11 real estate social media marketing strategies that actually work

If you’re struggling to market your business on social media, or worse, haven’t even started yet, you might be in for a rude awakening in 2024. While you were pulling your hair out trying to come up with the perfect post idea, other agents in your farm area just…did it. Sure, they made mistakes, but today their social media accounts are helping them build their personal brands and generate leads — even while they sleep.

Of course, building a social media presence that generates leads while you sleep isn’t easy. It requires strategic planning, the right tools, and maybe most importantly, a mindset shift. To help, I put together my best strategies for real estate social media marketing that still work in 2024, common mistakes to avoid, how to choose which platforms to focus on, and my favorite free and paid social media tools that can cut your work in half.

First, let’s dig in to why social media is still the best marketing tool for every agent:

The goal of real estate marketing is simple but not easy: get people who want to buy or sell real estate to know, like, and trust you enough to pick up the phone and call you. Leads that call from traditional marketing strategies like pay-per-click (PPC) ads or postcards probably already trust you — they wouldn’t call you if they didn’t — but that’s where the hard work of getting them to know and like you begins. That’s a lot of pressure for one phone call and where most new real estate agents fail.

When leads contact you after following you on social media, the hard work of getting them to know and like you is already done. If you follow my tips below, your social media account will not only show off your real estate expertise so leads trust you, but also your unique personality, sense of humor, your day-to-day triumphs and struggles, and even your hobbies and family life. It’s like starting off on third base.

It’s also backed up by science. Studies show that 58% of people would be willing to pay MORE to work with someone who doesn’t work for a big company, but has an established personal brand. Social media gives you the perfect opportunity to build a brand that resonates.

Now that you’re (hopefully) inspired to go all in on social media this year, let’s go through the best strategies for building your know, like, and trust factor to start generating motivated leads:

1. Prioritize reputation over reach

The key to successful social media marketing is to build meaningful connections with people in your farm area who want to buy or sell real estate. Creating a viral post that gets 10,000 likes might boost your ego, but it won’t help you sell more houses if none of those people live in your farm area. This is why creating an avatar of your ideal client and creating content for them (and only them) should be your primary goal on social media.

To generate leads from your social media posts, you need to know your ideal client’s fears, desires, and understand the problems you can solve for them. So before you post anything, take the time to figure out who your ideal client is, and what they need and want from you.

Here’s an example of a post that targets empty-nesters with an emotional hook.

2. Write scroll-stopping hooks 

Even if you’re THE hyper-local market expert, people will never know it if they don’t click on your posts. That’s where hooks come in. Hooks are short phrases that entice someone to click on your post. Good hooks pique curiosity or answer a burning question that your ideal client has at a specific stage of their buying or selling journey.

Scroll-stopping hooks are crucial for building engagement on social media. Not just for getting more views and likes, but for people scanning your profile for the first time to see what you talk about to decide if they want to follow you. Well-crafted hooks will convince them to check out more of your posts and (hopefully) call you.

Here’s an excellent example of a scroll-stopping hook to get followers to read educational content. Who doesn’t want to learn mortgage secrets banks don’t want you to know?

PRO TIP:

If you want scroll-stopping hooks and educational content like this without the writer’s block, check out the marketing company who wrote it: Coffee & Contracts. They have hundreds of gorgeous done-for-you templates and scripts for Reels, Stories, carousel posts, and much more. All created by Realtors, for Realtors.

3. Focus on storytelling

A scroll-stopping hook might convince someone to click on your post, but a compelling story will keep them there. So if you want to actually generate leads from social media, focus on telling stories that resonate with local buyers and sellers.

Why do stories work so well for generating leads on social media? Studies show that people remember up to 22 times more information from a story than from facts alone. That means people who watch or read your stories will be far more likely to remember that you’re a hyper-local market expert, a hard worker, or that you offer concierge-level customer service.

Even better, since social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok rank content based on how long people watch or read, your content will be shown to more people.

Want to tell your story on Instagram but still camera shy? Don’t sweat it. Just post a carousel with a scroll-stopping hook and tell your story in the caption:

4. Embrace the cringe 

One of the most common excuses I hear from agents who haven’t started on social media is that they don’t want to embarrass themselves. They still think that every marketing piece they produce needs to be polished and professional. Guess what? In 2024, not only is this no longer true, but platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels actually reward agents who create informal content.

Agents with hundreds of thousands of followers like Glennda Baker literally just pick up their phones, hit record, and start talking. So get over your fear of being perfect and just start creating content that resonates with buyers and sellers in your farm area. Remember, people want to work with other people, not brands.

Will your first few videos make you want to die of embarrassment? Maybe, but the only way to get over it is to get started.

Here’s an example of an Instagram post that has a scroll-stopping hook and tells a compelling story while the agent is just sitting in her car talking into her phone:

5. Optimize your profile for conversions 

Pinning your best content along with an “about me” post to the top of your profile is one of the best ways to get potential leads to contact you. After all, 100% of the people who are thinking about hiring you will click on your profile first. An optimized profile page will make it easy for them to take the next step — even if that next step is just to follow you. 
Your profile bio should include your contact information including your phone number, email, the areas you serve, and ideally a “link in bio” tool like link.tree that connects them to your website, Zillow profile, or a new client intake form.

Of course, not everyone who clicks on your profile is going to reach out just because you have your contact information listed. To convince the tire kickers to pick up the phone or just give you a follow, pin a quick “about me” post or video, a testimonial, or other content that tells people who you are and what you can offer them to the top of your profile:

6. Create content every single day

Instead of sitting around waiting for inspiration to strike, commit to creating content for your social media accounts every day. As a Realtor, you have endless opportunities for content creation.

Touring a new listing? Take a quick sneak peek video. Having an open house? Go live on Facebook or show off your snack table or marketing materials. Just helped a client through a tricky closing? Shoot a quick video telling their story and how you saved the day.

If you’re on the fence about whether or not to create content, just ask yourself if it will help your followers know, like, or trust you more.

Here are a few examples of content ideas that help build your know, like, and trust factor:

Content that builds your know, like & trust factor

Know: About me posts and videos

Like: Day in the life videos, triumphs and setbacks, family, hobbies & personal life

Trust: Just listed and just sold, market updates, educational content

7. Create a content calendar

If you create content every day, you might be surprised at how quickly you build enough for a full week (or even a full month) of social media posts. The next step to building a bulletproof social media account is to create a content calendar to schedule your posts. 

Your goal here is to spread out your content that gets people to know, like, and trust you throughout the month. For example, you might want to schedule market updates on Mondays, educational videos on Thursdays, and open house promotions on Fridays. Once you have your content calendar created for the month, start loading up posts in a social media posting tool like Buffer.

Here’s an example of a content calendar from Coffee & Contracts:

Now that you know a bit more about how to approach social media, let’s take a look at some common mistakes agents make:

8. Hiding behind your brokerage 

If you’re a new agent, you might be tempted to shy away from the spotlight and lean on your brokerage’s reputation on social media. After all, people already know, like, and trust your brokerage right? 
There are two massive problems with this approach: First, no one cares that you work for Douglas Elliman, they care if you have the knowledge and expertise to get them what they want. Second, people like following other people on social media, not big brands. Ryan Serhant’s personal Instagram has almost 2 million followers. His SERHANT. brokerage account only has a little under 400,000.

9. Avoiding video

When it comes to marketing real estate (and agents) on social media, video is still king. Listing videos give buyers a much better idea of what a property is really like than even the best photos, and studies show that eye contact, even on video, helps build trust with consumers. What better way to give your potential clients a sneak peek of what it’s really like to work with you?

Video is not just about selling properties and building trust though. It can also help get your content in front of more people. Algorithms on social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook heavily favor video, and you won’t be able to post at all on TikTok and Youtube without it.

10. Not posting a variety of content

One of the most common mistakes I see agents and brokers make on social media is posting the same types of content over and over again. Sure, videos are a perfect way to get your followers to know, like, and trust you, but not all of your followers will want to watch them. Instead, focus on variety when you plan out your content calendar. You’ll increase your odds of reaching more followers and as an added bonus, you’ll make your profile more appealing.

11. Only using your headshot

The days of having one hyper-glossy headshot that you plaster literally everywhere are long gone. Don’t get me wrong, a good headshot is a crucial element of your personal brand. But does it truly reflect who you are as a person? Does it give potential leads a taste of what it might be like to spend two hours in your car with you next Sunday?

Instead, take the time to shoot a variety of lifestyle pictures to add a bit of your personal brand to your market updates, educational content, and other non-video content.

Now that you have a better idea of how to market your business on social media, here is a quick breakdown of the marketing opportunities and drawbacks for the five biggest platforms.

1. Facebook

If you want to get your marketing in front of a buyer or seller who is close to a transaction, Facebook is still the best place to do it. Period. An astonishing 70% of all adults in the United States use Facebook, and more than 54% of those users are over the age of 35. If that number doesn’t ring any bells, it should. It’s the median age for a typical first-time home buyer. Even better, unlike other social media platforms, more than 20% of Facebook’s users are over the age of 60 — the median age for home sellers in 2023.

Best marketing strategies for Facebook: 

• Promoting listings
• Engaging with your community
• Lead nurturing 
• Targeted advertising opportunities 

Best for targeting: Empty nesters, repeat buyers, home sellers, first-time buyers
Drawbacks: Popularity is waning compared to other platforms

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2. Instagram

Since Instagram’s users skew a bit younger than Facebook, you will be far less likely to market to homeowners over 60 on the platform. That said, the percentage of users in the 35-44 age range is nearly identical to that of Facebook, so it’s an ideal platform to reach first-time buyers and younger sellers.

Best marketing strategies for Instagram: 

• Educating buyers and sellers
• Promoting listings
• Building your personal brand
• Targeted advertising opportunities 

Best for targeting: First-time buyers, younger buyers & sellers
Drawbacks: Fewer likely sellers over 60 than on Facebook

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3. Linkedin

I ranked LinkedIn the third best tool for marketing your business for one simple reason. It’s the best place to find high-income professionals who are relocating to your farm area. Even better, since the vast majority of your competition will be focused on Facebook and Instagram, you might just be one of the only Realtos they’re talking to.

Best marketing strategies for LinkedIn: 

• Networking with relocation leads
• Lead nurturing 
• Market updates 
• Market predictions 
• Educating buyers and sellers

Best for targeting: Corporate relocation clients, business professionals
Drawbacks: Fewer users than other platforms, limited targeting options

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4. YouTube

While YouTube is more of a search engine than a social media platform, it’s still an excellent channel to reach first-time buyers. Why? YouTube uses a similar algorithm to Google which means it prioritizes local content. So if your lead is searching Google for the best neighborhoods in your farm area, your YouTube video covering that topic is not only more likely to show up in their search results, but it’s also likely to be promoted to that lead whenever they log in to YouTube.

Best marketing strategies for YouTube: 

• Hyper-local content 
• Neighborhood guides
• Restaurant reviews
• Educating first-time buyers
• Local market predictions 

Best for targeting: First-time buyers, relocation leads
Drawbacks: Much lower engagement than Facebook or Instagram

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5. TikTok

Unless you’ve been hiding out in a cave with JD Salinger, you’ve probably been curious about marketing your business on TikTok. While a handful of agents and brokers have been getting millions of views on the platform, connecting with leads who actually want to buy or sell a home can be challenging. There are two reasons why: First, because the average age on TikTok is much lower than Facebook or Instagram, and second, because the platform prioritizes entertainment so heavily.

That said, the percentage of TikTok users in the 35-45 age range is growing every day, so TikTok can be a smart marketing play for the long haul. Only 12% of Realtors currently use TikTok to market their business.

Best marketing strategies for TikTok: 

• Behind-the-scenes videos
• Humorous content 
• Skits and memes
• Educating first-time buyers
• Local market predictions 

Best for targeting: First-time buyers
Drawbacks: Difficult to turn views into leads

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6. X (Formerly Twitter)

While X has the right demographics to reach buyers and sellers, it’s the least useful tool to market your business. Local targeting is almost non-existent, and the vast majority of X users use the platform to find breaking news. Of course, there is one marketing task that X is perfect for — finding breaking real estate news and influencer trends to post on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram.

Best marketing strategies for X: 

• Curating content to post on other platforms 
• Networking with real estate influencers

Best for targeting: Real estate influencers
Drawbacks: Very limited targeting

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If you want to save time, money, and effort, marketing your brand on social media this year, these three tools are must-haves:

Capcut

Starting price: Free – $9.99 per month

If you’ve watched a viral video or meme on social media in the last few years, chances are it was edited with Capcut. Capcut offers many of the same tools professional video editors use in a lightweight, easy-to0use platform. Even better? You can use a basic version of Capcut for free.

Buffer

Starting price: Free – $6 per month for single users

Thankfully social media posting tools like Buffer have made manually posting your content a thing of the past. With Buffer you can load in a month’s worth of content and it will post it to your account for you — automatically. It even includes an AI assistant and landing page builder. All for free.

Coffee & Contracts

Starting price: $54 per month

Founded in 2018 by Realtor Haley Ingram, Coffee & Contracts takes the guesswork out of promoting your personal brand on social media. Focusing primarily on Instagram, Coffee & Contracts has almost everything you need to plan, create, and post a full year of social media content from day one. They’re making real estate social media a prettier place to scroll, and for that we’re grateful.

Contrary to what many so-called experts claim, social media is still the best place to market your business. Unlike traditional marketing strategies, it gives you the perfect opportunity to get potential buyers and sellers to know, like, and trust them over the long haul.

If you focus on building your personal brand, making meaningful connections with your audience, and use the right tools, it can help you generate leads and build a business that lasts for decades.

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