How to expose yourself online (the right way)

As a new agent, marketing yourself and your services is mission-critical. But it can feel a bit intimidating to put yourself out there — doubly so if you’re not used to promoting yourself on social platforms like Instagram. (Or, even scarier, on TikTok.)

Don’t give up just yet — we’re here for you with some tips and content ideas to help you gain exposure, without the stress.

We’ve pulled together a list of ideas that you can use over and over again. These are the daily building blocks of a successful marketing campaign that will help you gain recognition and build a reputation in your market.

Introducing… you!

You already know how to market your homes for sale, but you might completely freeze when it comes to marketing yourself. But the basics are exactly the same: get professional photos taken, highlight your features and benefits, and with everything you do, let your personality shine through. Clients want to work with someone they like, so help them form a connection and get to know you through your online posts!

Here are a few ideas of posts that develop your online persona and reputation, while also adding value for clients (and potentials).

Content ideas

Here are some great ideas to get you started – enough for five weeks worth of content. Just plug in your ideas, and post away!

Five stories

Potential clients want to trust you, to connect with you, and to feel confident that you’ll have their back — so help them get to know you! Share your story of why you became a real estate agent. Share what owning a home means to you, to your parents or what it meant to your grandparents. Share advice your father gave you about business, or money. Share memories of family gatherings that centre around the family kitchen and a safe place to be together.

Five staged photos

Great photos are a key component to standing out in a sea of content online. If your own listings don’t show the glamour of a life well-loved, then capture or share some ideal interiors that will take people’s breath away and give your network something great to look at. This can also be a great way to build your unique brand, and share a bit about your personal aesthetic and style. For instance, if you specialize in selling luxury homes, share some photos of luxury design and aesthetics. Not only will you have a beautiful, attractive feed, but you’ll also communicate that your brand IS luxury and you’re the go-to agent for high-end homes.

There’s one caveat here: avoid using your social media as a listing service. We see agents who just post listing after listing, open house after open house, price reduction after – well, you get the idea! Curate your content thoughtfully, don’t just spew a non-stop firehose of information. 😉

Five calls to action / invitations

Just posting can be a waste of time if you aren’t consistently also asking for business and letting people know how to work with you. Let people know that you want to help them! However, please don’t resort to over-used gimmicks such as “Are you looking to buy or sell?” Imagine a new attention-grabbing, out-of-the-ordinary way to invite people to connect with you. Perhaps something like:

“Cocktails are on the house while we talk about your dream home!”

“Coffee at your place? Let’s sip and sell!”

“I’ll buy the wine, you choose the time.”

Also, make it extremely easy to find your contact information — and list your cell number as well as your direct email.

Five throw-back Thursdays (#tbt)

Everyone loves going back in time to take a peek at your embarrassing hair-dos, cars, homes and more. Gather some memories and post them. You can use houses, neighbourhoods, businesses and your personal history. And don’t forget to use hashtags! Even LinkedIn encourages them.

Five memes

These can be quotes you love, personal mottos, things you’ve heard your clients say, photos you love, words that match with your brand.… gather them up and brand them.

Do not steal original work and pass if off as your own. Always give credit to the owner of the quote.

Five personal posts

Don’t be afraid to get a little bit personal and let your audience get to know you. You can film reels and stories that invite people into your daily life, and make them feel like they already know you! Share content like a behind-the-scenes-look at setting up for an open house, your own kitchen reno, or maybe your gardening work.

We recommend spending an hour one afternoon or evening gathering/batch-creating content that matches your brand and elevates your reputation. Save everything to a marketing folder so you have a variety of options at your fingertips. Then, use a spreadsheet or calendar to strategically plan out your material for each month, and ultimately throughout the year.