Have you noticed a lack of followers or engagement on your real estate Instagram account? It’s probably due to the type of content you’re posting.
Your audience uses Instagram to be entertained or to be informed. If you’re posting mainly testimonials, you’re missing out on connecting with your followers. While posting a testimonial helps foster consumer trust, make sure it’s not all you’re posting! Instagram posts that are fun and provide information your audience can use will help you leave an indelible impression in Instagram feeds.
So what should you be posting on your Instagram? Check out the list below:
1. Start with smiling selfies.
Now that social media is so saturated with ads, people don’t want to just see nonstop listings and testimonials. They want a glimpse of who you are as a person — and not just as a real estate agent. Don’t be afraid to show your audience who you are. Now, this doesn’t mean to fill up your profile with nothing but selfies. An occasional selfie or other fun, personal post will help keep the mood lighthearted.
2. Air your … clean laundry by posting big personal life events.
In the same vein, people also love it when you share big, personal life events. Did you get engaged or married? Adopt a pet? Share it!
3. Show off your furry family members.
A lot of people turn to social media — especially Instagram as a way to escape reality
and just relax. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, interacting with animals can decrease the stress hormone and lower blood pressure.
Plus, pets on social media garner a lot of attention! About 65 percent of pet owners post about their furry friends on social media an average of two times per week, according to Mars Petcare US, the world’s largest petcare company:
- One in six say they’ve created a social media profile specifically for their pet
- One third said they post about their pets as much (and as often) as they do about their human family, and
- 13 percent admitted to posting about their pets even more than they do their human family!
So, don’t be afraid to post a photo every once in a while of your cute pet!
4. Don’t forget about your human family!
Another way to show your clients that you’re human? Share an occasional family photo! If you’re comfortable posting photos of your kids, we know everyone loves a cute kid photo. If not, post a photo of your spouse or other family member — or even a photo of yourself that a family member took at a family gathering.
5. Take your audience on a tour of the local area.
What do you do for fun when you’re not working? If you like to explore the local area — whether it’s some kind of outdoor adventure like hiking, or just shopping, walking downtown, going to a park, etc. — snap a photo and share it. People want to know what it’s actually like living in a certain area before they move there. Show them your own adventures!
6. Like to eat? Promote local restaurants.
Are there certain local restaurants that you love? Next time you dine in or order takeout, snap a photo of the restaurant itself or of the food and share it on your feed. Don’t forget to tag the restaurant to widen the reach of the post. In the caption, let people know what makes the restaurant (or the food) so great!
Also, if you follow any local restaurants on Instagram and see a post about a special or coupon — repost and share (even just in your story). People will love to see that you’re looking out for them and helping others save money while also supporting local businesses.
Heads up! Pizza is the most popular Instagrammed food, according to brandwatch.com, with sushi and chicken taking 2nd and 3rd respectively.
7. Speaking of eating local, encourage shopping local.
Similar to posting about local restaurants, take a moment to show support for other local businesses. If there’s a certain treat you picked up for yourself or you were given as a gift, share it — whether it’s a food item, clothing or any other type of goodie. Again, don’t forget to tag the local business to help widen the reach of the post and use hashtags like #shoplocal, #buylocal and other area identifying hashtags.
8. Promote local event blogs or photos.
A common — and popular — real estate content marketing tactic is to write blogs that list out upcoming local event. If you write such a blog, make a graphic or share an event photo along with a caption explaining where the blog is posted (and stick the link in your profile). If you’re attending an event yourself, share a quick video in your Instagram story or snap a photo and put it on your feed.
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9. Share your favorite local attractions, things to do or what makes your area a great place to live.
Since COVID-19 has derailed many community events, let people know what other attractions or amenities can keep them entertained, social distancing style. Do you live near a beach, a mountain, a park with trails or any other place people can go and walk around outside? Is there a cool place downtown people can safely explore during the pandemic? And when coronavirus is no more — what kind of fun, everyday activities are in your area? You can even post “day trip” ideas; places within an hour or two drive that people can go explore and be home before bedtime.
10. Showcase local convenience, such as grocery stores and gas stations.
What makes a certain neighborhood super convenient to live in? Personally, each time I’ve looked for a new place to live, I look at convenience: Are there grocery stores nearby, or do I have to drive 20+ minutes every time I want to pick up fresh items for dinner or realize we’re out of something? Is there a gas station with a convenience store in it close to the neighborhood where I can at least grab things in a pinch? What about pharmacies, hospitals, etc.?
Let people know what makes a certain neighborhood a great place to live. Or, if you’re listing a more rural area, list the benefits to that. Does Amazon at least deliver? Is there nearly nonexistent traffic when you have to drive 30 minutes to the grocery store? Is it a super quiet and safe place to live?
11. Photos of things, people and events you see on the job.
Is there something super unique in a house you toured for a new listing? For example, does a house have a weird door that leads to nowhere? Or did you have to lay on the ground or hang over a balcony to get the perfect photo for the listing? Who doesn’t love funny, weird things?
If you see something that makes you giggle or you laugh at yourself when you’re trying to get photos of the house, post about it! Just make sure you’re not turning people off from the listing. For instance, if you post a weird feature, maybe add an easy way to fix it or let it be known if the house is selling super low because it’s a fixer-upper.
12. Celebrate your real estate wins with closing photos.
This one is pretty self-explanatory. You know when you close on a house, you tend to celebrate with the clients. Take fun closing photos! It doesn’t have to be a standard posed photo on the front step with a key. Take an action shot while they’re popping a bottle of champagne in the front yard. Take a Boomerang video of them laughing and clinking glasses or jumping for joy. Be creative!
13. Open house photos keep your audience informed.
Open house photos give people an opportunity to see what’s on the market. Don’t forget the time, date and place if the open house is in person. Open house photos also are an opportunity to share some tips: What are some simple things people can do to make an open house more successful (baking cookies, fresh flowers, etc.)? Are there any special touches that you make each time you run an open house? Share your pro tips — and make people see what makes you stand out as a REALTOR!
14. Flip out your audience with dramatic before and after photos.
Are you helping clients sell a home they just flipped? Then share before and after photos! People love these dramatic reveals; and for Instagram, it can be as simple as a single post where they have to “swipe” to see the after photo (or vice versa, depending on how you want to frame it).
15. Tell your peeps what’s up with local housing market statistics.
Don’t drown your audience in statistics that they don’t understand. Give them the occasional stat that’s most relevant to them. For example: Are homes selling at a much higher price this year compared to last year? Or is there a neighborhood that’s finally showing affordable housing? Share a single image, and make sure you really explain what they’re looking at in the caption.
16. Let them know how quickly homes sell in the area.
It’s common to see many real estate agents post the standard “just listed” and “just sold” posts. But you can have fun with these, too! Make a fun graphic or use a photo or video to make the post stand out. Have a record-breaking sell time? Don’t be afraid to tell your audience about it.
17. What’s life like as a real estate agent?
People are curious: Share a little bit about what your day is like. We know it’s not all open houses and closings. What do you do the rest of the time? What do you love most about working as a real estate agent?
18. Have a team? Let your audience meet your coworkers.
Does your agency sponsor fun events to inspire team building? Share photos of the events. Show your clients that your whole agency works well together (and that not everything’s a competition!).
19. Get silly with posts of funny things at work/at the office.
Does your office dress up for holidays? Do you have a funny photo or video of your child or pet being silly while you’re trying to work from home? Have you had to do something
really crazy to make it to a meeting or listing on time, or have a funny mishap happen while you were staging a home for an open house?
20. Inspire people with motivational quotes.
What is Instagram without inspirational quotes? You can choose a quote from a favorite author or politician. Any meme or quote that inspires you personally might catch the attention of your audience.
21. Where do you turn for inspiration/motivation?
Aside from looking at quotes, what inspires you? Where do you turn for motivation on those days where it’s hard to even get out of bed? Do you enjoy taking long walks to clear your head and re-motivate you? Do you do yoga or some other form of exercise? Whatever little things bring you joy and keep you motivated — share them!
22. What are your goals?
Don’t be afraid to celebrate big goal achievements with your followers! Did you sell your 100th home? Reach 1,000 followers? Hit your 10 year anniversary as a REALTOR? Post about your life and career goals — people are interested.
23. Get engaged! Ask your followers to share something in the comments.
An easy way to get comments on a post? Ask a question or ask people to “drop their (fill in the blank) in the comments.” You could ask what their dream kitchen would look like, if they think location or amenities are more important, what their favorite local restaurants are, etc.
24. Inspire others with your volunteer work or how you help your community.
If you regularly volunteer or contribute in some other way to your community, don’t be shy; share it. Avoid the humblebrag! Post about your volunteerism in a way that doesn’t seem like the only reason you volunteer is for social media.
25. Don’t forget about the major holidays.
A simple photo, animated graphic or video and a “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Holidays” will work.
26. Commemorate silly, marketing holidays — such as National Coffee Day!
You’ve heard of all of the marketing holidays; Donut Day, Coffee Day, Black Cat Day … There are so many. You can keep up with them at nationaldaycalendar.com.
Post something simple like a photo of your morning coffee or a meme about how you can’t function without caffeine for National Coffee Day.
Consider commemorating the national whatever day with a fun giveaway! Buy a gift card to a local coffee shop (or whatever business the “holiday” corresponds to) and use a random winner generator app to choose a winner from the comments.
27. Hold some fun contests that get your fans and followers excited.
Does your real estate office ever host contests? Post about them on your Instagram — including photos of the prizes and how you can enter, and once it’s over post a photo of the winner. Or hold your own contests, such as best dad joke for Father’s Day, best summer selfie or yummiest Thanksgiving recipe with extra points for posting a photo of the finished dish and tagging you.
28. Never underestimate the draw of funny real estate-themed memes.
Did you come across a funny real-estate themed meme that made you laugh? Simply “repost” on Instagram or on your Story, or download the photo and share it on your feed.
29. Be grateful with “thank you” posts.
Don’t forget to thank your clients every once in a while! Thank them with a photo and a simple caption — and, if you’re one to send gifts to clients — snap a photo of the gift and make the caption about how much you appreciate your clients. Likewise, if a client gets you a gift, take a photo and thank them on your Instagram! People like to know they’re appreciated. Take a moment to thank your fans and followers as well. Consider purchasing a Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks gift card. Post the QR code on Instagram and encourage your social besties to grab a coffee (and/or donut) on you while the money lasts.
30. Post photos of clients enjoying life in their new home.
This is so much better than a testimonial. Ask an old client to send you a photo of them in their new home, or even of a favorite spot in their new home. Encourage them to write a paragraph about what they like about their new house and new neighborhood.
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