Guest Author
When it comes to real estate marketing, any competitive advantage can help, especially in such a vibrant market that is continuously delivering new property listings and offers to homebuyers.
Your social media accounts can make or break future real estate deals, as it’s one of the first things a client researches before deciding to do business with you.
However, it can be quite difficult to learn how to manage your social media presence when time is such a limited resource. The key is to focus on the platforms with the most impact on your niche. And in the case of real estate, Instagram holds a great amount of influence due to its visual nature.
To make your job a little easier, we prepared a guide on how to maximize your Instagram account for real estate agents. Let’s get started!
Short Summary
- Instagram is an effective real estate marketing tool due to its visual focus, audience-targeting features, and various content-sharing options that enhance engagement and brand recognition.
- Plan and schedule your posts in advance to save time and ensure consistency.
- Use various content formats like Stories, Reels, and live videos to showcase your properties and engage followers.
- Actively engage with your and your competitors’ followers through questions, comments and DMs to increase your follower count and build connections.
- Share reliable information and behind-the-scenes content to build credibility and trust.
- Use relevant and geographical hashtags to increase post visibility and engagement.
- Connect with other professionals and local businesses to create new opportunities and collaborations.
- Social media management tools like SocialBee can help you create, schedule and post Instagram content, stay on top of interactions and analyze content performance all in one place.
- Post informational listings to keep followers updated on market offerings.
- Share market stats and trends and client testimonials to position yourself as an expert and build trust.
- Create inspirational posts to generate engagement and customer loyalty.
- Engage your audience with “This or That” posts to learn their preferences and increase interactions and share real estate memes to add humor and relatability.
- Share posts about you and your team, as well as community events and holidays, to humanize your business and connect with followers.
- Provide educational posts based on personal experience and tips for navigating the market to add value and build credibility.
Does Instagram Work for Real Estate?
Instagram is a fantastic tool for real estate marketing because it focuses on visuals and has features that help you reach the right audience. You can post high-quality real estate Instagram posts to attract potential buyers.
Using Stories, Reels, and live videos, you can give dynamic tours and engage with followers in real time. The platform also has advertising options that let you target specific groups of people based on their interests and location, helping you find serious buyers more easily.
By posting regularly and keeping a consistent aesthetic, you can build a recognizable real estate brand. Sharing a mix of content, like property listings, market updates, and home improvement tips, keeps your audience interested.
There are several ways in which a real estate agent or company can maximize their Instagram presence. For example, encouraging clients to share their experiences and tag your account can increase your credibility and reach. Collaborating with local influencers can also help you tap into their follower base.
5 Real Estate Instagram Accounts That Are Getting It Right
Oftentimes the best way to understand what works in your specific industry is to see what competitors are doing. Looking at the best real estate Instagram accounts from your local market can shed light on what works and what doesn’t in this particular niche.
Here are 5 real estate Instagram accounts to check out for inspiration:
- Chad Carroll
- Ginger Martin Luxury Real Estate
- Barry Cohen Homes
- Madison Malibu
- Ryan Serhant
1. Chad Carroll
Chad Carroll is a Florida real estate broker who has managed to amass an impressive half a million followers on his Instagram profile.
It’s clear at first glance that Chad posts high-quality, impressive shots of his listings to attract attention from potential buyers. He uses a mix of images, carousels and videos, all in a high-luxury aesthetic, and gives clear information on each listing (including whether it’s been sold) in his captions.
Though his posts are mainly of real estate properties, he does feature the occasional family picture to build better trust with his audience. Moreover, his highlights also showcase a more personal view of his life, such as pictures from a boat trip or of his dog Max. This ensures he remains relatable, despite his professional account.
His posting schedule is consistent, the dates on his posts indicating he shares content at least once every few days, and occasionally even daily. His captions are long and detailed but structured in a way that allows you to get to the most important information quickly, and he does not add hashtags to his posts.
2. Nob Hill Compass
This real estate Instagram account stands out through its compelling branding. Their trademark red brand color is instantly recognizable in any of their posts, be it a banana bread recipe or a report on house trends.
Nob Hill Compass also has a wide variety of posts on its account. Real estate listings, moving advice, team introductions, holiday celebrations, and food and décor trends are just a few topics covered.
Their social media marketing ensures that their audience will know from the start when a post on their timeline is from them while switching between content categories to keep users on their toes. They share new content once every 2-3 days on average, keeping their posting schedule consistent.
Aside from their unique color palette and design, they also put a lot of thought into their copy. Their captions are well structured in paragraphs for easier reading, and feature relevant emojis and a mix of popular and branded hashtags.
3. Barry Cohen Homes
Barry Cohen Homes keeps its branding consistent throughout its account by using a signature font and introducing its logo within its visuals. Everything from the color schemes to the typeface and minimal but informative captions gives the impression of luxury and professionalism.
At the top of the account, within the pinned posts, there are images of the team. This gives future clients an idea of who they will be working with, building trust in the business. They uniquely created this post by building the image on their feed from multiple posts of individual parts of the complete photo. This can be a great idea for creating an aesthetically pleasing feed.
Barry Cohen Homes shares posts once or twice a day. They accompany images of new listings with the price, a list of said listing’s features, a clear call to action and a set of relevant and branded hashtags.
4. Madison Malibu
Madison Hildebrand’s Instagram account features his personality heavily.
This Realtor doesn’t shy away from mixing his real estate posts with selfies, pictures of his animals, and sneak peeks of his vacations. And, from his over 100k following count, it’s clear that this works wonders for his social media presence.
While it can be tempting to keep things strictly professional in a field such as real estate, this account is proof that letting loose and interacting with your audience in a more personal way can be a major bonus.
Madison has only recently started posting somewhat consistently, about once a week. His previous posts appear to be sporadic, sometimes with months between them. While his listing posts have complex and informative captions, he keeps descriptions for his personal posts short and infused with optimism.
5. Ryan Serhant
Ryan Serhant is a well-known personality thanks not only to his prospering real estate career but also his successful Netflix show “Owning Manhattan”. It’s only natural, therefore, that his account features many aspects of his personal life.
Unlike the previously mentioned accounts, this one features no real estate listings. This is a better example of how to become an influencer in the industry and build a strong personal brand image.
Ryan’s Instagram features a mix of recent trends, promotional posts of his latest endeavours, and samples of his real estate journey and unique personality which he shares once or twice a day. His captions rarely exceed one sentence, and their aim is usually to motivate and inspire. Hashtags are also a rare occurrence in his captions.
He remains relatable and connected to his audience while being a powerhouse of the industry.
10 Instagram Post Ideas to Elevate Your Account
Now that we’ve taken a look at a few of the most prominent real estate accounts, it’s time to understand how to build something similar.
Here are 10 post ideas to stand out on your followers’ Instagram feeds:
- Informational listing posts.
- Market stats and trends.
- Client testimonials.
- Inspirational posts.
- “This or That” posts.
- Real estate memes.
- Posts about you/your team.
- Educational posts based on personal experience.
- Tips for navigating the market.
- Community events and holidays.
1. Informational Listing Posts
The primary reason why people follow real estate Instagram accounts is to stay up to date with what’s on the market.
Post listings by sharing professional photos that uniquely showcase the properties, complete with captions that give potential buyers all the necessary information. Some agents choose to keep their captions short and to the point, while others take a more creative road in descriptions.
Either way, the best real estate accounts know how to intrigue people into wanting to buy or rent through their services, and an informational listing post is the best way to do that.
2. Market Stats and Trends
By posting valuable information about the market, you position yourself as an expert in real estate. This builds trust with your audience and shows them you are someone they would like to work with in the future.
These posts not only help you connect with clients, but other real estate professionals such as mortgage brokers, appraisers, and other agents. These connections can lead to referrals and collaborations further down the line.
3. Client Testimonials
The best way to show that your services are worthwhile is to bring forth reviews from clients who were satisfied with your work.
Show your followers you value their opinions and satisfaction, and give them a sneak peek into what working with you will be like. This not only builds trust but also generates engagement on your profile.
4. Inspirational Posts
Sometimes, what your audience needs to see on their feed is a post that will give them inspiration or motivation. These posts often provide a nice break from the usual promotional posts that fill social media platforms.
Holidays are a great example of an opportunity to post quotes and success stories without coming off as cheesy or disingenuous. These posts are great for generating engagement and customer loyalty.
5. “This or That” Posts
One sure way to grow any social media account is to find ways to get users to actively engage with your posts. Games, quizzes, and polls, are all specifically designed with this purpose in mind.
One such game that works great on real estate Instagram accounts is “this or that”. Have your audience choose between architectural styles, home decor, wall colors, and other fun home-related things. They will be entertained, and you will gain interactions as well as learn more about their preferences.
6. Real Estate Memes
As the 5 real estate Instagram accounts that we listed earlier in this article proved, leaning into a more laid-back, humorous tone of voice in your posts can bring great benefits to your online image.
Funny posts and memes will appeal to both potential buyers, who will learn things about your profession through a humorous lens, and other people from the industry, who will find your content relatable. The result? More shares and interactions.
7. Posts About You/Your Team
Encourage followers to learn more about who is behind the real estate business you are promoting on Instagram. Share images, personal stories, and other posts that offer a glimpse into who clients can look forward to working with.
These posts are also telling of your values as a business. It shows that the members of the team are appreciated and celebrated, and thus your audience can expect that they will be treated with the same respect if they choose to work with you.
8. Educational Posts Based on Personal Experience
Everyone can follow industry news online. While it’s a good strategy to post more general stats and market trends to educate your following, don’t forget to also share tips that are based on your experience in the field.
Remind potential clients that you have hands-on experience with real estate and that you know what you are doing. People will be more inclined to follow your page if they feel it adds true value to their feed.
9. Tips for Navigating the Market
The real estate market is daunting, especially for those who don’t fully know it. Things like property taxes and mortgages are a lot scarier when they seem obscure and difficult to fully understand.
Post industry tips and tricks that simplify the housing market for potential clients, helping them find the confidence to take the leap and consider buying or renting. This way you will become a trusted voice for your local community, building both your Instagram page and your clientele.
What is an investment property? What are the taxes like in certain areas? What should one look for when buying a house for their family? Answer as many burning questions as you can for your audience.
10. Community Events and Holidays
When you decide to live in a particular area, you inevitably become part of its community. This can be a major selling point for some. Show the upsides of the areas you are promoting listings in by highlighting the major festivals and events that take place there.
Bonus points if you are participating in some of these holidays and events, as it allows your online following to see you in a more personal light.
Tips to Maximize Your Instagram Strategy
Now that you know why Instagram is so important for your real estate business, it’s time to find out the most valuable tips that will help you maximize your Instagram marketing strategy.
Here are the 10 tips for maximizing Instagram for the real estate industry:
- Make an Instagram Business account.
- Create a content calendar.
- Post consistently.
- Diversify your content format.
- Grow your Instagram following.
- Interact with your audience.
- Build trust.
- Use relevant hashtags.
- Start networking.
- Use Onlyl.ink to boost your Instagram marketing.
1. Make an Instagram Business Account
Instagram business accounts are free, and they allow you to measure the success of your content strategy.
With an Instagram business account, you can get insights about your audience, post engagement and reach levels, and information about your best-performing posts. This allows you to tailor your posts to your audience and bring in more like-minded followers.
Moreover, an Instagram business account unlocks additional features that can further boost your brand’s online presence and interaction with your audience. For instance, the ability to create and run targeted ads directly on the platform allows you to reach a broader audience beyond your current followers, driving more traffic to your profile or website.
You can also make use of Instagram Shopping, which transforms your feed into a storefront, enabling users to browse and purchase products directly through the app.
2. Create a Content Calendar
As a real estate professional, your schedule is always full. But the good news is that you can create a content calendar and plan your posts to maximize your social media results with a minimal amount of time.
Pick a time that you can devote to lining up your social media posts for the week (or even month if you can plan your content that far in advance) and queue everything up.
It decreases the pressure that comes with constantly thinking about new content ideas, and it gives you time for other work-related tasks and your personal life.
3. Post Consistently
In addition to creating a content calendar, consistency is the key. A constant posting schedule informs your followers about when they can expect to see new content from you.
You can also create weekly content series that your audience can look forward to, like a New Listing Monday post or a Friday Real Estate Tip. The key here is to create a pattern so that your audience will look forward to hearing from you.
Apart from posting consistently, also pay attention to posting the right amount of posts and at the right times to ensure better engagement. Each platform has its own rules about this; for Instagram, it’s recommended to post at least 3 times a week. Ideally, you should share 1-2 posts daily, but make sure not to exceed a limit of 3 posts a day.
As for optimal posting times, here is what multiple expert sources recommend:
| Source | Best Days to Post on Instagram | Best Times to Post on Instagram | Worst Days to Post on Instagram | Worst Times to Post on Instagram |
| Buffer | Fridays and Mondays | 7 AM – 8 AM | Saturdays and Sundays | – |
| Sprout Social | Tuesdays and Wednesdays | 9 AM – 1 PM | Sundays | 12 AM – 4 AM |
| CoSchedule | Wednesdays, Tuesdays, and Fridays | 9 AM, 7 PM, and 12 PM | Mondays, Saturdays, and Sundays | 1 AM, 2 AM, and 4 AM |
| SocialPilot | Every day | 6 AM – 9 AM; 12 PM – 2 PM; 5 PM – 6 PM (for weekdays); 9 AM – 2 PM (for weekends) | Saturdays and Sundays | 3 PM – 4 PM |
| HubSpot | Saturdays | 6 PM – 9 PM; 12 PM – 3 PM; 3 PM – 6 PM | Mondays | 6 – 9 AM; 9 – 12 AM |
4. Diversify Your Content Format
The best thing about Instagram is that it allows you to experiment with different post formats, from regular visual content to Instagram Stories, Instagram Reels, carousel posts, and Instagram Live.
This variety of formats allows you to showcase your offers, engage with your followers, and show them all the best aspects of your property. It’s important to remember when switching between post types that Instagram has specific image and video size guidelines you must follow to make sure your posts look flawless.
PRO TIP
With SocialBee, you can effortlessly create a content calendar that saves you time and keeps your social media strategy on track. By scheduling posts in advance, you’ll maintain consistency, ensuring your audience knows when to expect new content.
Plus, SocialBee’s Content Categories make it easy to mix up post types and formats, keeping your feed fresh and engaging. This way, you can focus on what matters most: growing your real estate business.
Categorize and schedule your posts to ensure a consistent social media presence.
5. Grow Your Instagram Following
Do you want to increase your follower count, but things are moving very slowly?
Well, you don’t have to wait for people to start following your account. You can take control of your Instagram popularity and give them a reason to follow you.
Start by going through the list of users that follow your competitors and start interacting with them by:
- Following their account
- Liking their photos
- Commenting on their posts
As a result, you will create a community around your brand faster than just waiting for your audience to find you. You can also follow the following tips to grow your audience even more:
- Go through relevant real estate hashtags, find accounts and people interested in your industry and start engaging with them.
- Include keywords related to real estate, your specialty, and your location in your bio. Instagram’s search works like a mini search engine, so this can help you appear in relevant search results.
- Launch a giveaway and offer a free consultation or a gift card to a random winner who follows your account and tags a friend in the comments. This can boost your engagement and attract new followers.
- Tag specific locations in your posts to make your content discoverable in local searches. This is especially helpful for real estate agents targeting potential clients in areas where you have listings.
- Research and use popular hashtags within the real estate community and your local area. This increases the visibility of your posts to potential followers interested in real estate or specific locations.
- Share your Instagram account on other social media platforms, your website, email newsletters, and even physical marketing materials like business cards and flyers.
- Reels are short, engaging videos that Instagram promotes to users who don’t follow you yet. Use Reels to showcase property tours, real estate tips, market updates, or neighborhood highlights. Make sure to capture viewers’ attention in the first few seconds.
- Partner with other real estate professionals, local businesses, interior designers, or influencers to create Instagram Collab Posts. These posts appear on both profiles, sharing engagement metrics like likes and comments, which can introduce your account to a wider audience.
- If you want to expand your reach quickly, use Instagram’s advertising options to promote your posts to a targeted audience based on location, interests, and more.
6. Interact with Your Audience
Having an Instagram real estate business account can be fun.
It doesn’t have to be a channel for one-sided communication. You can use your platform to ask your audience questions, get to know them better, and create a valuable connection with them.
You can ask questions like:
- What does your dream home look like?
- What attracts you the most to a property?
- How much are you willing to spend on a new house?
Pair your interactive copy with attractive images from your listings, and you will get people interested in what you have to offer.
Moreover, you can interact with your followers by responding to their comments and DMs. It’s a great way to show that you are willing to help them and support them throughout the home buying process.
PRO TIP
Managing comments, DMs, and mentions is much easier when you can see them all in one place. SocialBee’s Engage Module helps you answer questions and keep customers happy, while also cutting down on time and stress.
Reply quickly to all your Instagram comments, mentions and DMs in one place.
7. Build Trust
You’ll build credibility when you post consistent and reliable information your audience can use.
However, also providing a more behind-the-scenes look into your business can help your audience get to know you better. For example, you can create a weekly series about your team members, inform followers about the process of finding and listing a new property, and share with them work anniversaries and company accomplishments.
Another way to build trust is by asking your clients to post testimonials about the service you provide. The posts will become part of your content, and potential clients will be able to see the quality of your real estate work from more credible sources.
8. Use Relevant Hashtags
By using Instagram hashtags, you can increase the visibility of your account and boost the reach and engagement of your posts.
Hashtags are keywords that your audience uses to find content that they are interested in. By including those keywords in your content, you increase the chances of them finding and interacting with your posts.
Additionally, hashtags also provide your potential customers with relevant location information. So remember to use geographical tags to let your audience know about the location of your available home offers.
PRO TIP
Unsure what hashtags to use? Upload your image and caption into SocialBee and let the hashtag generator suggest the best ones for your content.
Get trending and relevant hashtag suggestions specifically matched to your content.
9. Start Networking
Instagram can also be a great way to connect with other professionals such as mortgage companies, accountants, attorneys, and local businesses. Engage with them and use this social media to network online and find new business opportunities.
Just like with normal clients, you’ll need to provide items of value in your posts to keep them interested. In this case, you might post business insights or offer to collaborate with companies in your community.
10. Use Onlyl.ink to Boost Your Instagram Marketing
Instagram doesn’t allow links in posts and limits you to a single link in your bio. That can be frustrating when you’ve got lots of content to share.
That’s where Onlyl.ink comes in. Designed specifically for real estate agents using Instagram, this powerful app lets you create unique microsites for listings, lead generation materials, and more. It allows you to send your audience to the content you choose.
Onlyl.ink contact forms are compatible with Instagram’s autofill feature. As a result, potential clients can enter their contact details with a single click to get more information, allowing you to capture leads and convert followers into legitimate prospects.
Get started creating your Onlyl.ink today, it’s 100% free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Improve Your Real Estate Instagram Marketing
Instagram is a great platform for real estate marketing. Due to its visual nature, it allows agents to fully showcase their listings.
Use today’s tips to optimize your real estate Instagram marketing strategy, connect with your existing audience, and find new valuable leads. Our proposed post ideas can be a starting point for your new and improved Instagram marketing strategy.
Let homebuyers near you know about your business and convince them to invest in your services. The easiest way to do so is by using a tool like SocialBee to plan, schedule, and monitor your content. Start your 14-day free trial and discover how much time you can save while increasing results!
SocialBee: Your AI-powered Instagram management tool
About the author: Ajay is a technology leader who’s currently CEO/Co-founder at Block Party which is a top rated mobile application for real estate professionals and is used by over 10k agents.
He’s also a partner and co-owner of Aragon Lending, which is one of the top 100 ranked US mortgage brokers nationwide based on transaction volume.
