Today’s Instagram stories are light years ahead of the stories that first launched in 2016. The new feature that once confounded businesses is now being leveraged as a powerful — and personal — part of any social media marketing plan.
Raking in as many as 500 million views a day, stories offer an attention-grabbing way to introduce your brand to a wider audience. You’ll get to show off your true self as an agent, leveling-up your marketing strategy. And now, you can even publish stories on Facebook.
Instagram posts for real estate agents: Use these simple story ideas.
Whether you’re new to stories or just feel like you haven’t found the right approach yet, try integrating some of these suggestions that’ll help you stand out from the average agent:
1. Local spotlight.
You know that when a buyer or seller is seeking out a real estate agent, they don’t just want someone to walk them through the process. They want to find an authority on their community.
Stories are an excellent way to showcase how much you know about your area, while also cultivating relationships with local businesses:
- Take a pic of the latte you picked up at your neighborhood café, takeout from your favorite restaurant, or a few plants from a nearby nursery.
- Tag the business when you share your story, opening up the opportunity for a re-share to their own feed.
Offering this behind-the-scenes peek into your daily life takes minimal effort, helping to reinforce your commitment to your community.
Search for houses, request a rate, and track a home loan from anywhere. Your clients can use our LoanFly app for free.
2. Polls.
One of the most effective ways to interact and build engagement? Post polls for your followers. This fun feature helps you to incorporate your personality — and find out more about what your audience is into.
What kinds of polls can an agent post? Your options are virtually limitless. A simple approach would be to ask your followers for feedback on two different pictures, voting on their favorite.
Here are several examples:
- Which landscaping style do you prefer? Classic or modern.
- Which kitchen would you like to have in your house? Blue or white cabinets.
- Which bathroom do you like better? Option 1 or 2.
- Do you want to have this porch? Yes or no.
You get the picture. Get creative — and use this as an opportunity to highlight your listings without it feeling like a heavy sell. If one of your properties has impeccable landscaping, an extra-large backyard, and a unique kitchen, you can post a poll about it to let your audience know it’s available.
3. Market recaps.
Because of the big changes in our country — and in the housing market — your clients are bound to have plenty of questions. Your stories give you a chance to shape the narrative, while simultaneously educating your audience.
Here are some simple ways to execute this:
- Share a weekly snapshot of what’s going on in your local housing market.
- Quickly address some of the most common questions, like: Is buyer demand still high? Are home prices continuing to climb? What’s happening with mortgage rates?
- Any or all of the above topics can help ease the minds of buyers and sellers sitting on the fence.
You can also use stories to post relevant news. If you find an article discussing how real estate may help to stimulate the economy or covering expert predictions about where home values are heading, make it into a story. Film a short video of yourself recapping the main takeaways from the article or summarize it in a series of images using quotes, text, and charts.
This approach will help you to effectively establish your reputation as an agent with a firm grasp on what’s happening in the market, helping to win your followers’ trust. You can share any of our market-facing social graphics to your stories in a few seconds.
4. Virtual tours.
If you want to take your audience behind-the-scenes on a listing, Instagram stories present a great opportunity to do this. As an added bonus, you won’t need to spend much time editing — and you won’t have to worry about getting professional drone shots or using expensive software.
Instead:
- Build interest by telling your audience that you’re planning to do a walk-through of a brand-new listing a few days in advance.
- Then make short videos as you tour each room of the property.
- Describe standout and unique features and add extra emphasis with text.
A live run-through of a new listing is a raw, captivating way to give your followers a sneak peek, without the stress. Again, be creative and have fun with your story. Try different approaches and see what gets the biggest response from your audience.
It’s a fact: Clients love us, and agents benefit.
For over 30 years, we’ve been providing our borrowers with a five-star mortgage experience. (Take a look at hundreds of reviews that prove this.) Becoming a Cornerstone Realtor Partner can help you build your business: We’ll give your clients the first-class service they’ve been looking for.
For educational purposes only. Please contact a qualified professional for specific guidance.
Sources are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.