Does it matter who you follow on social media?
In short, yes.
Who you follow on Instagram is very important for your scrolling experience, your inspiration for content, and the algorithm in general. So I’m breaking down the types of Instagram accounts you should follow as a real estate agent.
The golden rule
Let’s start with the golden rule: the number of people you’re following should not be greater than your followers.
It looks awful if you have 2,000 followers but are following 4,000 or more. Keep optics in mind when you decide to follow someone. The following tips can help you with this.
Content you want to see in your feed
This, of course, is a matter of personal preference for your scrolling experience. I follow sports highlight accounts, podcasts, friends, and family.
Follow whoever you want. But remember—people and potential clients might check. So, if you’re following a bunch of political pundits and swimsuit models, maybe unfollow them and save those for your Finsta (your fake Instagram) and not your professional account.
Accounts to follow for the algorithm
In order to get suggested and discovered, you have to follow accounts in the real estate industry. This, on top of your bio and content, of course, helps Instagram know what type of content you’re posting—and what type of content you want to see.
So, you’re going to want to follow some big real estate accounts like these:
- Inman News
- Housing Wire
- Tom Ferry
- The Broke Agent
- Broke Agent Media
- National Association of Realtors (NAR)
- Keeping Current Matters (KCM)
- Ryan Serhant and maybe some other reality stars
- HGTV
- your own brokerage
- agents in your brokerage
This is content you want to consume to stay updated with what’s going on in your industry. And don’t forget to share and interact with this content. Leaving comments on larger accounts is a great way to pick up some like-minded followers.
Accounts of people you do business with
Next are accounts of people you do business with and want to support—that almighty Rolodex you keep bragging about:
- clients
- friends who might be clients
- past clients
- vendors
- title reps
- escrow reps
- inspectors
- local businesses tied to your industry
- other accounts in your community—like restaurants, shops, and charities
Follow and support these accounts with likes, comments, and DMs. This can help maintain relationships with the people you work with and make you an active member in your community—at least digitally.
Follow other agents in your market
Don’t forget to follow other agents in your market—or those you do consistent business with. Believe it or not, there are a lot of agents who post great content. Learn from them, and integrate the content styles you like into your social strategy. It’s instant networking.
It’s even possible the agent will be more inclined to work with you and your client because you follow them and interact with their content.
Follow for referrals
The most important reason to follow other agents is to get referrals. Some agents I’m friends with in this industry get about 90% of their business through straight Instagram referrals. It helps if you have some viral content, but consistency is the most important factor.
Build a network of agents across the country.
Accounts for inspiration and motivation
Next, we have accounts to follow for inspiration and motivation. I get about half my content by scrolling through Instagram and seeing how and what other people are posting.
Don’t just follow people in the real estate industry. Follow accounts that create incredible content and inspire you to do the same. As cliché as it is, you’ve got to follow @garyvee for motivation and to see how he’s posting on each platform, so you can replicate that.
I know some of this is kind of obvious, but it’s good to break it down and be strategic. For more Instagram strategies, check out 2022 Instagram Hacks and Your Weekly Instagram Prescription.
And sign up to be one of the first to know when our full-blown BAM Instagram Course hits the market.
