Posting listings on Instagram can feel repetitive.
If it’s not your listing, it can feel off-limits.
And if it is your listing, but it’s been sitting, you can only say “just listed” so many times before it starts sounding tired.
I wanted something different.
I have a couple of listings that needed fresh exposure, and a long-term goal of attracting more relocation and move-up buyers in the $2M+ market.
So I came up with a new format. Something that lets me:
- Promote my own listings without sounding pushy or redundant
- Position myself around the price points and property types I want
- Show value even if I don’t have new inventory that week
So far, it’s gotten over 20 shares and saves (each). And that tells me it’s a post people are paying attention to.
Here’s exactly how (and why) it works:
1. It starts with strategy, not content
Before I touched the MLS or picked a template, I got clear on what I was trying to do.
I wasn’t just filling a gap in my social calendar.
I was trying to get more eyes on a couple of stale listings, and I wanted to speak directly to the type of buyer I want more of. That’s the relocation or move-up buyer shopping in the $2M+ market, looking for golf, water, or family-focused lifestyle communities.
I had an idea to creatively play matchmaker between typical buyer avatars in my market and current listings in my MLS.
Think: The Beachgoer. The Downsizer. The Boater. The Upgrading Family.
Each one highlighted a home that matched the lifestyle of that buyer avatar.
Some of the listings were mine. Some weren’t. And I never called out which was which.
2. Every listing serves a purpose
This is not just a carousel of “cool houses I found.” This is an intentional carousel, designed to speak directly to qualified, lifestyle-driven buyers.
I included eight listings. Some were mine, and four were in neighborhoods and price points that align with the type of buyers I want in my DMs. If I’m trying to build brand authority around a specific demographic, this is how I do it consistently, without waiting for new listings to fall into my lap.
If you don’t have listings, this works all the same. You can still show up as a market expert by highlighting what’s available and matching it to the buyers you want to attract.
3. It features MLS screenshots (on purpose)
Instead of using professional listing photos that weren’t mine, I screenshotted the MLS thumbnails (price, address, and all). It’s not fancy, and it feels real. And it’s way more compliant than reposting media that isn’t yours.
It also helped me move faster. No need to overdesign, overedit, or overthink.
Plus, consumers actually like seeing what the MLS looks like behind the scenes.
4. The copy is short and specific
Each slide started with a lifestyle like “The Boat Lover” or “The Downsizer,” and underneath that, I wrote a few bullet points that explained why the home matched that lifestyle.
For example, “The Boat Lover”:
- 5 minutes to the inlet
- 2 boat lifts
- Amazing views
It was never just “4 bed, 3 bath, 3200 sqft.”
It was, “Here’s who this home is for, and why.”
That’s real value to the consumer, it shows that I know both the homes and the buyers in my market, and it can promote my own inventory without even mentioning it’s mine.
Lifestyles sell.
5. The first image is a photo of me
It’s a small detail, but it made a big difference.
Starting the post with a photo of myself (instead of a house or a drone shot) helped it feel more personal and stopped the scroll. It also had a hook that framed the rest of the post as something I curated, not just a dump of listings.
6. The template matters
Once I had the idea to do a lifestyle-based swiper post, I opened the Coffee & Contracts “feed post” library and scrolled until I found something that fit. I was looking for a layout that felt clean, minimal, and had the right flow.
I found one from months ago about a typical weekly schedule, and a quick change from the day of the week in the original template to lifestyle in my post, and it ended up working perfectly. The format looked polished, the copy was intentional, and the entire post worked without looking like it was trying too hard.
Want to try it yourself? Here’s your next post
- Pick 6 to 8 buyer types relevant to your market
- Match each one with a current active listing
- Use MLS screenshots to keep it simple and compliant
- Add a few lines that connect the lifestyle to the listing
- Use a clean template to format it
- Make the first image a photo of you
That’s it.
You’re not just posting listings. You’re helping people see what’s possible.
