For years, the path to visibility on social media was simple: grow your follower count. If you had a big enough audience, you could get your content seen.
At BAM Camp 2025, Eric Simon, aka The Broke Agent, was joined on stage by Krys Benyamein and Tessabella Jelten to break down why that playbook is officially dead.
The new game is interest media, and it rewards agents who create content people actually want to watch.
Read on for the plays that are crushing right now for real estate content creators.
From Followers to Interest Media
The old model revolved around building followers to reach your audience. Now, platforms distribute content based on interests and engagement signals, not connections.
That shift levels the playing field.
As Eric put it,
“You can have zero followers, post a piece of content, and get as many views and shares as someone who has 530,000 followers. It’s actually an awesome time to create content.”
The key is creating content that captures attention, keeps people watching, and gets them to share.
The Metrics That Matter
Success on today’s platforms comes down to three primary signals:
- Average watch time: How long viewers stick with your video.
- Sends and saves: How often viewers share or store it.
- Views: The byproduct of strong engagement.
Eric stressed the importance of watching where viewers drop off.
“You could look at your insights after every single Instagram reel and see, alright, someone watched this for 15 seconds, but my video is actually 45 seconds. What happened? Where in that piece of content can I make a tweak to get someone to watch the content for as long as possible?”
This doesn’t just apply to video. With carousels, the goal is to move people from the hook on slide one to the CTA at the end.
Every second they stay is a signal to the algorithm that your content is worth sharing.
Hooks That Stop the Scroll
Verbal hooks aren’t enough anymore. Agents need multiple layers to pull people in:
- Visual hooks: Casual, in-motion setups that feel real (sitting down mid-shot, putting on lip gloss, walking through a door).
- Text hooks: Headlines, numbers, and memes that frame the story before you start speaking.
- Audio hooks: Background music that sets the tone without overpowering your voice.
Tessabella explained why visual hooks resonate.
“Sometimes that can be the simple fact of you started filming as you’re sitting down in the chair, instead of setting everything up perfectly and then hitting record.
“It’s the impression of content that is in the moment, and people pay much closer attention to that.”
Eric pointed to creators like Theoni Rapo (“Not Your Daddy’s Lender”), who frames every video as if she’s on FaceTime. The casual start makes it feel like a personal interaction.
He also emphasized the power of text-based hooks:
“Anytime that you could use numbers on your text base hook, you are connecting deeper with the audience and you already know what the content is about before I even post it.”
The best videos layer hooks together. A caption hook, paired with a visual moment and an audio shift, gives the algorithm more to work with. And the audience has more reasons to stay.
Turning Boring Topics into Watchable Content
Educational content still works, but only if it’s delivered in a way that makes people stay until the end. Whiteboards, listicles, and proof upfront can transform otherwise dry topics.
Krys emphasized this point.
“If you want to make the video about the earnest money deposit, think about how you can frame it so that people actually want to watch it. Because in the masterminds, one thing that I saw is the content is dynamite, but it feels more suited for an email or a blog, and that’s not what is trending on Instagram.”
He gave examples of dressing up educational posts with visuals.
“Sometimes the visual hook is what you’re thinking about first, and what lame idea do I have that I can connect to it to make it less lame?”
Eric added that list-style whiteboard videos are particularly effective.
“Anytime you’re doing whiteboard content or listing something one, two, and three, that really helps with the average watch time because you want people to stay till the end.”
Krys also highlighted the importance of authority. Opening with proof, like “I’ve sold 600 homes in six years,” pulls viewers in before they’ve even decided if the topic interests them.
Humor, Carousels, and the Disguised Sale
Not every post has to drive direct business. Humor plays a critical role in showing personality, connecting with other agents, and building a more rounded personal brand.
Krys explained:
“I believe that when you see the humorous side coupled with the trust or the authority that I’m selling the houses is when it shows a well-rounded agent. So not everything has to be viral, not everything has to be the sexy thing of the day.”
He gave the example of a parody listing video describing a “crime scene with plumbing” that leaned into absurd humor while still engaging an audience.
Carousels are another tool agents can use to replace “Just Sold” posts with story-driven narratives.
Tessa highlighted why they work:
“Of course it feels good and it looks cool when we get a video with a ton of views or a lot of engagement, but you shouldn’t overlook the stuff that’s also really valuable and connects with just the specific ideal audience you’re trying to speak to.”
Eric encouraged agents to disguise sales pitches inside hyperlocal content. Instead of posting “open house this Sunday,” frame the video around weekend events in the area, slipping the open house in alongside them.
By the time you mention your listing, the audience is already hooked.
Building a Signature Series
One of the strongest long-term strategies is creating a recognizable series. From “Realtor Red Flags” to “Lunch Getaway,” these repeatable formats build consistency and audience recognition.
Tessa explained how props can make a series stand out.
“I bought a pack of red flags on Amazon to use as the visual hook to everything. And you could go on and on about that topic for so long. You could do a signature series around common buyer mistakes, hyperlocal restaurants, or anything your audience connects with.”
She also mentioned a San Diego agent who created “Deja Brew,” a coffee shop series that quickly became a local favorite.
Eric shared how Grigory Pekarsky launched “Lunch Getaway” and saw his content spike.
“This video, within two weeks of working with us, got 120,000 views and completely rose up all of his other content.”
Series like these work because they create anticipation. Viewers know what to expect, and they start coming back for more.
Hyperlocal series like restaurant reviews or weekend guides also double as lead magnets. They show expertise while keeping your name top of mind for people in the community.
CTAs That Actually Convert
Conversion doesn’t happen without a clear and repeated call to action. Panelists recommended sandwiching calls to action (CTAs) at the beginning, middle, and end of a video.
Tessa explained why repetition matters.
“It’s the very first line in my caption, it’s on the screen in the first three seconds, and it’s on the screen at the end of the video because my ultimate objective here is to get as many people to comment and opt into that.”
Krys added that humor and personal posts open the door to more private conversations.
“When my client laughs at me, making fun of real estate agents, that’s my opportunity to go into the DM and say, ‘Did you see the email of us giving away the Charger tickets? You coming to the event this weekend?’”
The key is balancing relational content with conversion-focused posts so you can move leads from the feed into real conversations.
Tools, Trends, and Hacks for 2025
The panel also shared the tools that make content creation easier and more effective:
- Edits app: Publishing through Edits helps boost engagement on Instagram.
- Notes app screenshots: Quick, authentic, and proven to perform.
- Mixed media carousels: Combine text and video for stronger engagement.
- Trending audio: Save early, use instrumental versions for talking-head content.
- AI tools: Repurpose stories or transactions into carousel headlines with ChatGPT.
As Krys admitted, even simple posts without him on screen performed well when tested through Notes app screenshots or headline-style graphics.
Testing is also critical. Tessa mentioned posting first on Threads to gauge reactions, then sharing the best-performing ideas as Instagram posts.
At the end of the day, the old follower game is over. Interest media rewards agents who create content that hooks attention, keeps viewers watching, and encourages sharing.
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