Real estate agents: are you looking to capture new leads, convert new listings and sell more properties? It’s time to tap into the power of Instagram marketing for real estate. 

If there’s one social media platform to prioritize as a real estate agent, it has to be Instagram. With access to over 2 billion monthly active users, Instagram gives agents access to hundreds of thousands of homeowners, sellers and prospective buyers across the US and beyond. 

You know that real estate is a business built on relationships. With the right Instagram marketing strategy, you can reach new audiences, humanize your agency, showcase your expertize and forge meaningful connections with new leads at scale. 

Plus, Instagram’s intelligent automation features make it easy to offer timely customer service responses through direct messages, too. 

Ready to explore the benefits of Instagram marketing for your real estate agency? Below, we’ve rounded up six must-try Instagram marketing tips to get you started today.  

Why is Instagram marketing important for real estate agents?

There are so many marketing channels to consider as a real estate agent. While offline tactics like Direct Mail marketing have been the playbook for most agencies to date, social media channels offer huge opportunities for real estate agencies, including:

• Reach potential buyers on a visual-first platform: From spotlighting a new listing to showcasing the best spots to visit in your local neighborhood, Instagram’s focus on visual content (from videos to stories to carousels) allows you to sell the dream through engaging, high-quality visual content.
  
• Build trust by humanizing your agency: Buyers and sellers need to trust you as an agent. With an active Instagram presence, you can use behind-the-scenes videos, quick-fire Q&As and ask me anything live broadcasts to showcase your personality, highlight your expertize and win over potential leads — even before you’ve picked up the phone!
  
• Showcase your expertize in your local market: By harnessing geo-tags and localized hashtags, you can create content that demonstrates your knowledge of the local market — and ensure it reaches the buyers and sellers in the right neighborhoods, without spending a cent on ads!
  
• Build a thriving pipeline of new real estate leads: With the right sales and marketing strategies in place, you can use Instagram to reach potential sellers in your local area and foster a pipeline of new listings directly from social media. 

6 practical Instagram tips for real estate agents 

Not sure where to start with Instagram marketing for real estate? We’ve got you covered. Dive into these six practical tips to help you master Instagram marketing as a real estate agent. 

Tip 1. Optimize your Instagram profile for organic visibility 

The first step to getting Instagram marketing right is to ensure your agency’s Instagram profile is set up for success. 

Without an optimized profile in place, it will be difficult for potential buyers and sellers to discover your agency on Instagram or understand why they should pick you over your competitors. 

The good news? Elevating your Instagram profile doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it all boils down to a few key tweaks:

• Ensure your profile photo clearly displays your agency’s logo to build brand recognition.
  
• Make sure your Instagram handle is clear, easy to spell and memorable. Ideally, use your agency’s name — and avoid any unnecessary numbers or symbols, if possible.
  
• Optimize your account name to include both your agency’s name and the key areas you service.
  
• Craft a compelling Instagram bio that explains where your agency is based, what type of properties you specialize in and prompts profile visitors to engage with you by visiting your bio link.
  
• Ensure you have Instagram Stories highlights set up, each with a branded cover photo, to make it easy to explore your recent Stories content. 

💡 Bonus tip: Be sure to pin three of your best Instagram posts to the top of your feed. Ensure one of these posts gives an introduction to your agency and what you do best. 

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Tip 2. Go beyond professional property photography 

As an agent, you know how important it is to capture professional photos of your listings. However, these styled professional images aren’t going to deliver your agency the best results on Instagram — and here’s why. 

Social media users expect brands and businesses to be authentic, relatable and unfiltered on Instagram. Unfortunately, an Instagram feed of polished static photos doesn’t make it easy for users to emotionally connect with your agency or your team of agents.

So, what should you be posting instead?  

• Instagram Reels of your agents touring and walking through new listings, speaking candidly about what they love about this property.
  
• Instagram Stories that build anticipation for new listings with interactive stickers that ask followers to guess where a new listing is located.
  
• Instagram carousels that share five fun facts about a new listing and why followers are going to love this property.

Tip 3. Humanize your agency with engaging Reels content 

Speaking of engaging content, Instagram Reels are a must for all real estate agents on social media. 

These short-form vertical videos allow you to showcase your personality in 90 seconds or less. Ditch the professional camera crew and jump in front of your iPhone camera to film bite-sized, mobile-first videos that cover:

• A tour of your agency’s office, allowing you to introduce your team of agents, too.
  
• Quick interviews with agents, sharing fun facts and how they got started in real estate.
  
• A day in the life of an agent on your team, sharing candid behind-the-scenes moments. 

Tip 4. Set up DM automations for top-notch customer service 

Want to ensure potential leads receive an instant response from your agency on Instagram, no matter what time of day they contact you?

It’s time to set up automated replies on Instagram direct messages. From answers to frequently asked questions to auto-responder messages, these automations are your ticket to a top-notch customer experience. 

To get started, jump into your Instagram business account, head to your Instagram DM Inbox and tap the three dots (top right). Select tools and you’ll be served a range of automation options, from response suggestions to saved replies to FAQ automations.  

Tip 5. Use location tags and hashtags for local marketing success

Want to read Instagram users in your local area? It’s time to tap into the power of local marketing on Instagram with geo-location tags and hashtags. 

On every single post you share to your Instagram feed, it’s important to add a geo-location tag that’s relevant to your agency’s service area.

Plus, each post should have a range of location-specific hashtags used to reach local users. Make sure to use a mix of broad location hashtags (such as #LosAngeles or #Atlanta) along with property-specific location hashtags (such as #LuxuryHomesHamptons). 

Tip 6. Harness a link in bio landing page to drive traffic, leads and sales 

On Instagram, your bio link is your ticket to new leads, new listings and new deals! So, how can you maximize your Instagram bio link? The answer: create a Linktree. 

On Linktree, you can score access to a stack of visual features and tools curated specifically for real estate agents for free, including:

• Visual property listing blocks that you can add, remove and update on the go
  
• Integrated forms to streamline lead generation and capture and convert new listings
  
• In-depth analytics to track traffic, clicks, client engagement to improve your strategy 

Plus, with a Linktree Pro plan, you can score all of the below for just USD $9 a month: 

• Custom QR codes to add to your printed materials at open homes
  
• Email and phone capture to easily grow your contact list of potential leads
  
• Access to priority support for fast, dedicated help to keep your profile running smoothly

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How to master Instagram marketing for real estate with Linktree

As a real estate agent, you need the right support in your corner. While you handle the hard work of attracting new prospects, Linktree will do the heavy lifting to capture and convert them into leads. 

With a fully customized link in bio landing page from Linktree, you can:

• Drive traffic to your recent sales in seconds to show you what it takes to deliver results
• Raise the profile of your agents to build trust and inspire new enquiries
• Design custom lead forms to capture prospects and follow up with ease 
• Leverage powerful analytics to measure the performance of your lead generation efforts

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‍What are you waiting for? Join over 100,000 real estate agents who are already growing their real estate businesses on Linktree. Sign up for our free 30-day trial today!