Natalie Perez-Benitoa’s latest trendjack is getting attention on Instagram for her client’s listing, apparently in defiance of the algorithm. Sort of.
The text overlay reads:
“The Algorithm hates to show my listings so here we are.”
When one door closes, as they say…
So, Natalie strikes a pose and snaps her way through jaw-dropping pics of her client’s home. Maybe she’s imagining snapping the algorithm out of existence. Or maybe she’s just playing to the rhythm of the Bieber song in the background. Who’s to say?
But everything fits: the audio, the visuals, the unblinking death stare on Natalie’s face.
Check it out, and tell me I’m wrong.
View this post on Instagram
Here’s why Natalie’s post works and what agents can take from it.
Just Giving the Algorithm What It Wants
In case you thought dancing on social media to juice the algorithm was no longer a thing, Natalie is over here proving it still works.
No, she’s not dancing in this one. But in another one of her posts, with the same text overlay, she dances freestyle while showing off her client’s home. That one has over 18K views.
So, what’s coming together to make the death stare post so compelling?
- The pose that works for every background image in the slideshow
- The slide-in color “reveal” from black and white to full color
- The well-timed snaps revealing gorgeous shots of her client’s home
- The soothing pool shot at the end with the home’s address
- Natalie’s death stare because it says everything. And nothing. And everything.
So, how do you make a post like this if you (like me) are not a dancer, but you’re every bit as fed up with the Instagram algorithm as Natatlie looks in this reel?
The secret is in Natalie’s pose. You lean. You lean hard … into your strengths.
Here’s how to build a post the algorithm can’t resist:
- Use movement in every shot. Camera movement, subject movement, or quick cuts. Static clips die fast.
- Sync your cuts to the audio. Even simple taps or transitions feel better when they land on the beat.
- Show the home in layers. Tease, reveal, then payoff. Don’t dump everything at once.
- Put a human face in it. You are the hook. The house is the reward.
- Keep it tight. If it drags, it dies.
- End with something that holds attention. A calming pool shot, a stunning sunrise, a detail that makes people pause and stare with longing.
Another idea: take a page out of Krys Benyamein’s book and use the “viral gasp reveal” to show off stunning scenes from your client’s home. This is another instance where your face, or specifically what it’s doing, is the hook. If people are always telling you they love watching your facial expressions, lean into that.
A recent Instagram reel by Zach Stanley doesn’t even feature any listing photos. The video is just Zach sitting in a chair, drinking milk out of a wine glass with Olivia Dean’s “A Couple Minutes” playing in the background.
The text overlay reads:
“Social media is weird. I could literally post myself drinking milk to an Olivia Dean song and it’ll get more views than a professional video of a $6 million luxury home.”
So, he mentions his client’s $6M listing, and he might be sitting in it (not clear), but the point is made. He’s getting views and love on his post by pandering to the algorithm, while “raising a glass” to real estate creators on IG who know exactly what he’s talking about.
Wherever you’re leaning right now, pick your move and commit to it. Make the algorithm deal with you for once.
