As hooks go, this one definitely kept me watching.
Denver Realtor Alex L Reber opened his Instagram reel with this:
“In today’s real estate market, you need to stand out. That’s why today I’m gonna be the first ever to free solo climb my new listing.”
I watched before I read Reber’s caption, which explained how he went full Spiderman on his way up the building’s facade:
“Aside from my climbing skills, there’s nothing artificial about this listing.”
It’s bold. It’s slightly ridiculous. And it works.
Check it out for yourself. Then, let’s take a look at why this works and what you can borrow from it as a real estate content creator.
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Why This Post Works
First, the verbal hook creates instant tension.
“In today’s real estate market, you need to stand out.”
That line feels familiar. Almost cliché. Gets you thinking, “Yes, and?”
Then he tosses a grenade with this:
“That’s why today I’m gonna be the first ever to free solo climb my new listing.”
Those words “free solo climb” instantly raise the stakes. You hear it and think, “Wait… what?”
And that’s the whole game on Instagram. You get maybe a second and a half before someone flicks their thumb. This line buys him more time.
Then he doubles down. He doesn’t just say something outrageous and cut to a normal listing shot. He commits. He’s actually scaling the facade. He waves mid-climb (without immediately dying, which is something).
There’s even background chatter from the spectators. “Oh my god, is that him?” “This is insane.”
One of the reasons this works so well is because Reber’s post trendjacks on a real high-stakes solo climb. On January 24, Alex Honnold made history (again) by free soloing a skyscraper in Taiwan. Netflix aired the moment live and shared it on IG.
Now, notice what Reber doesn’t do in his reel.
He doesn’t start rattling off square footage or HOA details while he’s hanging off the building. The address and neighborhood show up cleanly in a text overlay.
Quick and clear. Meanwhile we’re still watching him “climb” as people snap pics of him from the windows he’s passing. After a brief, celebratory “Sick!” at the top (just like in the Honnold clip), he shares a selfie and then ends with these words against a black background:
“Just listed! 3360 W 38th Ave #10. DM for Private Tour (no freesolo required).”
That last line seals it. It shows he knows exactly how over-the-top the concept is. And it brings the focus back to what actually matters: getting someone to reach out.
That’s the real move here. Reber grabs your attention with something bold, keeps you watching by committing to it, and then wraps up with a clear, simple CTA.
Psychologically, this post works because it hits three levers:
- Pattern interruption. You are not expecting a listing promo to start like a climbing documentary.
- Commitment to the hook. Half-measures kill humor. Reber goes all in.
- Clean call to action. DM for a private tour. Simple. No friction.
What Agents Can Borrow From This
You don’t need a climbing harness or a death wish to learn from this reel. The stunt is memorable, but the structure is the real takeaway.
- Start with a familiar truth, then flip it“In today’s market, you need to stand out” is something everyone’s heard. Reber earns attention by taking it somewhere unexpected instead of stopping at the obvious.
- Commit to the idea visuallyIf you’re going to make a bold claim, back it up on screen. Half-commitments fall flat. This works because the visual actually matches the hook.
- Let the entertainment lead, then layer in the info
The address and neighborhood show up cleanly and quickly. They don’t interrupt the moment. They ride along once you’re already watching. - Use humor without making yourself the joke
The “no freesolo required” line keeps things light without undercutting the listing or the agent’s credibility. - End with a simple, low-friction CTA
“DM for a private tour” is easy. No overthinking. No hard sell.
The bigger lesson here isn’t “be extreme.” It’s about deciding what earns attention first, then figuring out how the listing fits into that moment.
Most agents are still posting safe, predictable tours and hoping the algorithm feels generous that day. This one actually gives people a reason to stop.
Again, you don’t have to climb a building (literally or…otherwise). But what you can do is think about what your version of “free solo” is. What’s the idea that makes someone pause for half a second and think, “Wait… what?””
