Agent Marketing

Optimize Your Instagram Profile for Real Estate Leads: Username & Display Name

Optimizing your Instagram bio is a game changer for real estate agents. The Broke Agent shares how create a Username and Display name that is searchable.

June 14, 2024
The Broke Agent

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The biggest mistake I see agents make on Instagram is not having their profile optimized to actually get conversions. Pumping out an enormous amount of content is necessary to stay top of mind and reach people outside of your database, but it becomes almost useless if your profile is not ready to actually capture leads and be discovered.

Today more than ever, people are using Instagram more like a search engine. It’s not quite at the level of TikTok, which is not quite at the level of YouTube or Google, but Instagram is getting more focused on SEO and keywords to help users easily learn and discover exactly what they are looking for.

In this blog series, I’ll tell you exactly how to make your Instagram profile more searchable. Today, we’ll start with the basics: Username and Display Name. For some, this may seem like Instagram 101, and for others, it may change your life…

Before you keep reading, you should know that I have an entire course on Profile Optimization for real estate agents in our membership platform, BAMx. I’m in a fantastic mood today because my beard is at the perfect length, so I’m going to give you FREE Access to my Profile Optimization Course right HERE.

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How To Make Your Profile Searchable

Now, as of writing this, there are two locations that actually get picked up in searches through your Instagram profile—your Instagram Username, aka your @ or Handle, and your Display Name.

In one or both the Username and the Display Name, you’re going to want some combination of your actual name, the location/town you sell real estate in, and some version of the world real estate.

Let’s start with the Username.

Optimize Your Instagram Username

In this example above, @movemetotennessee is Marie Lee’s Username and it’s a perfect one at that because she has the word “Tennessee” in it, which is where she sells real estate. That is searchable. She also has the cleverly named “movemeto” handle, which further helps identify the fact that she is a real estate agent. In just her Username alone, we get an idea of what Marie does and where she does it.

Next is the Display Name.

Optimize Your Instagram Display Name

She has her name, Marie Lee, an aesthetically placed emoji for separation, and then her location and occupation: Nashville Realtor.

Perfectly clear and searchable. Again, before you even get to her bio you know exactly what Marie does and where she does it. Now, Marie used the word “Realtor” to describe her occupation, but you can also use “Real Estate Agent” if you absolutely despise NAR and want to stick it to them. Either way, the Display Name should have your actual name, the location you sell in, and something about real estate.

All the other words below the Username and Display Name will NOT help you get discovered through search, but they will definitely help you convert. We will continue to go down the profile in future blogs, covering what to put in your bio, links, pinned posts, and cover photos. You can wait to read each blog…or you can watch my entire Profile Optimization Course for FREE right now.

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About the Author

The Broke Agent

Eric Simon is the founder of The Broke Agent and co-founding Chief of Content of BAM. You can watch him weekly as a co-host of Over Ask Podcast and The Walk Thru. Eric also speaks at industry events across the nation and can hit his pitching wedge 190 yards.

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