A Realtor’s Guide to Marketing on Instagram

If you’re a realtor in 2021, you’ve probably asked yourself: is Instagram really that good for realtors? The short answer: yes. Even if you consider yourself social media-averse in your personal life, you can benefit professionally from a social media presence.

Hey, we get it! Putting yourself out there for the world to see is scary and not for everyone. It is, however, for all realtors. Even if your goal isn’t to aggressively capture new leads on Instagram, your sheer presence keeps you top-of-mind to those who are already in your network.

And for potential clients that you meet around town or at an open house, your Instagram gives them a peak into who you are as a person, creating trust and building a strong rapport that will pay dividends down the line.

Sold on giving your Instagram a little love? We went ahead and assembled these tips — to help agents like you get comfortable sharing on Instagram so you can eventually start attracting and nurturing leads from your online profile.

Think local

If you plan to gain significant market share of your area, you’re bound to be an expert on the local community — or should be working hard to become one. And guess what? Your Instagram is a great place to showcase that. Whether you’re eating at a favorite local restaurant, attending your kid’s soccer game at the nearby park, or hitting up the farmer’s market, be sure to post it!

Instagram has a few different tools that can make posting these moments fairly low maintenance, too: 

• Use Instagram Stories to post quick-and-easy snippets of your adventures without needing to think up a caption.
• Then, you can get even more bang for your buck by setting up Instagram Story Highlights (those small icons you see above the grid). Save your featured stories under a tag like “Around Town” so they don’t disappear after the fact. You’ll be quietly creating your own guide to your hometown!

Be authentic and go live

Maybe you’re a mom or dad and spend most of your time mom or dad-ing. Maybe you love baseball and never miss a game. Whatever your passion, let it shine through on your Instagram. This is your shot to share a piece of who you are with prospective clients, so don’t shy away at being yourself. 

Instagram Live is another great feature that you can use to share news about new listings or answer questions in a super casual setting. Try utilizing the “Ask Me Anything” feature that you’ll find in Instagram Stories to invite followers to submit questions for you to answer. This is a great way to interact with your followers and show your expertise. It’s being educational, without being boring — a hard balance to achieve.

Keep your branding on point

Instagram is a scroller’s paradise, meaning you’re lucky to catch someone’s attention for more than a fraction of a second. Although you certainly want to feel authentic and natural with what you post, you also want to be sure it looks, sounds, and feels like your brand. 

Rather than just post a new listing, add a small logo or design element to make it feel consistent. Programs like Canva make this super easy by providing templates that are as simple as drag-and-drop. Decide on your logo, colors, and fonts now, so creating quick posts is easier down the line.

While you’re at it, take a minute to think about your voice and tone — or how you want to talk to your followers. Are you funny? Are you whimsical? Are you motivational? You don’t need to be one or the other, but it’s helpful to write down a quick description to keep you grounded in how you want to appear to past and potential clients.

Share sneak peaks of listings

This one may sound obvious — but at the end of the day, you want to give the people what they want. And what is that? Lots of amazing properties to view! Whether you’re just listing a new home for the first time or hosting an open house, don’t be afraid to share new properties as posts and stories. 

Here’s another great opportunity to use Instagram Story Highlights to compile any Stories featuring new listings.

Stay active! 

Here’s another one that may feel obvious — but it’s extremely important to stay active on Instagram. That doesn’t just mean posting yourself (3+ times per week), but also engaging with followers. Remember to like and comment on other people’s posts and continue to build your following by actively seeking out leads on social media. The more you engage, the more you’ll get in return.

As a realtor, you know marketing can be expensive. So why not take advantage of a free tool right at your fingertips? It may take some time to find your groove, but if you get started with these tips, you’re sure to start seeing results.

About the Author

Katy Peer writes about all things content, marketing, and real estate branding. She is the Head of Content Marketing for SellWell, lead editor for The Well, and a former copywriter and senior editor for a spattering of tech and media brands. Find her articles on social media, writing agent bios, and more here on The Well.