Social media marketing is essential for today’s real estate agents. Real estate pros who thrive on social media get more leads, close more deals, and make more money. Heck, I practically built my entire real estate business by creating social media videos.
But if you want to actually generate leads with your social media marketing, it’s going to take more than just fun videos on Instagram. It takes effort and intention. That’s why I put together this list of the best real estate social media marketing tips for 2023 (plus 11 mistakes to avoid). I even threw in some sweet Canva templates and a marketing calendar you can use right now to help you get started.
Download Your 2023 Real Estate Marketing Calendar
1. Tag Your Location + Local Businesses, Not Just Your Farm
When you’re out and about in your city, pop into one of your favorite local shops or restaurants and tag your location in a quick Instagram post, like Harmony Kelly did in this recent post. Creating posts and tagging other locations, including your favorite vendors, will enhance your engagement and boost your exposure. You can also tag neighborhoods when visiting open houses or joining broker tours.
9 Easy Instagram Hacks to Get More Likes, Comments & Followers
2. Share Local Events & Cool Stuff to Do
Your followers will love seeing you share events, locals’ favorite hangouts, annual festivals, the weekly farmers’ market, special exhibits at the museum, concerts, or local sports events. Here’s a great example: Amy Barton Cotney shows out-of-town football fans how to enjoy her town. Love it!
You are the community expert, so post pics and videos of you enjoying the best moments in your locale. Also, buyers looking at various locations could be deciding where to move. You might be the advocate who lures them to your town!
13 Real Estate Instagram Posts That Attract Clients (+ Canva Templates)
3. Set Yourself Up for Success by Using Pros
Most agents face two big pain points when it comes to marketing their business on social media: maintaining consistency and creating unique content. Consider paying a company like Coffee & Contracts to handle the bulk of your marketing for you so you can focus on what you are passionate about, like taking care of your clients.
Each month, Coffee & Contracts sends you a marketing calendar filled with fresh new content to post on Facebook and Instagram—that means no more guessing about what to post every day. Each Coffee & Contracts template is created by professional graphic designers and animators, including Stories templates, Reels scripts, and captions to build engagement.
4. Focus on Variety & Be Your Authentic Self
One of the biggest mistakes I see agents make is not including enough non-real estate content in their Instagram and other social feeds. People don’t connect with facts—they connect with people.
Keep your social media balanced between life, personal interests, and real estate like Ant Stroud does. He includes his Hula dancing videos, and it’s boss.
Your posts should give the reader insight into who you are as a person first and a real estate agent second. Got a hobby? Love rescuing dogs on the side? Got kids and love being a parent? Post it on your socials. Create content you enjoy creating. Have a little fun with it!
For real estate content, mix things up a bit. Include some behind-the-scenes videos of your day-to-day life as a real estate professional. Share testimonials from your grateful clients. And don’t forget to put yourself in your videos, like your walk-throughs, so viewers can see you as a working real estate professional too.
The Agent’s Guide to Experiential Real Estate Marketing
5. Don’t Get Too Hung Up on Branding Before You Start
Agents can feel overwhelmed by branding and marketing, especially when they’re just starting out. But don’t let your brand (or lack of one) prevent you from getting your business up and running. Lean on your brokerage until you get some footing with your budding real estate business.
Once you narrow down who your ideal clients are and begin to understand your personal style, you’ll get an idea of how your branding should feel. That’s when you can start building your own brand kit.
Real Estate Branding: How to Build Your Brand (+ Case Studies)
When the time is right, don’t skimp on professional headshots, a professionally designed logo, and some style guidelines so that when you are ready to introduce your brand on social media, it looks uniform, polished, and ready to make a huge impact.
Consider using a professional branding company like Tailor Brands. Their artificial intelligence-powered tool can help you create a logo and style guide along with social media designs, digital business cards, and more. You’ll look professional and on-trend when you’re ready to launch.
6. Make Video a Priority on All Platforms
Video is essential for your business because it’s the fastest way to connect with your people. If you’re not creating videos for your business, you’re already behind.
But here’s the cool thing: You don’t have to make super-polished videos. On platforms like Instagram Reels and TikTok, most of the videos aren’t professionally produced. They’re usually made with smartphones, a ring light, and a phone stand.
The content doesn’t have to be overly complicated either. If you don’t believe me, check out Michelle Bellisari’s videos on Instagram. They’re simple, short, and to the point.
Sit down at your kitchen table with your smartphone and your ring light—just like Glennda Baker is known to do—talk directly to the camera, and post. Just put yourself out there. Point. Shoot. Publish.
And don’t worry—the first few videos you make will suck. But you’ll get better as you get more comfortable in front of the camera. Your confidence will start to shine through and your videos will reflect your authenticity.
25 Best Real Estate YouTube Channels (Coaching, Humor & More)
7. Focus on Engagement
I love a good “this or that” post, where you show two different options and ask readers to weigh in. Asking your followers for their opinion accomplishes a couple of things. First, it creates activity on your post as different readers answer your questions. As more people comment on your post, the algorithm will push your content to the top of the feed, getting your post seen by more people.
Instagram Stories for Agents: 12 Easy Ways to Drive Engagement
Second, if you ask questions, your readers will tell you what kind of information they want to know so you can stir up some user-generated content from your comments.
And when people comment on your posts, don’t leave them hanging. Answer their comments and thank them. People love to be recognized. Keep conversations moving forward by continually engaging.
Best Real Estate Social Networks
8. Learn the 5 Secrets of Writing Great Titles & Captions
Humans are driven by emotions. Most copywriters use that information when creating enticing headlines and titles to get people to click on their content.
You don’t have to understand the depths of psychology, but it’s important to recognize that facts, details, and data don’t drive people. Your readers are humans driven by emotions. Your job when writing titles for your content is to tap into at least one of those emotions.
Here are five quick tips for writing great titles and captions for your real estate social media content:
- Create FOMO (fear of missing out) and a sense of urgency (“Sale Ends at Midnight!”)
- Keep your titles short and sweet (60 characters or less so they’re seen on small screens)
- Use alliteration when possible (“Pack a Powerful Punch”)
- Be specific: Use numbers whenever possible. (“5 Tips to Increase Your Credit Score”)
- Use brackets or parentheses (they help build curiosity)
When you get good at writing titles that tap into emotions, you’ll see more engagement with your readers. The more engagement, the more the algorithm will prioritize your content. Win-win!
Hey, I totally get it, writing scroll-stopping titles is hard, even for me. So, if you struggle with creating attention-grabbing titles, why not turn to your personal AI assistant for some help? SalesWise makes writing effortless for real estate agents. They provide the latest in AI technology inside their platform to simplify all of your marketing. Ready to take your real estate marketing to the next level? Try SalesWise and marvel at the results.
9. Educate Your Buyers & Sellers
Your future clients have questions. You have answers. Create content, including short-form vertical videos like this one from Carys Eccleshall, answering the questions you know your followers have. Let them know the good and the bad about buying right now. Give them the information they need to make an informed decision.
You’ll develop loyal followers when you don’t sugarcoat the realities. Remember, most of your viewers rely on Zillow to learn about the market. But you are the real expert, especially in your area. Share your wealth of knowledge with your audience.
147 Real Estate Social Media Post Ideas (+ Viral Examples)
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10. Look Like a Pro—Invest in Professional Tools
It still amazes me how many agents think they can just wing it and create professional content for social media without using professional tools. Unless you’re a natural graphic designer or video editing maestro, chances are using unprofessional tools will make your content look … well, unprofessional. Seems obvious, right?
For some reason, we still have to convince agents that saving $50 a month isn’t better for their business than upgrading to a professional marketing platform like Agent Crate or upgrading from the free version of Buffer. If spending that extra $50 per month frees up your time to do other things in your business or helps you maintain consistency, then do you think you might earn more commissions? That’s almost always the case.
Sure, brand-new agents who don’t have clients yet have plenty of time to post on social. But once you get up and running, your time will be much better spent on other things. Plus, that $50 is an investment in your business that you can write off for tax purposes. So don’t be stubborn. Pony up that extra money to help build your business the right way and stop DIYing your marketing to save a few bucks. Trade pennies for dollars, as the saying goes. Spend a little to earn a lot.
9 Real Estate Marketing Tools Every Agent Needs in 2024
11. Don’t Forget About Your Past Clients
Don’t let the people who already know, like, and trust you slip through the cracks. They can be a huge source of future business for you. Make it a point to go to your past clients’ accounts and engage on their social media. Just a quick like now and then will keep you top of mind. And then, whenever someone mentions they need a good real estate agent, your name will pop up quicker than you can say “referral.”
12 Unique Client Appreciation Event Ideas for Real Estate Agents
12. Measure Your Results & Test Constantly
There’s a saying in the fitness community that applies perfectly to real estate agents trying to succeed on social media: “That which gets measured, gets improved.” It’s a straightforward formula that most agents ditch in favor of a shotgun approach on social media.
Social media platforms like YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and even Pinterest offer free-to-use, professional-level analytics that help you figure out which content your audience responds to and the best time and format for posting it. Make use of these tools to increase your engagement and your return on investment (ROI).
I’ll be the first to admit that managing social media can be overwhelming. So, why not let Top Producer Social Connect take the reins? Their experts will set up and run your ads, create eye-catching posts, A/B test them to maximize your ROI, and even nurture your leads. It’s a win-win!
13. Create Scroll-stopping Infographics
Not every post has to have your mug in it. You can create some scroll-stopping infographics in Canva or by using another platform’s templates. Tap into some of the data from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) or check in on your local association for up-to-date industry news and stats. Take any data your followers might be interested in and use it to create a stunning infographic. But don’t just repost what’s already out there. Come up with your own conclusions from the data and share them with your audience.
40 Surprising Real Estate Lead Gen Statistics Every Agent Needs to Know
You can also use this technique with more evergreen content. Create beautiful infographics on the homebuying process, the listing and selling process, what not to do during a transaction, and so many other topics of interest to your audience.
You can create a dazzling carousel of homebuying or staging tips. These slideshows are fun and clickable, and give you ample space to share a lot of information in ways that are easily digestible for your audience.
Subscribe to Canva Pro to get the most bang for your buck. You’ll get access to tons of templates, stock video and images, and other fun ways to build exciting content. At just $10 per month, I couldn’t imagine building my business without it.
88 Shocking Real Estate Statistics You Need to Know
14. Post a Mix of Business & Personal Life
I know I’ve said it before, but if you’re only posting pics or videos of your listings, your content will be ignored. You know that humans connect with humans, not data. So, if you’re not connecting with your audience on a more personal level, you’re missing the whole point of social media. It’s meant to be social. Yes, you should post your listings. But don’t just post about your listings.
Include a sneak peek into what your real life is like. Don’t be afraid to show your personality, your life at home, and what you love to do when you’re not working on real estate transactions. Anything that will let people into your world and tell them who you are as a real-life person is fair game.
As I noted earlier, when your people are scrolling through their Instagram, they’re probably not there looking for a real estate agent. But if someone connects with you through something like your love of crocheting or reading old books, that’s a deeper connection than you can get from posting only about your real estate business. That connection gives you an inside track to share real estate information. Then, when that person actually needs a real estate agent, who do you think they’ll want to work with—some rando they don’t know from Adam, or the person who shares something in common with them and has already established a relationship? The answer is you!
The Agent’s Guide to Experiential Real Estate Marketing
15. Use Humor
Posting memes (like Shawn King does here) and funny videos will show your audience that you’re not just a hyperlocal expert but someone they might want to have a beer with. Just avoid topics that are controversial, overly negative, or too racy for prime-time TV.
If you want to start making your own memes, the Kapwing or Mematic apps are great starting places. Or, if you want custom-branded memes that are ready to post, check out The Broke Agent’s content on Coffee & Contracts.
I also love the templates on Agent Crate that include trending audio. These options let you hire out some of the heavy lifting of creating effective content, freeing up your brain space. And remember, your time is more valuable than anything, so if you can buy it back by purchasing marketing tools, that’s a solid investment.
108 Real Estate Memes Realtors Can’t Stop Sharing
16. Don’t Be Afraid of Paid Social
It’s become increasingly difficult to navigate the complexities of paid marketing on social media platforms in the past several years. But paid social media marketing is extremely effective if you do it correctly. It can help you build your brand, generate leads, and create your online presence.
If the idea of creating effective paid social on your own is enough to make you throw up in your mouth a little, you might consider hiring an expert to do it for you. Honestly, it’s easy to get social media ads wrong. But you can turn to a marketing agency like Luxury Presence so you can focus on the parts of your business that don’t give you a headache.
Luxury Presence’s team of professional marketers can handle everything, including building a stunning website, search engine optimization (SEO), real estate social media marketing, creating content, and placing advertising on social platforms. And you can bank on their marketing expertise, so the money you spend on ads will generate a nice return.
How to Create Real Estate Facebook Ads That Actually Generate Leads
17. Write Scripts for Your Videos & Rehearse Them
Writing a script—even a rough outline—and then practicing it will quickly improve your videos. You don’t have to read it word for word, but coming up with a structure and a few key phrases to repeat will make your videos easier for your audience to understand and hopefully interact with.
The added bonus is you’ll feel stronger while shooting your videos. You’ll look like the rock star you are when you feel confident in what you’re saying.
15 Real Estate Videos Top Agents Use to Generate & Nurture Leads
18. Be an Early Adopter of Newer Platforms Like TikTok
Can you imagine being one of the first Realtors to start using Instagram or YouTube? How many engagement tricks could you have learned before any other agent in your city?
We’re not saying you should put all your free time into TikTok or Threads, but at least take the time to learn about and test new platforms before writing them off.
Real Estate TikTok: 3 Top Agents on How to Get Millions of Likes (+ Leads)
19. Post a Video Tour of Open Houses Once a Week
You study the market, and you know what’s new and hot. Find a shiny new listing or open house that would be a great fit for your ideal clients and do a video walk-through you can post on your social media. Ryan Serhant has perfected the listing walk-through video if you want some inspiration.
If you participate in the broker’s tour in your area, you might be able to get some shots of a few different homes that you can use in your socials. Or snag some live footage of you hosting an open house to use in behind-the-scenes lifestyle videos. Record more than you think you’ll need so you can spread content out over a few days’ worth of posts.
20. Consistency Is Everything
Great real estate social media marketing doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming, but it does need to be planned. One of the biggest mistakes I see agents make is starting on a social media campaign without creating a content strategy.
The easiest way to stay on top of your social media is to get it on your calendar. Things that get scheduled get done, right? So make time every week to schedule your posts in advance.
I suggest batching most of your content. When I create my videos, I first sit down and write out my scripts, then shoot all the videos in one block of time. That way, I only have to put on makeup and do my hair once. Then, I find a day to edit all the videos and schedule them to post throughout the month. Batching will save you hours and alleviate a lot of stress around creating your content.
15 Must-follow Real Estate Instagram Accounts (+ 5 Growth Hacks)
21. Audit Your Social Media Account’s Overall Look & Feel
Log out of your accounts and visit them as if you were part of your target audience. When people click on your profile, what does it look like? Do you have thumbnails on your posts that make them binge-able? What about your profile pic? Your Facebook cover image? Make sure all your accounts have professional headshots, interesting and eye-catching highlight covers, and thumbnails that encourage viewers to click on more of your content.
11 Awesome Real Estate Facebook Cover Photo Examples to Inspire You (+ Templates)
11 Mistakes to Avoid in Real Estate Social Media Marketing
1. Comparing Yourself to Other Real Estate Agents
Every person is different. And everyone is at a different point in their career. That’s why it makes no sense to compare yourself to another real estate agent. So focus on your own personal journey. Don’t worry about what others are doing in their real estate social media marketing. Do what you need to do right now to stay on track and get to the next milestone in your business.
2. Focusing on Yourself & Not Your Clients
Every single one of your followers wants to know what’s in it for them. When you’re creating content for social media, think about what your readers will get out of your content. Are you answering a question? Are you delivering valuable content? Always be answering the question: What’s in it for them?
3. Not Engaging With Your Audience
Humans are sensitive. If someone reaches out to comment on your content and you don’t acknowledge them, they’re going to be hurt. Engage with your audience, make them feel special, and thank them for leaving their thoughts. Without their comments, your post is just noise. And the algorithm will not reward posts that humans don’t engage with.
As renowned cosmetics entrepreneur Mary Kay Ash famously said, “Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, ‘Make me feel important.’”
4. Avoiding Video
Video is here to stay. And if you haven’t started using video in your real estate social media marketing yet, it’s time to get on the train. Video is the fastest and easiest way to establish your know, like, and trust factor in today’s short attention span society. You can connect with people quickly by creating short videos that show off who you are as a person first and a real estate professional second.
5. Not Creating a Plan of Action
The fastest way to lose your foothold when it comes to real estate social media marketing is to be inconsistent. Use a marketing calendar to plan out your posts each week. Create your posts in batches and schedule them. But you don’t have to go it alone; use our awesome Real Estate Marketing Calendar for 2023 to stay on track. We’ve even included some ready-made templates you can use to get the ball rolling. But whatever you do, make sure you have a plan.
Download Your 2023 Real Estate Marketing Calendar
6. Not Including a CTA in Every Social Post
You should always give your readers options to continue to engage with your content. Not every call to action (CTA) has to be a sales pitch. Instead, you can easily give your audience additional ways to find more of your content. Ask them to follow you on other social media platforms; check out your website; and like, comment, and share.
7. Trying to Be Everything to Everyone (Instead of Being YOU!)
Many agents are afraid of showing too much of themselves. But here’s a hard truth: If you try to be everything to everyone, you’ll be no one to anyone. Don’t get me wrong—you should tread lightly regarding divisive language or viewpoints. But don’t be afraid to be your truest self. If you feel strongly about something, chances are someone else feels the same way, and your comments on that topic will resonate with those people.
Your vibe attracts your tribe. Speak specifically to your ideal client avatar because you only want to work with clients you enjoy. This way, you’ll attract those with whom you truly connect. Listen, there’s plenty of business to go around, so don’t be afraid to lose a few potential clients along the way. They will be better suited with an agent who gets them in a way you won’t.
8. Being Overly Ambitious
When you start posting on your social media and can’t keep up the pace, you’ll lose ground with your audience and with the algorithm. Don’t set a schedule you can’t keep up with. More is not better. Consistency is better. So, if you can’t maintain a three- to five-post per day schedule for five days a week, don’t start that schedule.
Instead, set a more modest goal for your real estate social media marketing. Try one to two posts per day, three days a week. You may not be posting as much as some, but I promise you, the algorithm will likely reward you with higher rankings. That means you’ll end up getting seen more often, increasing your engagement potential.
Download Your 2023 Real Estate Marketing Calendar
9. Assuming Your Life Is Boring
You probably think preparing for an open house is incredibly dull, driving around grabbing signs and lockboxes and doing a little extra spit-shining in your listing to make sure it’s just right. But people are curious about what you do. Let them see what it’s like to be a real estate agent in real life. Give them the behind-the-scenes, unglamorous side of your career.
Sharing your real estate experiences in your social media marketing will give people a reason to cheer you on. Let them experience your journey!
10. Worrying About Over-sharing Expertise
I know several amazing agents who are anxious about sharing too much about their strategies, fearing other real estate pros in their market will steal their ideas and become their biggest competitors. But the truth is, when you share valuable content with other agents, the percentage of people who actually absorb that information and then implement it is minuscule.
On the other hand, the benefits of sharing your experiences and expertise as a real estate professional far outweigh the potential downsides. It sets you apart as the agent who teaches other agents. So, be that agent who knows more than other agents and watch your business grow.
11. Underestimating the Importance of Social Media in Your Real Estate Business
In today’s complex market, agents on the sidelines will notice a downturn in their business. After all, more than 30% of Realtors reported closing at least one transaction a year as a direct result of their use of social media.
To be seen where your audience is looking, you must have some type of presence online. Americans now spend, on average, more than 90 minutes a day on Facebook and Facebook-connected platforms, including Instagram, Messenger, and Snapchat.
Creating content for your real estate social media marketing is how you build your online presence. And when it comes to earning those listings by demonstrating social skills, 73% of homeowners say they’re more likely to list with a Realtor who uses video to sell property than one who doesn’t.
Think about what you do when deciding who to hire for any service. You look online, right? And if the company you’re checking out doesn’t have a website, a Yelp review, or any presence on Facebook or LinkedIn, you start to wonder if they’re legit.
We’ve all been conditioned to believe that online presence represents trust. So, if you’re not posting on social media, don’t have a website, and don’t have online reviews, that signals that you’re not stable enough to earn business.
15 Social Media Mistakes All Agents Should Avoid
Over to You
Social media marketing doesn’t have to be complicated. I’ve given you tons of useful tips and resources to help you get started, plus some great suggestions on tools that can do some of the heavier lifting for you. Take these techniques and get your real estate social media marketing engine up and running.
Did we miss any great tips? Do you have a killer real estate social media marketing tool to share we didn’t mention? Let us know in the comments.
