How to Get Real Estate Leads on Social Media

Summary

Social media generates real estate leads when used strategically. Learn how to target your ideal audience with Facebook’s advanced tools, create engaging content that builds trust, and design eye-catching posts that stand out. Discover the best platforms for real estate agents, proven content types that convert, and a weekly posting schedule across Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Twitter/X, and TikTok. Plus, master authenticity, account management, and metrics tracking for measurable results.

Let’s face it: Facebook is inescapable. Once a cutting-edge social network for the young and hip, it’s now considered a basic must-have for any business, with an estimated two billion monthly users.

But, it’s not enough to simply have a page and to get ‘likes’ on it. For those in the real estate industry, Facebook can be an excellent tool for lead generation. Treat it as an ‘inbound’ marketing experience – that is, use your page to draw prospective clients to you, rather than you aggressively pitching your services to them (direct mail, anyone?), and you’ll see a bump in your leads.

How to Use Social Media for Real Estate

Gone are the days when prospective home buyers look through the Sunday newspaper classified ads to look for open houses. You already know that a strong social media presence is a necessity in the business.

Beyond that, you may find yourself at a loss for how to create the kind of memorable online brand that makes you stand out and keeps buyers and sellers seeking your services.

Social media for real estate works best when you focus on inbound marketing rather than aggressive outbound sales tactics. Here’s how to make it work:

• Reach your targets. Don’t randomly sponsor posts on Facebook because you see your competitors doing it or because you think all posts should be sponsored: create a method to your madness. Facebook offers tools for identifying your audience: one, “saved audiences,” examines data on all users. “Custom” or “lookalike” audiences allow you to reach new prospects who closely match your existing customers. With the latter, you can run highly targeted ads.
• Content is king. By this, we mean post content that isn’t only fresh and relevant but also posts that will sell you. Include recommendations and testimonials from satisfied clients. Embed a link to your website so viewers can click through to that rather than just ‘liking’ a post. Respond quickly to questions and comments. Everything on your page should be geared to adding value to customers and furthering their engagement with you.
• Art and design. Content is prime, but following closely behind are design. Choose images that will draw in viewers. Use pictures of your clients and not houses or real estate: it’s proven that we identify better with human faces than products. Stay away from stock photos, be creative, and learn how to edit your pictures to make them even better. iPhone offers editing and filtering technology to improve photos, and applications to do so abound. Use colors to help your design pop, to stand out from all the other images on Facebook.
• Create calls to action. Use CTAs to spur viewers to take action. These can include posts about open houses – “Will you be there?” – or short surveys. Set up correctly, the leads should drop right into your website.

What Is the Best Social Media for Real Estate?

While social media doesn’t replace other tools of the trade, like following up on referrals, you should use these platforms strategically as part of your marketing plan.

The top social media platforms for real estate agents

Facebook: Essential for every agent. Two billion monthly users make it the platform with the broadest reach. Best for community building, event promotion, and targeted advertising.

Instagram: A visual storytelling platform ideal for property photos, behind-the-scenes content, and connecting with younger buyers and sellers.

LinkedIn: Professional networking platform for connecting with other industry professionals, sharing market insights, and establishing thought leadership.

YouTube: Video platform for virtual tours, market updates, and educational content that positions you as a local expert.

Twitter/X: Real-time updates, quick market insights, and networking with other professionals and local businesses.

TikTok: Short-form video platform perfect for reaching younger buyers with property tours, quick tips, and trending real estate content.

What to Post on Real Estate Social Media

Variety is key to keeping your audience engaged. Here are proven content types that generate leads:

1. New Listings and Just Sold Properties 

Showcase your current inventory and recent successes. Include professional photos, key features, and pricing information. Use pictures of your clients (with permission) and not just houses.

1. Local Market Updates 

Share neighborhood statistics, pricing trends, and market insights that position you as the local expert. These posts provide value and establish credibility.

1. Client Testimonials and Success Stories 

Include recommendations and testimonials from satisfied clients. Video testimonials are particularly powerful for building trust with prospective clients.

1. Educational Content 

First-time homebuyer tips, mortgage advice, home maintenance suggestions, and staging ideas. This type of content attracts leads earlier in their buying journey.

1. Community Highlights 

Local events, new businesses, school news, and neighborhood features. This demonstrates your deep connection to the community you serve.

Example Social Media Posting Schedule

How to Market Yourself as a Realtor on Social Media

With so many good agents competing for customers, you’ll find the best way to stand out is by being true to yourself and implementing these proven strategies:

Be Authentic

This means that in addition to plenty of industry- and market-centric content, you’ll want to post content that makes potential clients feel like they know you as a person. You might include posts about your community activities, how you take joy in your own home (yard work, anyone?) or even photos with family and pets. Buying a home is a very personal experience and giving potential clients a view into your own life is the first step to building a successful professional relationship.

Manage Your Own Accounts

You might find it tempting to hand off management of your social media accounts to an assistant in your office, but trust us, you need to do it yourself. Several tools exist to help you with this: Hootsuite is a paid app that lets you plan and schedule posts in advance, reducing the need for daily hands-on management. Tweet Deck, part of Twitter’s platform, lets users manage multiple accounts and includes a scheduling feature, while Hootsuite lets you post on Facebook and Instagram. Take our word for it: It’s worth carving out one or two hours a week to plan your social media.

Measure Your Metrics

What good is it to implement a creative social media program if you don’t measure to ensure you are reaching the right prospects? Facebook, the most basic must-have in social media, offers audience insights so you can target your messaging. The insights tool gives you the ability to aggregate anonymous information for demographic research, including age, gender, and relationship status. These are all tidbits that might help you with your marketing strategy for, say, first time homebuyers.

Key metrics to track:

• Engagement rate (likes, comments, shares)
• Reach and impressions
• Click-through rates to your website
• Lead generation and conversion rates
• Follower growth over time

Finally, don’t be afraid to play around. Trial and error may mean your early efforts aren’t perfect, but that’s okay. Look at what your successful competitors are doing and get feedback from those around you. Immerse yourself in analytics so you can determine which methods are bearing fruit in terms of leads. Once you successfully begin generating leads, keep reviewing your methods periodically to make improvements and ensure leads continue to flow.

While working on your social media marketing strategy, keep in mind that, like most other tools, social media marketing is only as good as the time and effort you put into it.