What should real estate agents post on social media?

What’s the best content for real estate agents?

What should real estate agents posts on Facebook?

How do I get people to interact with my social media?

What are some real estate content ideas?

What social media should real estate agents use?

These are questions we hear a lot on our webinars. Sometimes our answers surprise agents, but have you noticed that some of the best real estate social media posts (or at least the most popular) have nothing to do with real estate?

It’s true.

And it’s because the best content for social media marketing is content that engages an audience.

If we put aside pictures of homes that so many of us dream of buying (but could never afford), the best social media posts for engagement include content that provides value, which is usually content that educates, entertains, and endears. Yes, your “just listed” and “just sold” posts inform your audience, but let’s be real—those types of posts are really about you. On any given day, and of all the people in your audience, it’s only a select few who will benefit from a post about a home recently put up for sale.

So what about everyone else? What are you going to give them that will keep them engaged and coming back for more?

Read on to find out what smart and savvy real estate agents should post to social media that will attract prospects, nurture leads, and keep them top of mind with clients.

And if you’re interested in these content ideas but don’t have the time, patience, or other resources to research, create, and publish, we’ve got the perfect solution with personally branded and engaging posts for Facebook and all your other social media platforms. More on that later . . .

1. Home sweet home

With people spending a lot more time in their homes, home content has wide appeal. Consider posting content that provides useful information about:

• Cleaning: You can share kitchen cleaning hacks, instructions for decluttering a garage, spring cleaning tips, reviews of organic cleaning products, and cleaning services in your local area.
• Organizing: Can you help your audience get more usable space in their mudrooms? Do you have ways to organize a small bathroom? How about a system for organizing a wardrobe? Do you have advice on what to consider when downsizing?
• Home improvement: The budget-conscious, adventurous, and handy members of your audience will all love DIY projects. Families with children will especially appreciate information to help them keep their homes safe. Any information about home maintenance, whether it be about maintaining appliances, cleaning fireplaces and wood-burning stoves, or enhancing their curb appeal, makes for great social media posts.
• Outdoors and gardening: Information and advice about organic gardening, chemical-free pest control, and other environmentally responsible outdoor maintenance activities will win you clicks. So will posts about designing outdoor living spaces, adding privacy to a backyard, and inexpensive ways to beautify gardens and homes.

2. Food and recipes

People love to look at pictures of gorgeous food. But beyond that, food has an understandably universal appeal. Here’s a list of some of the many topics that make for some of the best social media content:

• game-day recipes
• easy breakfasts
• holiday favorites
• cuisine from different cultures
• cooking tips
• homemade ice cream
• the latest kitchen gadgets
• entertaining guests
• healthy alternatives
• guilty pleasures

3. Life and culture

Consider this category a creative and inspirational collection of what is current, popular, exceptionally entertaining, and relevant to people’s broad interests.

Of course, you can narrow any of the ideas and topics I’ve listed below to suit your audience’s circumstances and demographics. And there are far more ideas than I’ve listed here. Keep an eye out and an ear open for what catches people’s attention, the conversations they’re having, and what’s trending.

For example, imagine what you could include in a Facebook article about:

• healthy habits
• best weekend getaways
• best books for the beach
• trends in home construction
• volunteer opportunities
• charities that support (fill in the blank)
• alternatives to plastic
• environmentally conscious companies
• the must-see museums in (fill in the blank)
• easy kids’ crafts

4. Beauty, style, and health

Pay attention to the TV commercials you see, and you’ll quickly realize that beauty, style, and health are topics of interest to people across many demographic indicators—age, gender, and occupation being only three. Remember that good social media posts provide value to your audience, so don’t be shy about posting content that you write (or more likely curate) based on ways you might segment your audience:

• caring for gray hair
• remedies for dry scalp
• inexpensive but effective moisturizers
• the most popular men’s colognes this year
• pros and cons of gym memberships
• what doctors have to say about acne
• easy cures for chapped lips
• morning/bedtime routines
• what exactly is “business casual”?
• self-care for busy parents
• best online exercise programs
• deskside exercises for remote workers

5. Personal stories

You’ve heard it a hundred times . . . people want to do business with people they know, like, and trust. Can you think of a better way for people to get to know and like you than to share with them aspects of your personal life?

Your private life is exactly that—private. But sharing aspects of your personal life, such as announcements, vacations photos, family get-togethers, holiday gatherings, places you go, things you see, the funny things your (or someone else’s) kids do, and the stuff of day-to-day living, is what will endear you to your audience.

Sometimes it may be difficult to believe, but yes—this is exactly the kind of stuff people who use social media LOVE! It’s the “social” part of social media.

6. Credibility boosters

I don’t want to leave you with the impression that you can’t ever post about real estate and what you know best. You can—and you should! Strive for a broad mix of topics, like those suggested above, with a smattering of real estate topics included for good measure.

Sharing your expertise in real estate is one of the best ways to build credibility and trust. And there is no one better than yourself to make a list of topics you feel most knowledgeable, comfortable, and perhaps passionate about. Take your list, and either write articles or record videos about those topics.

Some of the best real estate content for social media that I’ve seen includes:

• real estate FAQs
• key terms every buyer/seller needs to know
• the difference between an agent and a broker
• Is FSBO right for you?
• how to buy without a 20% down payment
• What is the Fair Housing Act?
• the tax advantages of homeownership
• moving from renter to buyer

Of course, there are many more subjects you’ll be able to speak to based on your own experience.

Interactive Facebook post ideas

Now that you are well on your way to dozens of ideas for some of the most popular content on social media, let’s talk about various ways you can present that content on Facebook and other platforms to get your audience to interact with it.

The first and most obvious choice is to post a straight-up written or video-recorded post where you simply present the information you have. At the end, include a strong call to action—tell your page visitors what you want them to do. It can be to call for an appointment, download a lead magnet (we have free lead magnets you can use), email to receive a free brochure, subscribe to your real estate newsletter, ask for a CMA—there are many options.

In addition to simple written and video postings, I’ve included a list of other options below. Choose a method and assess how well it will prompt your audience to interact with your topic and for giving you information you can use best to target your marketing.

For example, you could post a poll where the question is “What type of kitchen are you?” Your post would include two pictures—one of an ultramodern, high-tech kitchen, and one with a country feel. You’d simply ask your viewers to vote A or B.

I’d be surprised if at least some people didn’t post comments about why they chose A or B. More importantly, you can capture each respondent’s answer and record them in your database under their names. The next time you have a home with either type of kitchen, you can target the appropriate people with the relevant listing.

Posts that encourage interaction

• Polls. Make them easy. Give your audience only two choices.
• Quizzes. Two or three questions are all you need.
• Open-ended questions. There’s no better way to get someone to share information than to ask them a direct, open-ended question. Consider easing them in with a Yes/No question.
• AMA. Invite your audience to “ask me anything.”
• Fill in the blank. It’s great to include some fun fill-in-the-blank questions, but remember the big payoff is found in getting information that helps you with your marketing. You might include, “The biggest problem I have finding a home is [fill in the blank.]”
• Photo caption. This type of prompt allows your audience to express their creative sides. Post a picture, and invite people to write a caption for it. You could also have people vote for a winner and award a simple prize such as a gift card.
• Opinions. You can structure a question asking for an opinion as either a closed question by offering multiple choices or as an open-ended question that allows for more detail. Keep the topic to a trending industry subject or, as an alternative, post an industry-related news story, offer your opinion, and see what others have to say.
• A contest. Contests are lots of fun, but you need to ensure that they help promote your brand and that you protect yourself from liability. Give away something related to your brand. 2. Include terms and conditions. Read and comply with each social media’s particular rules for contests and giveaways. 3. Include contact info in the terms and conditions. 4. Encourage people to post something pertaining to your brand, and include the hashtag of your company.
• Share and pin. Consider sharing and pinning valuable content produced by your followers. You’ll generate some goodwill, and it’ll give you a little break from having to create content every day.
• Bite-size video clips. Take one of those FAQs, record an answer, and post. Simple.

Here’s the important thing to remember about encouraging interaction on social media—you have to interact as well. You need to respond to people who interact with your posts, but you should also interact with other people’s posts. You can offer Likes and respond with emojis, but make sure you are also posting comments and having conversations because that’s how you will gain more recognition and have people visit your page.

If all this sounds like a bit much . . .

It isn’t that posting to Facebook is difficult; it’s not. But it can be time-consuming—especially for agents who understand the importance of a consistent social media presence but who are also busy running their businesses.

Our answer to thousands of agents who have experienced this common problem is our Branded Social Media Posts.

Branded Posts are prewritten blogs, videos, and images that we brand personally to you with your photo, business, and contact information. You can post them to any social media platform, and when they are shared, your branding stays intact. That means nearly limitless possibilities to expand awareness of your brand.

There are more than 2,000 articles in dozens of categories, and all of them deliver high-quality value to your audience. You can select articles to share whenever you wish. You can also use the fully integrated Facebook Scheduler to schedule automated Facebook posts weeks at a time, making Branded Posts a real set-it-and-forget social media marketing solution.

Take a couple of minutes to view a free demonstration. While you’re on our site, make a point of visiting our Resource Library for a ton of free resources like e-books, webinar, success guides, and more.