: Showing your listings or parts of the neighborhood are always great, but here is your time to shine as a thought leader and expert. Why is one apartment layout better/worse than the other? What are some unique parts of the neighborhood? As the agent, you are the expert, and it is important to remind your followers of that.
4. Learn the Difference Between Your Current Audience & What Strangers Might Like
James Rozanski, Head of Marketing at
Some of the best social media marketing tips for agents and teams:
5. Get a Professional Logo Before You Try to Build Your Brand on Social
Miranda Paquet, Marketing and Operations Manager, The Close
One of the biggest mistakes new agents and teams make when trying to build their brands on social is forgetting the basics. If you want to build a successful brand, you’re going to need professional headshots, and a professional logo at a minimum. One secret of professional branding is that a great logo doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars. In fact, a great logo can be very affordable if you use a service like 99 Designs. The best part is that 99 Designs has dozens of designers working on your logo and you just have to choose the best one.
6. Post a 50/50 Mixture of Business & Personal Stories, Think Aspirational and Celebratory
Jonathan London, Director Estates Division, Aaron Kriman Partners, Compass
“Post a 50/50 mixture of business and personal stories. You want to be seen as relatable as well as prolific in business. Post several stories at three different points in the day, every day. That way you gain the most engagement as everyone is on Instagram at different times throughout the day.
Don’t just shoot content at your own open houses, shoot stories at other agent’s open houses—and tag the agent too. That same agent will appreciate the exposure and is likely to do the same for you one day.
Be aspirational and celebratory in your postings, but never cross the line into boastful and self-focused—it doesn’t translate well and less of your audience will react.
Hyperlink the story to the property page on your own website. This is great for lead generation, click-through traffic, and further brand exposure for your own business.”
7. Ask Your Followers Questions to Build Engagement
“I find that when I post a listing and ask my followers a question I will get more engagement and in turn, more exposure. There are a million agents posting photos of a kitchen, but when you ask ‘What would you cook here?’ it allows your followers to picture themselves in that kitchen and living in the home. People want to follow YOU, not just your business. It’s important to mix it up and post lifestyle, family, friends, and keep it real.
After I post a photo, I’ll make sure to consistently post to my story for the rest of that day. The photo you posted will drop further down the timeline after an hour or so, while your story will keep drawing people to your page to see your new post.”
8. Don’t Worry About Being Perfect…
, (A Leverage Global Partners Member)
9. Give Your Zillow Reviewers a Shoutout on Social
Chris Linsell, Real Estate Analyst & Coach, The Close
“Let’s face it, before working with you, your potential clients need to learn one thing: how well respected you are as a professional. That’s why it’s always a good idea to thank your biggest fans for the reviews they leave on Zillow. Zillow has the biggest market share in online real estate and will prove far more authority and trust to your audience. The best way to do it is to screenshot the great review, tag your reviewer, and give them a heartfelt thanks.”
Need more Zillow reviews? Sign up for Zillow Premier Agent to 3x your buyer and seller leads in your farm area.
10. Document Your Local Events & Invite Colleagues to Curate Your Stories for a Day
“Document your local cultural events (festival, museum, pop-up, etc.) via Instagram and Facebook stories. It’s much more effective than a static announcement of what to do in your neighborhood. Invite a colleague or client (i.e., interior designer, landscaper or crystal healer) to guest curate your page/story for a day via your social channels.”
11. Focus on Stories & Tag Other Realtors
Edward Hutchinson, Compass @hutchintonjohnstone or @housesgram
“Stories: You can use up to 30 hashtags on each story post by typing #hashtag in normal text. You can then drag them off the screen by placing a finger on it and with switching to a second finger drag it off the screen. Tagging: You can also do the same with tagging up to 20 accounts of other realtors with clients in your market. This will send them a DM that they were mentioned in your story and they have an option to share it to their own stories which then links back to your account.”
12. Don’t be Afraid to Let Your Personality Shine Through
Jennie Priel, Aaron Kirman Group at Compass @jenniepriel
13. Tell Your Client’s Stories
Sheryl Lynn Johnson, Aviara Real Estate (A Leverage Global Partners Member),
14. Give Your Audience a Video Tour of Local Open Houses Once a Week
Tony Bruno, Aaron Kirman Partners, Compass @antoniobruno.re
“Go out on a Tuesday for broker’s open houses and target around four new listings to go to and post two to three photos and videos. Remember not to give too much info, just good teaser video and photos with a location of what city the listing is in. People will start reaching out for more info and you will know who is in the market to buy or sell. Also when it comes to your feed remember that your followers want to feel a personal connection as well as an interest in your homes so make sure to add your own touch to your feed, whether that be your own lifestyle or personal photos of yourself or with friends.
15. Don’t Forget About YouTube
Over to You
Have a clever real estate social media marketing tip that brings the leads to the yard? Let us know in the comments!