Kerry Dimmer
When Facebook opened to the public in 2006, social media was still largely about staying in touch with friends and family. But as platforms evolved, they didn’t just change how people connected; they changed how businesses could influence attention, shape perception, and build trust at scale. The rise of the influencer economy, paired with ever-changing algorithms, turned social feeds into powerful marketing tools, capable of driving everything from brand awareness and loyalty to product uptake and lead generation.
For real estate, that shift was a game-changer. Agents could move beyond guesswork and start measuring what worked by tracking enquiries, engagement, and conversions in real time, rather than relying on signage, print ads, or broad online exposure. The upside is clear: social media can generate leads with precision. The risk is just as real: reputations can be damaged in minutes, whether criticism is fair or not.
That’s why social media success in property is no longer about posting more; it’s about posting with purpose. A thoughtful strategy is the only way to stay credible, visible, and relevant in a space where algorithms and public opinion can turn overnight. As social media professional Arjun Basu puts it: “Without strategy, content is just stuff, and the world has enough stuff.”
Most experts agree the payoff comes from playing the long game: committing to at least 12 months of consistent posting, learning from performance data, and refining content to deliver real value to the audience.
Where most agents go wrong
A listing in itself is not really ‘valuable’ unless it specifically delivers a well-thought-out content strategy to deliver more than just a great compelling image and description. Pieter Bruwer, the owner and account director of public relations & social media strategy at PBPR, confirms this, saying that his social media approach “is built around trust, transparency, and measurable engagement, not just reach.” He applies this to two of his leading real estate accounts, Meridian Realty and Best Agent, which he says are both highly tech-driven.
Bruwer points out that too many real estate businesses, large and small, treat social media like a billboard instead of a conversation. “Posting listings without any storytelling or community engagement no longer works … algorithms reward authenticity, not frequency.”
Another common mistake is delegating content to junior staff without a proper brand or reputation strategy. “It creates inconsistency and misses the opportunity for real connection,” explains Bruwer. “The next frontier is using behavioural data and micro-audience segmentation to drive relevance rather than vanity metrics.”
Followers don’t equal sales
Vanity metrics (like the number of followers or total page views) are widely used in the US by many real estate agents who work solely in luxury and high-net-worth markets. This metric is a performance measurement that looks impressive on the surface but does not provide actionable insights or correlate with meaningful business outcomes such as revenue, customer acquisition, or retention.
This is not the case with local SA agents, who are more concerned with actionable, performance-based metrics that provide meaningful insights and place greater emphasis on return on investment. This requires intense focus.
Pick the platforms that match your market
Focus always wins,” says Bruwer. “It’s far better to be brilliant on two platforms than mediocre on five. The choice depends on the property type and audience. For example, aspirational lifestyle homes perform well on Instagram and TikTok, while investor- or commercial-oriented segments perform better on LinkedIn. What matters most is consistency, a single voice, and a single visual language across every channel.
“The best platforms for building a real estate business:
- Instagram—unbeatable for visual storytelling and lifestyle positioning.
- LinkedIn—the professional network for thought leadership and investor credibility.
- TikTok—ideal for reach and showing personality; the next-generation property discovery platform.
- Meta’s ad ecosystem (Facebook + Instagram)—still the strongest for hyper-local targeting and retargeting.
- YouTube Shorts—great for market updates and neighbourhood and house viewing videos with strong SEO value.”
What’s next?
The future lies in integration: connecting CRM systems, WhatsApp Business, and lead-nurture automation directly into social campaigns so every view, click, and comment adds measurable value, says Bruwer. “At its core, social media for real estate is shifting from promotion to connection. The brands that will stand out are those that build trust through value, not volume.”
