With over two billion active monthly users, Instagram is the perfect place to find your future buyers and sellers.

And real estate lends itself perfectly to this image-based social media platform with all your gorgeous listing photos and community snapshots.

With Instagram, you get:

• The opportunity for FREE marketing,
• Direct access to potential buyers and sellers,
• Ongoing engagement with local homeowners,
• Constant communication with your sphere,
• The ability to establish yourself as the local expert,
• The power to enhance brand recognition, and
• More leads!

But three’s a bit of a learning curve. So, in this Instagram for real estate agents guide, we’re going to cover the basics, explain how to use the platform, and give you 10 quick tips to boost engagement.

INSTAGRAM BASICS

If you’ve never used Instagram before, it can be like learning a new language! Here are the basics:

• Posts: The photos you publish to your Instagram feed, along with the text descriptions. You can post one photo or a series of photos.
• Reels: Short videos of up to 30 seconds that you can publish to your feed.
• Stories: Photos or videos that only live on your Instagram for 24 hours. Instead of being listed with the posts in your feed, they get a special section at the top of your page while they’re available.
• Highlights: Stories that you decide to make permanent. Think of your highlight topics like your website menu. You probably want to have a series of highlights with buyer tips, one with seller tips, one about you and your business, one about local neighborhoods, and one with your listings. Use branded highlight covers for a professional, curated vibe.
• Hashtags (#): keywords you use in your description. Instagram is like a search engine, showing people posts they think they’ll like based on keywords. Users can search by hashtag or even follow hashtags to stay on top of a certain topic. For example, buyers might follow #homebuyertips or #homesindallas.
• Tags (@): Bring another Instagram account into your conversation by tagging someone. If, for example, you have a yard sign design by Pinkpops Design that you want to show off on your Insta, include @pinkpops.design in your description so we can like your post!

HOW TO USE INSTAGRAM AS A REAL ESTATE AGENT

First, make sure you set up a business Instagram account. This will allow you to link to your website from your IG bio. Make sure you use a headshot that reflects your unique brand. Generally, a photo of your face performs better than a company logo. Don’t forget to include your contact info in your IG bio.

Now, think of your Instagram as a way to keep in contact with your extended sphere while also providing value to local buyers and sellers. Not sure what to post? Check out our top 30 Instagram ideas for REALTORS!

But it’s not just about posting. To get the full Insta experience, follow other people and engage with their content. You can start with friends, family, and clients, then local businesses. And don’t forget to follow us @pinkpops.design for branded real estate marketing tips!

QUICK TIPS FOR BOOSTING ENGAGEMENT ON INSTAGRAM FOR REAL ESTATE AGENTS

Here are 10 quick tips for getting the most out of your Instagram:

1. Focus on creating a cohesive brand.
2. Post content that is relevant to your followers.
3. Like and comment on other people’s posts.
4. Respond to all comments on your posts.
5. Make your content more about educating your audience than strictly promoting your listings.
6. Throw in some personal photos to show the human side of your real estate business.
7. Shout out other local businesses.
8. Never pay for followers; buying followers will backfire!
9. Post around 2 pm. This is when you get the most immediate engagement, which prompts Insta to show your post to more people.
10. Post consistently. Yes, it takes time. But it’s an investment in your business.

IS INSTAGRAM OVERWHELMING? HERE’S THE SOLUTION.

Even agents who use Instagram personally get a bit overwhelmed when they start to use it professionally. The most difficult bit is constantly coming up with new content ideas and designing your posts. After all, you’re a real estate professional, not a graphic designer or social media marketer!

If you just don’t have the time (or desire) to create all your own Instagram content, outsource it to us!

With our Real Estate Everything Bundle, we create curated Instagram content for you to post every month. All you have to do is download the images from the bundle and upload them to Instagram.

Grab the bundle today!

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