Instagram is hot in the real estate marketing world, but there are so many terrible real estate feeds out there. Seriously, nobody wants to see testimonial after testimonial with an occasional picture of a new listing sprinkled in here and there.
It’s time to step up your game and give people content that they actually want to look at—content that helps people know, like, and trust you. When people know, like, and trust you as a person, doing business with you is a no-brainer. Instagram is the perfect platform to do this because it’s so personal.
The best real estate Instagram accounts are a mix of both branded, professional content and fun, personal content. Too much branded content is a snooze fest, but you can (and should!) include plenty of details about your business and work life.
We’ve combed through over 300 real estate Instagram accounts to find good ideas for you.
1. Local Market Stats
People care about some market stats, but usually only if they’re extremely local and relevant to them. This is the perfect opportunity to show people that you stay on top of the local market.
- Include just a few stats total (too many are overwhelming during a quick scroll)
- Use only one per screen. If you have more than one stat, post them as multiple images.
- In the caption, explain why this stat should matter to people or what’s interesting about it. Don’t just post a stat just to post a stat.
2. Local Thing To Do
When you go do something locally, post about it! This gives people ideas for local things to do that they may not know about. It’s also yet another way to reinforce your status as a local expert.
- Give a few details about what you like most about the place.
- Tell people why they should go or how to get there.
- If you have any insider secrets, share them.
- You can also share things your clients or others you know have done as well to piggyback off of their posts.
3. Local Restaurant
If you’re out in the community, you’re probably frequently at local restaurants. This is a good opportunity to shout out your favorites. Take a quick photo of your food, the restaurant atmosphere, or the menu, and tell people a little bit about what you’re up to.
- Tell about what you’re eating or drinking and why you love it or why it’s unusual.
- Tag the restaurant in the post.
- Tag any other people who were at the restaurant with you.
- Take a picture of your food before you start eating.
4. Team Event
You’re probably constantly in meetings with your team or at other events with them. Show everyone how much you love working with your team and how much fun you have together.
- Tag team members in the post.
- Give a few details about something interesting you did or talked about.
- Take a minute to move extra water bottles or other unsightly things out of the picture.
5. Goals
It’s interesting to see how other people work and stay motivated. If you’re working on specific goals or a project, tell people about it (and if you can, show them some of it). It helps people get to know you and how you work better.
- Share heartfelt goals—being vulnerable isn’t a bad thing.
- Share your progress in future posts. (But be careful not to make it a humble brag, ok?)
6. Pets
Everyone loves seeing pets on Instagram. Sharing yours is one of the best ways to show your human side.
- Select a few good hashtags.
- Share a fun detail or two about your pet.
- Encourage people to share their pet photos and tag you in them.
7. Personal News
Instagram is the perfect place to keep people in the know about your personal life. Sharing details about your personal life helps people view you as a friend, not just someone they do business with.
- Don’t be afraid to be too personal. This is what Instagram is for!
- The more you share about your life, the more people will come to know you and like you, which will make people want to work with you.
8. Local Photo
As a Realtor®, you’re constantly running about and seeing beautiful and interesting things. When you do, be sure to snap a picture and post it. It’s a great way for people to see local places from a new perspective.
- Look for things that people may not have seen before. Show them a different side of your area.
- The photos you take yourself are the best ones!
- You likely know more about your area than most people, too—historic information is especially interesting.
9. On the Job
Real estate agents see interesting situations all.the.time. Strange bar at a new listing? Odd backyard during a showing? Mishap? Post about it! This is the kind of stuff that keeps people in stitches.
- Try to keep things on the positive side. It’s probably not a good time to complain about how hard it is to be a real estate agent.
- Don’t slander your colleagues or their listings.
10. Something Pretty
Instagram is the perfect place to post random, pretty things. A nice tree outside, a flower blooming, or something similar is nice. Just don’t make your whole feed flowers, OK?
- Include where you saw it (on the corner of Belmont and Montgomery).
- If you know about the object, use it to tell a story.
11. Goodies
You’re probably constantly getting goodies from local businesses and other people you work with. This is the time to say some nice things about them and their business.
- Tag the person or business in the post.
- Tell about why you enjoyed what you were brought—OR show yourself enjoying it!
12. Community Service
Most real estate agents we know spend a lot of time giving back to their communities. This is a good way to bring attention to some of the needs in the community that you care most about.
- Share a quick blurb about how people can help.
- If you’re working with an organization, tag them and tell people about how they’re making a difference in the community.
- Talk about an upcoming need or event they are having.
13. Kids
If you’re comfortable sharing your kids on Instagram, they’re another good way to show off your human side. Plus, people love looking at cute kids.
- If your child helps out with your real estate business in any way, show it off.
- Sharing funny or cute anecdotes is great—just don’t share too many. Nobody wants to be that
- Connect with other clients or colleagues who are also parents.
14. Silly Holiday
There are all kinds of silly and fun holidays out there. You could even do a fun giveaway with some of them. Please do these posts sparingly. We’ve seen some pages where this is the majority of their content. Talk about boring.
- Check out a list of funny holidays here.
- If you do a giveaway, make sure to set clear entry rules and follow Instagram’s guidelines.
15. Inspiration
Instagram is full of inspirational quotes; they’re one of the things many people love to see and respond to.
- Add your branding.
- Try to post something you haven’t seen a million times before.
- Add a detail from your own life that relates to the quote.
16. Goofy
There’s nothing more endearing than a Realtor® who knows how to have fun. Funny situations likely come up all the time, so take advantage of them by sharing them with your followers.
- The more unique the better.
- Keep in mind that this is an opportunity to show people your personality—let it shine!
17. Ask a Question
People love to give you their input on questions, and Instagram is an especially great place to start conversations with people about their interests and preferences. Pose a question—you may get some unexpected responses.
- Keep questions simple—remember, most people are typing responses on their phones.
- It doesn’t have to be about real estate; it can be something random or clever.
- Leave the question open-ended so you spark conversation in the comments. The conversations people have with each other can be real gold!
18. Contest Winner
If you have a contest, make sure to post a picture of the winner. Tell a little about the contest, and be sure to thank people for entering.
- Post a photo with the actual prize so people know you’re legitimate.
- Tag the winner, if possible.
- If you have another contest coming up, be sure to shout it out so people can look forward to it.
19. Business Meeting
Now we mean this one loosely. Business meetings take many forms. Be sure to document who you’re meeting and what you’re talking about so you can share it with clients.
- Tag the person you’re with, and tag any applicable businesses as well.
- Tell people what you talked about and what was helpful about the meeting. Don’t make it dry, OK?
20. Closing Photo
Closing photos can really be overdone, but they can actually be wonderful posts if you do them the right way. If you can, get a photo of the family in front of their new home.
- Don’t take their special day and make it about you—don’t make them hold a “sold” sign or a title company “key”.
- Tag family members, if possible.
- Tell a small story about the family to go with the photo.
21. Open House
Open house photos are another post type that is seriously overdone on Instagram. If you share an especially beautiful shot (or shots), they become more than just an ad for your listing.
- Include details about the open house, but keep it brief.
- Share the best features of the house in picture form, if you can!
22. Blog Post Image
If you’ve taken the time to write a blog post, you want to drive as many people to your website to read it as possible. Create a graphic out of a piece of information in the blog post, and encourage people to go read more.
- Add a linktree to your profile so people can easily go to the blog post directly from Instagram. If they have to try to figure out to get there, they just won’t bother.
- Keep the info on the graphic very Posting whole sentences from the blog post is a bad idea.
23. Funny Meme
There are so many funny memes about real estate and homes. This is another good way to show people your personality.
- Stay away from jokes about groups of people that could be considered offensive.
- Don’t post “insider” memes that only other Realtors would understand or that disparage clients.
24. Office Life
It can be hard to imagine that people are interested in your day-to-day office life, but they are! Give them a glimpse into what it’s like to work at your office.
- Include info about what other people on your team are doing.
- Share short stories about what working in your office is like.
25. Thank You Post
Since you work with other people and businesses in the community all the time, they probably often do nice things for you. Consider a quick thank you post explaining how they helped you and why you appreciated the help you got.
- Tag the other business, if possible.
- Don’t hold back on the praise! Explain why this business or person is so great.
- Consider this with your vendors: title reps, inspectors, contractors, loan officers, etc.
26. Before and After
Everyone loves a good before and after, especially when it comes to homes. If you see a really good before and after, share the results with people.
- Try to share homes you were involved with or have personal knowledge of—don’t just share random photos you see online. It’s so inauthentic!
- If there’s a good story from the transformation, share it!
- If the home will be going on the market soon (or is on the market now), leave a quick blurb.
- Consider sharing several photos, but only share the best ones.
- Share the after photo first so that’s the photo people see as they scroll.
27. Holiday
Holiday posts can be overdone, but it’s not a bad thing to recognize important holidays. It can be a good opportunity to share something meaningful from your life about that holiday.
- Share a personal story about the holiday.
- Stay away from religious or other polarizing holidays (unless that’s your market specifically).
What Real Estate Instagram Post Ideas Do You Have?
Can you help us add to this list? What Instagram posts have you seen that you especially like? What kinds of posts do you do yourself? Leave your Instagram handle here, and we’ll go check out your account.
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