1. Showcase Your Market Expertise

When looking at how to grow your real estate business, people need to know they can trust your expertise. Consider creating a detailed neighborhood guide with information like local amenities, schools in the area, walk score, and local history. Focus on your neighborhood or another that you know exceptionally well. You could even preview some vacant listings to have a solid feel of the homes in that area.

I spoke with one agent who remarked that she had met another mother at a PTA meeting who mentioned selling her home. The agent said she offered to discuss the opportunity but has not heard back. The house was listed a month later, and the agent was hurt. I asked what she offered to her potential client after that initial discussion—her face fell when she noted that she hadn’t followed up.

It’s your job as an agent to elevate those conversations—they don’t come up often. When a hot lead falls in your lap, it’s your cue to demonstrate your understanding of the market and the area. You can back up your expertise by regularly publishing a newsletter or email to a local neighborhood. Remember: Keep it local and targeted. Need more help on how to showcase your expertise in an area? Check out our guide on Real Estate Farming: How to Become the Go-to Agent in Your Neighborhood in 2024.

Want more designs to educate your clients and showcase your market knowledge? Check out Coffee & Contracts.

2. Focus Your Lead Generation Efforts

The answer is leads if you’re looking for how to grow a real estate business fast. However, if there’s one thing I’ve seen as a coach, agents are especially prone to “shiny penny syndrome.” Every month, this agent tries a new lead generation strategy, jumping from one tool to the next without seeing the process bloom into a sale. Without being committed to a plan, you might actually harm your ability to see long-term progress. 

The funny thing is, this is a double-edged sword. Agents should be able to pivot and adapt their strategies, but be careful. After all, a new tool can be a boon for your business, but it’s also very easy to get distracted by new software or ideas. Agents try something new, succumb to “shiny penny syndrome” for a few months, and then they’re out thousands of dollars and weeks (or months) down the drain. 

If you consistently focus on just a couple of real estate lead generation strategies, you will see a sale after six months. I suggest focusing on two to three, like these:

• Prospecting your sphere once a week
• Hosting three open houses per month
• Farm a neighborhood every month

If you want to go the digital route, trying out a paid lead generation strategy (don’t forget consistent follow-up), and working your niche could also pay off. What I’m saying is that there is no one-size-fits-all formula. Only you know yourself and your business. However, trying out a new lead generation strategy every other month is like throwing spaghetti at a wall. You won’t get any closer to making a meal and will be left with a mess.

3. Get Involved With a Support Network 

It helps to meet with other entrepreneurs. Getting stuck in a rut can be easy as a real estate agent. You’ll need to make an effort to be involved with others—and not just other agents from your brokerage. Look into mastermind groups in your area. Perhaps join a Chamber of Commerce or local Rotary Club to meet like-minded people.

Your aim here is to learn from other entrepreneur’s experiences while socializing. You can also find professional referrals here: If you need an accountant, business planner, or insurance broker, it’s a good bet that you can find a highly recommended person. Plus, you may even garner a client. At the very least, joining a virtual group will help you find that camaraderie in the industry. If you’re struggling to find a good group, we’ve already picked out 9 Real Estate Mastermind Groups Every Agent Should Join Today. 

4. Prioritize Your Client Experience 

What is special about working with you? What do you provide that other agents don’t? Offering your clients “white glove” service will help you build those lasting relationships—and it’s the key to boosting real estate sales through referrals. Ask yourself: How is my service top-notch? What can I offer that other agents don’t? 

Take time to reach out to your clients. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 73% of sellers noted they would use their agent again. One of the easiest ways to keep your sellers satisfied is communication. Have a scheduled weekly call where you let them know how many showings were completed and if you received feedback from other agents. 

Remember that referrals and repeat clients are the number one way to generate business after a few years. From that same study, 36% of clients said they found their agent via referral, and 27% had worked with their agent previously. 

Need help building up your referrals? Birdeye can help you build a campaign to make responding to your review requests as easy as possible for your clients.

5. Organic Growth & Building a Team

You don’t need to start with a team regarding how to grow a real estate business. In fact, it’s recommended that you don’t bring on team members until absolutely necessary. In speaking with Eric Pearson from Pearson Smith Realty, he grew from 15 to 700 agents by focusing on one thing: lead generation. In Eric’s first year, he did about 10 transactions. Once he invested in his lead generation, he reached 72 transactions the next year. Once the business grew to the point that Eric was overwhelmed, he reached out to another agent in the office and asked if they would be willing to help.

 In other words, organic growth will get you where you want to go. But you need to define where you want to go. Eric Pearson knew he wanted to be a managing broker and had his sights set on that goal. Pearson Smith Realty grew from 15 to 700 agents, but with organic growth first. Sometimes, a brokerage will push you to start a team before you’re ready.

However, you need to know yourself first. If you’re looking for a tool to get started on building a real estate team, I’d recommend using a solution that sets up your agents for success by bringing in leads for them and starting with an inside sales agent (ISA) format. You could look into a comprehensive solution like CINC, which has a top-rated team that puts together ads and runs them for you while you bring in leads and distribute them to your team.

6. Create a Supportive Culture

A supportive culture is a pillar of how to grow your real estate business. When you look into brokerages, the culture should be one of your biggest considerations. Especially in an age of virtual real estate brokerages, there’s a feeling of isolation. A supportive community of like-minded real estate agents can help you brainstorm ideas and solutions for problems you might face. Here are some suggestions on where to find a group:

• Private Facebook mastermind groups
• Meetup.com  
• Founders Club
• Your local Realtor association
• Chamber of Commerce

When I joined a small virtual brokerage, I struggled to find a sense of community and ended up at my local real estate board’s weekly “New Listings” meeting. It was great to see the same agents, and they would ask how my deals were going. It’s nice to talk shop with other agents. After all, you can only tell your friends and family you’re a real estate agent so many times! 

7. Building Strategic Partnerships 

Referrals don’t just come from clients—they often come from your relationships in the real estate industry. Get to know your preferred lenders, title reps, inspectors, and insurance brokers. These partnerships can help extend your opportunity and your reach. Plus, working with your partners on co-branded client appreciation events can create opportunities for both of you. You can share the cost (plus the leads!). 

Plus, a great thing about having a network is being able to lean on those relationships for your clients. If you don’t have a good electrician in your network, chances are there’s someone you know who can refer a contractor they know, like, and trust. This network will grow over time. If you work with an amazing title rep, note that in your customer relationship manager (CRM), connect with them on social media and find ways to recognize them for a job well done. This also ties into prioritizing your client experience. 

8. Effective Time Management 

Working for yourself is a great boon for many agents—it’s why many of us went into the field. The flexibility and control over your work hours and productivity is freeing, but can also be an anchor. It requires hustle, grit, and determination to keep going in the real estate industry. And even then, you can often lose your motivation as a realtor. Yes, you work for yourself, but that doesn’t mean you only work when you have a client! Ask yourself, what does a sketched-out schedule look like? 

I have a client who blocks out her entire day on Monday to follow up with feedback from showings on the weekend, negotiate deals, and send out her weekly emails for prospecting. She also blocks out half an hour every morning to check email and an hour for lunch each day. You can also see four hours blocked out, two each on Wednesday and Friday that she uses to prospect, and time on Thursday afternoon to prepare for her open house on Saturday. 

While this is just one instance of planning your week, I highly recommend it. You will be able to hold yourself accountable and also see where you can fill in the gaps. We’ve all frittered away an afternoon on social media, tweaking and scheduling graphics to make things perfect. Now, you’ve promised yourself which tasks to work on, and you can hold yourself to that promise.

9. Financial Planning: Focus on How to Grow Your Real Estate Business

Financial planning is much more important for agents than a regular salaried employee. Remember, you’re running your own business. You’ll need to ensure you’re setting aside money for taxes and money to reinvest into your business. Ask yourself: What’s my goal for this year? Once you have your goal, you can work backward to determine how many homes you need to sell to reach that annual gross commission income (AGCI).

If your goal is to reach $100,000 in AGCI, let’s break that down. Let’s assume the average price point of your home sales is $500,000. When making calculations, you can assume an average of 3% commission. If you have a standard big box brokerage 70/30 split, you’re looking at $12,000. You’d need to sell roughly nine homes to get to your goal (and that’s before taxes).

You’ll also need to balance your financial growth with why you entered real estate. Every agent is different. What is your goal? More GCI? Starting a team? Setting aside time with your family? As a resource, we’ve created the image above as an easy and free download based on the “Wheel of Life.” This resource is an excellent way to holistically evaluate your current situation to see where you can focus your energy. Download the image above and fill in each segment with a number (one through nine) to know where you’re putting your energy and where you can refocus your energy in different areas of your life. 

And, of course, if you’re looking to supercharge your leads to grow your business, you could check out zBuyer for on-demand leads generated from a cash offer advertisement.

10. Lean Into Coaching

If you’ve hit a wall, brainstorming with someone who knows the industry can help you identify what to work on and why. Coaching can unlock your potential to maximize your growth. And when you find the right coach, the return on investment is almost always worth it. It’s a mentor to help guide you through what you don’t see that could be the missing element of your business. 

We’ve done a breakdown of pricing and offerings of popular real estate coaches for you already. Think about it: all of the best real estate agents have coaches. A great coach’s objective feedback, accountability, and expertise are priceless. Plus, many coaches have a 90-day program to get you producing. If you’re looking to supercharge, a coach can very well be exactly how to grow a real estate business fast. 

If you’re looking for a tech-forward solution, try out Summit AI. It was recommended to me by one of our readers, and I’ve been using it for about a month to track my goals for 2024. It works remarkably well, and it’s free. You can download the app for iOS here. 

11. Diversify Your Offerings

In lean times, agents must be able to pivot and adapt their business. I’ve turned rentals in lean months, and I’ve seen agents pivot to becoming mortgage brokers as well. In fact, we’ve done an entire article on real estate side hustles. There are innovative ways to uncover paths and opportunities you may not have considered. Try drilling down into a profitable niche in real estate, like vacation rentals or probate sales. 

Another creative solution I’ve seen agents try is to offer your potential clients a “menu of services.” For example, for a 5.5% listing fee, they will offer standard services, like professional photography, listing the home on the MLS, and sending out mailers to the neighborhood. For 6%, they’ll help you purchase moving boxes and arrange and pay for your moving services. For 6.5%, they’ll pay for staging the property and provide a drone video. This strategy allows potential sellers to feel in control while offering the white-glove, 5-star service we mentioned above. 

One to Avoid: Inaction

One thing to caution our readers on—while reading and educating yourself on the “how” is fantastic, nothing can take the place of actually acting on your intentions. After all, an object in motion stays in motion. Start with time-blocking a few activities—once you have that sense of accomplishment, let it drive you forward. 

Agents are also victims of having blinders on when serving a current client. Your clients should always come first but don’t neglect your business just because you have a buyer. Be able to adapt your schedule, continue to prospect for leads, and don’t forget to nurture your relationships. 

Bringing It All Together

In this market, showcasing your expertise is the foundation. However, that’s not where the journey ends. It’s that dance between lead generation, the power of your support network, and the actions you take that propel you forward. I’ll leave you with this quote from Dale Carnegie, author and public speaker: “Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

Is there a tip we may have missed or a secret you’re willing to share? Let us know in the comment section!

The post How to Grow Your Real Estate Business: 11 Tips + 1 to Avoid appeared first on The Close.

We scoured the internet to snag some of the best real estate testimonial examples out there. We put them all together in one place and added some tips to help you up your real estate testimonial game.

So what makes a good real estate testimonial? Keep TABS on your testimonials by asking your past clients to be thorough, authentic, and specific. For more details on how to do this, skip down to our best practices for YouTube, short-form video, and written testimonials.

Let’s dive into our list of the best examples of video real estate testimonials on the internet, plus some tips to fire up your video marketing.

Video Real Estate Testimonials

The eyeballs are all watching videos, and you need to be where those eyeballs are. Most of us consume videos every day on different platforms covering different topics. So your marketing efforts will go much further with video. For example, TikTok users are on the app for an average of 1.5 hours every single day. 

That’s great news for you because creating videos can be even easier than getting someone to write out a review on Google. Videos are the most effortless way to generate real estate testimonial examples that make you look like a rock star. 

Coffee & Contracts offers a vast library of social media templates, including video, that you can use in posting your testimonials through social media.

YouTube Real Estate Testimonial Examples

YouTube is the OG of video marketing. And you can still drive business with your real estate testimonials there. Many of the real estate testimonial examples on YouTube are polished, long-form, story-style videos that really take the extra time to flesh out the unique selling proposition of the agent. Done well, these videos will attract your ideal clients to you in droves.

1. April Dean

I love the way April Dean, with BHGRE Haven Properties, put together a montage of several happy clients in one promo video. She explains how she likes to work with her clients, what she offers, and the why behind what she does. 

Then she lets her clients share their experiences on video, explaining how April helped them find what they were looking for, marketed their home well, and guided them through the process—as well as what a lovely person she is to work with. This video is a great real estate testimonial example that’s perfectly crafted for a website.

2. Mandy Saldana

Mandy Saldana of LEAGUE Real Estate took a much different approach in her testimonial video. She focused her less-than-90-second video on one couple she worked with. It’s a sweet video of two newlyweds explaining how Mandy “really took the time to understand what we were looking for in a home.”

3. Zach McDonald

Zach McDonald, of the McDonald Real Estate Group, took a similar approach in this real estate testimonial example with his clients. The video is just under three minutes long, and his clients explain the way Zach helped them find their dream home during a tough market. The video has more than 5,300 views, so you know it’s made a difference in Zach’s business.

4. Monica Perez

The thing I love about this testimonial for Monica Perez of The Monica Perez Team is it tells the whole story of Em and Charlie with quick video snapshots of them looking through homes to find just the right one. It’s a video diary of their home search. And it all fits neatly within a minute-and-a-half. Em and Charlie do a fantastic job of selling Monica’s services for her.

Best Practices for YouTube Testimonial Videos

Using YouTube videos for your real estate testimonials is a great way to get in front of your potential future clients. After all, YouTube is the world’s largest search engine after Google. But in order to get the most out of your efforts, you need to adhere to a few best practices.

• Make sure your potential clients can find you. Include your location in your title (or at least the description) and tag your location in your video. People tend to type “real estate agent in {city name}” when they search.
• Keep it short. Today, shorter videos get more views and are more likely to be watched to the end if they’re under three minutes.
• Get your clients’ honest responses. Let your clients know ahead of time that you’ll be doing a video and you would like their review of your services. Give them a couple of questions to think about leading up to the day you plan to shoot the video.
• Edit your video to keep the timing and visual interest high. Cut out any downtime or pauses. Keep the story moving. Multiple cuts will add dynamism to your video. Use background music to set the tone.
• Always include a call to action in the description. Include your contact information, your location, hashtags, and a direct phone number viewers can use to reach out to you for their real estate needs. Make sure they have a way to contact you!
• If you really want to up your game, give your future clients a downloadable lead magnet that will help you capture their contact information. Create your download in Canva and post the link in the video description for potential clients to use. You can use a tool like Linktree to host the link to your lead magnet.
• Remember that done is better than perfect. When all else fails, just grab your phone and get a candid response from your clients on closing day and post it on social. You can always add key elements like location and a call to action later when you get it up on YouTube.

Short-form Vertical Video Testimonial Examples

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve probably noticed the rise of vertical videos, aka “short-form videos.” TikTok has 150 million monthly active users in the U.S. and it’s growing in popularity as an online search engine. Ignoring the app and writing it off as a Gen Z pastime is detrimental to your business. 

The great thing about vertical video is it’s practically effortless to do. It’s easy to create a super-short video and post it in the app, which undoubtedly contributes to its skyrocketing popularity. Admittedly, I love to scroll through TikTok videos and can easily lose an hour watching them. 

Close behind TikTok are Instagram Reels, which are similar enough that you can repurpose videos across both platforms. There are a ton of real estate agents using these vertical video platforms to boost their business. And some are nailing the vertical video testimonials—let’s check out some examples.

5. Zeb Freeman

This is one of the sweetest buyer stories ever. When you see the pure joy on this beautiful client’s face as she’s holding up the key to her new home, you just can’t help but feel that joy with her. Zeb Freeman of PalmerHouse tells the story with short video shots of his client touring the “40 to 50 homes” it took before she found the right one. It’s a joyful story of accomplishment shot in only two minutes.

6. Rose Gachette

Going back to “done is better than perfect,” this video is a great example of the idea that you don’t have to have a highly polished, edited video to get your testimonial out there and let it start working for you. Rose Gachette of La Rosa Realty had her buyer do a quick video at the closing table, which is the easiest way to get your testimonials. 

She starts the video by explaining who she is and introduces her buyer. Her client then talks about what it was like working with Rose. And, of course, it’s awesome. Raw, unscripted reviews of your service come across as genuine and unsolicited, making it that much more trustworthy in the eyes of your future clients

7. Everette Forrest

I love how this couple talked about how their agent became like a friend. “You really can’t compare him to anybody else.” Everette Forrest from eXp Realty in Atlanta was a referral from this client’s friend, which gives Everette the maximum benefit of two referrals in one.

8. Nancy Hargrove

Don’t you just love it when you get those super-high-energy clients who create referral videos for you? I’m sure Nancy Hargrove of Coldwell Banker is grateful for this short testimonial video from her clients. They’ve worked with other agents, but love Nancy and are already looking forward to future projects with her. Win-win!

9. Terry Carter

Of course, if you’re not comfortable with making TikTok videos yet, you can always break in through Instagram Reels. Terry Carter of The Terry Carter Team is doing an excellent job of getting his testimonials on the ‘Gram.

10. Mark Kozik & Curtis Russell

If you have any doubts about the effectiveness of vertical videos on social media platforms, look no further than this example from Mark Kozik and Curtis Russell of Great Homes ATL. It currently has 3,835 views. That’s a lot of visibility for a real estate business. These guys use the description smartly, including their tagline and a big call to action along with hashtags to get found easily. 

Other elements we love include the fun editing, pinned testimonial, and closing day videos at the top of their profile. If you’re looking for a template on how to do social media right, these guys have 101,000 followers—we’d say they’ve cracked the code!

11. Teikesha Hubert

Teikesha Hubert of Hubert & Co. Real Estate knows how to keep her clients’ emotions in check. As her clients share, she “helped me to calm down and just trust the process.” Those are magic words for anyone feeling anxious about their first-time homebuying experience. And Teikesha used plenty of hashtags in her video description to help her reach more than 700 views so far.

12. Mariam Mechael

Mariam Mechael of Realty Executives Dillon knows how to maximize a sale. This video is so well done it looks pro. She’s used all the tools to show off her client’s new home, their testimonial on her amazing service, and how she exceeded their expectations. If you check out her description, she’s also done something above and beyond—given people who find her video a mini-test to see if they’re ready to jump on the homebuying roller coaster ride.

She’s using this real estate testimonial video to prequalify anyone who might contact her for real estate advice. And those questions are designed to put people in the right mindset to say “yes!”

Also, Mariam is using a link in her bio to drive potential buyers and sellers to her website and other social proof examples separate from Instagram. So smart.

Best Practices for Vertical Testimonial Videos 

Using vertical videos for your real estate testimonials is the way of today, not the future. Getting started on vertical videos is much easier than you might think. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• You can easily and quickly create videos on the fly directly inside the platform, whether you’re publishing on TikTok or Instagram Reels. You can then share the video to the other platform so you don’t have to duplicate your efforts.
• Keep it short. Vertical videos are meant to be consumed quickly and easily. Best practices dictate you keep them under three minutes.
• Video editing can quickly eat up a lot of your time. Make it easy on yourself: Use some outside video tools like CapCut, InShot, or Canva to create your videos and then upload them to social media platforms.
• Always shoot vertical videos in portrait orientation. Landscape mode doesn’t do as well on TikTok or Reels.
• Add a call to action in the description. Include your contact information, your location, hashtags, and direct call number to reach out to you for real estate needs.
• Again, done is better than perfect. I can’t stress this enough. Don’t think—just do. Your first few videos will probably be terrible. But you will get better with every video you upload. And even your worst video will likely get you results if you follow best practices.

Written Real Estate Testimonial Examples

So what do you do when you have a client who isn’t comfortable doing a video testimonial? You can still work it into your social media. Ask your clients for a written testimonial through an email or a Google form. Then turn it into a sleek video like Scott Goshorn from the Luxury Estates Team did.

13. Scott Goshorn

Scott created this gorgeous short video—with a logo embedded in the corner—that shows off the text from one of his testimonials. Using the captioning feature to display the words one at a time forces viewers to read the words as they appear. Scott’s already gotten 833 likes on this short video testimonial. Not bad at all!

If you’re looking for more examples to help you whip these real estate testimonials up, then you’ll love the gorgeous templates you’ll get from Coffee & Contracts. They’re already perfectly designed yet fully customizable inside Canva, so you can easily put your stamp on them and post them across all your platforms with just a few clicks.

14. Sean Housel

Sean Housel from Summit Sotheby’s International Realty shows how easy it is to share written testimonials on TikTok. With some lovely music and a little animation, I’m sure this post didn’t take much effort for Sean, but he has a couple of these on his TikTok wall, each with 200-plus views. Pretty straightforward.

Best Practices for Written Real Estate Testimonials (TABS)

Be Thorough

If your client leaves you a one-sentence review, that’s going to be pretty tough to turn into a full-fledged post or video. You can’t just use, “Greta was a great Realtor.” Well—you can, but it won’t really bring the views and new business you want. When you ask for a testimonial, prompt your clients to get them thinking. Try questions like, “What did I do well?” and “Why would you want to work with me again?”

Be Authentic

People work with those they know, like, and trust. To build that into testimonials, give your viewers and clients those details that really help paint a picture of who you are. To get them thinking, try a fun question like, “What surprised you about me?” Or, prompt your clients to think about your authentic self by asking questions like, “What was your favorite part of working together?” After all, your clients chose you for a reason—let that shine through in your testimonials.

Be Specific

If you’re showcasing a testimonial, there’s a reason. Don’t be vague about it. Prompt your clients to mention their specific experience or situation. Make sure you emphasize the why. Perhaps they were an anxious first-time buyer, but you helped them by being responsive and knowledgeable. Or maybe the bank ordered a last-minute termite inspection days before the closing and you got an expert in there at 6 a.m. on a Tuesday.   

Your Take on Real Estate Testimonials

We truly hope these real estate testimonial examples and best practices will spur your creativity and help you up your referral business. So, what are you waiting for? Get out there and start shooting those testimonial videos!

The post 14 Real Estate Testimonial Examples to Inspire Your Referral Marketing appeared first on The Close.

Fast forward to 2023, where the landscape of real estate Instagram (IG) has completely changed for the better. Agents have embraced authenticity and found countless ways to promote their real estate business through entertaining, educational content—without being too salesy. 

If you want to grow your own account, you need to learn from agents who are already racking up followers, likes, and leads. To help, I put together this list of the best real estate Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration and strategies to grow your following.

1. Taya DiCarlo @tayadicarlo

Taya DiCarlo is a Compass agent in the South Bay area of Los Angeles. If I had to recommend one profile for new agents to draw inspiration from, this would be it. Her feed is a perfect variety of real estate posts, market updates, humor, education, hobbies, and family life.

Her content is both professional and relatable as she showcases her wins, losses, and charismatic personality. My favorite part about her real estate Instagram is her weekly series called “Taya’s 2 Cents.” In it, she educates her followers on everything from real estate definitions to the aspects of a deal.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Create a weekly show like “Taya’s 2 Cents.” It will help you stay consistent and give you something to regularly send to your database.
• Don’t just share your wins. Watching a real estate robot pump out nothing but success stories isn’t very relatable.

2. Gila Goodman @agentgila

Gila Goodman has some of the best house tour content in the real estate game. I particularly like her voice-overs and her simple verbal hooks, such as, “This is what you can get in Lake Las Vegas.” All agents can replicate this formula in their own markets with a hook like, “Here’s what you can get for $2 million in {your area}.” 

Notice how she’s always at the beginning of every video, which helps with retention because people want to see you and not just the property. It makes it more visually appealing and adds a personal touch. I also love the idea of doing voice-overs after you film. This puts less pressure on you to nail it in a traditional real estate tour video, where you awkwardly have to detail every aspect of the property. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Voice-overs are a very popular content style that more Realtors should implement in their property tours.
• Some of the best hooks in the game are, “Here’s what you can get…” Try it in your market.

The Close Recommends

If you want to build a successful Instagram following of your own, it starts with sharing content your audience will actually enjoy. Coffee & Contracts provides exclusive content for agents to customize, brand, and share on social media (including materials developed by The Broke Agent himself). As a special thank you to Close readers, use promo code THECLOSE for $15 off your first month.

Check Out Coffee & Contracts

3. Jason Cassity @jason_cassity

Jason Cassity is a team leader with Real in San Diego. What I like about Jason’s Instagram is that it doesn’t annoy me. He posts with a purpose and focuses on quality over quantity. For example, during the height of the pandemic, he filmed videos that promoted restaurants and small businesses and provided COVID resources for his followers. He also did a cool IG Live series where he interviewed other agents, organizers, and marketing experts and later published them in full to Instagram.

He comes across as a genuine, approachable community leader who isn’t constantly trying to jam real estate down everyone’s throat. Almost all of his Instagram content is educational or helpful to people in San Diego. His best videos are when he does listicle breakdowns about San Diego restaurants. Here’s an example:

Tactically, this video is really smart because he tagged the restaurants for shares and exposure and gets a great conversation going in the comments as his audience voices its opinions. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Film listicles, meaning videos with numeric lists. They make people watch the entire video and often create great debates in the comments.
• Food videos always crush: Highlighting your favorite coffee shops, breweries, and sushi restaurants is a great way to promote local businesses and keep people watching. 

4. Krys Benyamein @krysbenyamein

In a world oversaturated with content in a never-ending fight to capture attention, the first two seconds of a video must hook you in and stop you from scrolling. Nobody has better hooks than Krys Benyamein. This guy will pop under bathroom stalls, jump on the screen, or just use his clever repertoire of verbal scroll-stoppers to make sure that you watch his content—and also watch it all the way through.

He’s funny, informative, inspirational, and does a great job of mixing in content for his market and for other agents, building a large referral network and database. Take particular notice of how he films his green-screen videos and try to replicate it in your own market!

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Without a powerful hook, nobody will watch. The first two to three seconds are crucial for the performance of your video.
• When using a green screen, make sure to have constant movement to keep people’s attention. Don’t just sit there with the same static background: Jump around to different parts and highlight the sections that you’re speaking about while you’re speaking about them.

5. Kyle Toomey @kyle_toomey

Kyle Toomey knows that our attention span is nonexistent. So, he found a clever way to make sure we watch every second of his videos. (BTW, video retention is the number one metric you should be focused on. More than likes, comments, shares, or saves.) 

Kyle gives what he calls “Gen Z” house tours, where he athletically speeds through his listings while hilariously showing the features of the house. He knows that movement = attention in today’s content space. That’s why he also does educational videos in a full-out sprint (see above).

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Speed and quick-cuts are great ways to keep people’s attention throughout your videos. Your number one goal with Reels should be retention, and Kyle’s “Gen Z” style of filming with constant movement is definitely something to emulate.

6. Matt Lionetti @matt.lionetti

Matt Lionetti is a top producer with The Agency in Toronto. He also happens to be my arch nemesis and my co-host on the Over Ask Podcast. So, this pick is slightly self-serving.

But, as much as I hate to admit it, Matt produces the funniest and most accurate real estate videos on Instagram. His first posts were skits of frustrating, yet all-too-relatable phone conversations with clients and other agents. He really started to gain traction after his infamous “Freddie Mercury” parody, and has now reached legend status among his agent peers.  

His edgy car rants almost always go viral and his content has continued to evolve as his focus shifts to giving his listings as much exposure as possible. Matt understands that humor is the ultimate attention-grabbing hook, and his unique ways to work laughs into his listing videos remain unparalleled. 

Key Takeaway for Realtors

• It’s not always the highly produced videos that get the most traction. The authenticity of filming in the car is relatable to everyone, especially other Realtors. 

7. Aken Moose Musa @yourfriendlyneighborhoodmoose

Aken Musa, aka “Moose,” is a Connecticut agent with one of the best personalities on Instagram. He takes the happiest closing pics with his clients that I’ve ever seen. It’s actually kind of annoying because I’m cynical and jealous that he has clients and successful transactions. Even still, it’s hard not to smile at his posts.

Moose posts a wide variety of content on Instagram that includes home improvement tips, wacky marketing promos, rap parodies, and memes. He’s also recently made multiple appearances on HGTV’s “House Hunters.” He looks to me like a fun guy to have 10 closing drinks with, and I imagine his followers and clients feel the same.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Variety is very important to growing an Instagram following and keeping people’s attention. Always be switching up the style of post: feed, carousel, still image, Reels, etc.
• The more you smile, the more likely people are to follow you and work with you.

8. Dan O’Neil @danoneil

Dan O’Neil built the number one team on Long Island all while maintaining a perfectly trimmed beard and neckline. He caught my attention when he posted a hilarious real estate parody of the Netflix show “You.” He seems to outdo himself with every video, as he can be seen falling off jet skis, riding horses, and smashing fax machines with a bat.

Next, I’m assuming Dan is going to tightrope walk the Grand Canyon with nothing but a just listed sign for balance. Recently, Dan’s content has shifted from strictly comedy to opening his new office in Sarasota, building his team, business planning, and more serious content about who he is as a person. His Instagram stories are pure chaos, but he does a fantastic job at posting about his life as if it were his own personal reality show. And as a result, his audience is always invested in his shenanigans and adventures. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• If you’re trying to grow a team page, make sure you collab with all the agents on the team to grow all the accounts together.
• Find other ways to show you’re closing business than the just solds and just listeds. Dan O Neil’s fun bell-ringing technique on his team page is a great way to showcase victories without posting a boring, generic graphic.

9. Marie Lee @movemetotennessee

Every agent should be optimizing their Instagram profile to get as many follows and leads as possible. If there is one profile setup I recommend copying, it is Marie Lee from Tennessee. 

First off, the “movemeto____” IG handle is iconic. Just like Katie Day’s @movemetotx, it immediately tells people what you do in a fun and clever way that can be branded across all platforms. Also, her username—“Marie Lee ⌂ Nashville Realtor”—is specific and searchable (important because your handle and username are the only things searchable on IG profiles). 

She also includes a great call to action in her profile with her link called “Freebies and Consults.” This leads to her linktree with options for a consultation, newsletter sign-up, and a lead magnet for a free buyer’s guide. That last one is a great setup to book appointments with prospects and get them into your database with an enticing downloadable. 

Her highlight section, overall aesthetic, and IG layout are also something I would copy. She has cover photos for her Reels (making her content more rewatchable than the average profile) and has pinned posts showing exactly who she is and what she does. Oh, I forgot to mention her actual content is also fantastic. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Make sure your profile is optimized to convert followers and leads.
• Have a strong call to action in your bio that goes to a lead magnet, an appointment scheduler, or a linktree that includes all of the above.

10. Derrick Gregory @derrickswflrealtor

Derrick Gregory is a Florida Realtor whose Instagram strategy has been to go heavy on high-quality comedy videos. He does parodies, Reels, memes, and character-driven skits, and recently collaborated on one of the most viral videos of the year, “If Brokerages Were People.” 

When you go to his feed, you will immediately notice a consistent aesthetic, eye-catching thumbnails, and hyper-relevant content. It seems like he’s got a video for every holiday or pop culture event that takes place. I wouldn’t be surprised if he makes a video for Flag Day. 

Another thing I like about Derrick is that he has the guts to go live on Instagram. Even if he’s just playing the ukulele to seven viewers, he understands that going live pushes his name and content to the top of people’s feeds. The goal of a real estate agent is to stay top of mind, and Derrick Gregory is always at the top of your feed. He should make a shirt that says, “Top of your mind and top of your feed.” Actually, no, he shouldn’t.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Trendjack as much as possible: Creating content around relevant holidays and pop culture events will give your content an enormous boost in engagement. 
• Try to maintain your own aesthetic on Instagram. Consistent color schemes and posting styles help condition your audience to recognize your real estate brand.

11. Kim Santana @buffalorealestatelady

Kim Santana is a Buffalo real estate agent—and I know this because her Instagram handle says so. Kim has a “unique” Instagram approach where she actually memes herself and puts captions above her own pictures and poses. She must have read my e-book.

My favorite part about her Instagram profile is her Story strategy. She does funny rants in her car and consistently engages with her followers via polls and questionnaires. If you follow her, you will also get the pleasure of occasionally seeing her cute and fluffy doodle, Louie.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• If you are going the meme route, use yourself as the meme (in your feed) instead of a trending photo. It makes it more personal and will perform better since your audience already recognizes you in the content.

12. Byron Lazine @byronlazine

Byron Lazine is a real estate renaissance man as well as my partner and cofounder of our media company, BAM. He runs the number one team in Connecticut, hosts three podcasts (including a live show called the “Hot Sheet” every weekday at 9:30 Eastern Time), and runs the business operations of BAM. 

Byron’s Instagram content is unique in the real estate space because of his podcast clips and unique, seasoned takes on industry news. He’s become a go-to voice and commentator, breaking down market nuances, current events, unfiltered opinions about useless trade organizations, brokerage gossip, and more. Nobody produces more podcasts and content than Byron.

The more you watch Byron’s content, the more you learn about what’s going on in the real estate industry. He’s a great example of how you can spin your local real estate market’s news into your own shows and mini-media company.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Use the news as much as possible in your content. The most powerful form of trendjacking is using local news in green screens, blogs, and YouTube videos. 
• Use news headlines as your video titles since they are already trending.

13. Dan Lee @dan_lee_plum

Dan Lee is an Australian agent with Plum Property. His Instagram is full of high-production, fast-paced, comedic listing and marketing videos that look like they were shot in Hollywood. One of my favorites is a seven-step series called “The Road to Tosser,” where he plays the character of an insufferable real estate asshole, similar to the ones I mentioned in the intro. It’s basically a “what not to do” guide for real estate agents, and he nails every single one of them. The series is legitimately laugh-out-loud funny.

One other takeaway I have from his content is that Dan starts nearly every video off with a quick-hitting joke. He understands that the first three seconds are critical to keep the audience engaged and watching.

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Having a series like “Road to Tosser” is a great way to get people invested in your content and account.

14. Eric Simon @thebrokeagent

Editor’s note: I was given the rather unpleasant task of editing Eric’s “article” and wanted to point a few things out. First, he handed in his first draft on crumpled up Burger King napkins he found under the seat of his car. Second, Eric is way too modest for someone who runs a bona fide real estate comedy empire. As any agent on the platform knows, @thebrokeagent is the funniest real estate Instagram account around. So if you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years and don’t know about his profile, do yourself a favor and follow him right now as well as his media company, @nowbam. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Consistency is everything. I didn’t grow this account from a viral post or re-share, I grew it by posting every single day on my feed and Story no matter what. It’s all about getting points on the board and setting up digital real estate signs in everyone’s head.

15. Shane Burgman @shaneburgman

Shane might have the highest-quality videos in real estate Instagram. The audio and visual experience watching a Shane Burgman video is so different from watching normal real estate content. You can tell how much effort he puts into each video. Also, he’s extremely versatile. He posts clips from his podcasts, agent-to-agent tips, hyperlocal content for his clients, and trendjacks more than I do. I checked in on him midway through October and he’d already posted like, five Halloween videos. His content is always cutting-edge, funny, and relevant. 

Key Takeaways for Realtors

• Having great lighting and audio in your videos is highly appreciated by the audience. Spending the extra few bucks on a good mic and ring light, as well as the right background, can take your content to the next level.

5 Steps to Grow Your Real Estate Instagram Account in 2023

Hey all, Emile here. Since Eric is busy running his new site, BAM Media, I wanted to quickly jump in and offer something you’ve all been asking for: Actionable advice for how to actually grow your real estate Instagram account in 2023. Here are the five steps that most successful accounts used to grow their following. I also included links to deep-dive articles to learn more. 

1. Create Your Instagram Bio

If you want to actually get leads from Instagram, you need to make sure your bio sells your personal brand. Trust me, leads will check out your bio before even thinking about reaching out. 

If you need some bio inspiration, check out Jodie Cordell’s excellent guide below. She goes over 20 example bios, and even better, explains why they work.

2. Use Our Marketing Calendar to Plan Your Posts  

If you want to get more likes, comments, and followers on Instagram, you need to post consistently. That means planning out your posts each month so you’re not scrambling for ideas at the last second. 

To help you get started, we put together a full year’s worth of social media marketing ideas here:

3. Sign Up for a Social Media Marketing Service

Instead of reinventing the wheel every time they post, smart agents use templates from social media marketing services like Coffee & Contracts, LabCoat Agents Marketing Center, and Agent Crate. 

If you want to focus on short-form video, Coffee & Contracts even includes scripts for Reels that you can practice and post without writing your own. Check out the various marketing company reviews from The Close below to learn more.

4. Learn How to Make Short-form Videos      

Since quick-hit video sites like TikTok launched, Instagram has been slowly losing market share. To compete, they tweaked their algorithm to favor video in a big way. If you want your content to actually show up in your follower’s feeds, you need to learn the art of short-form video. 

Parkbench has a great crash course in video. Read our review of the course here to decide if it’s right for you:

5. Engage With Popular Local Accounts & Influencers 

After short-form video, the next thing the Instagram algorithm looks for is engagement. Since it will be hard to get your followers to engage with your content before you have real momentum, you can cheat a bit and engage with popular local accounts and influencers. So like their posts, leave comments, and try to add value or humor to local accounts to get your profile noticed. 

If you want to more tips for how to build engagement on your own account, check out Eric’s guide here:

Over to You

There are many more agents who are crushing it on real estate Instagram, but I had to stop somewhere. Overall, it’s been awesome to see so many agents embrace their personalities and utilize humor as a tool for Instagram growth and marketing. 

Who are your favorite agents on Instagram? Let me know who I should follow next in the comment section.

The post 15 Must-follow Real Estate Instagram Accounts (+ 5 Growth Hacks) appeared first on The Close.