The 90% of Your Audience You’re Completely Ignoring

“Don’t ever forget this… Small talk leads to big talk.”

That was one of the first “write-this-down” moments from Neel Dhingra during his opening session at BAM Pro Bowl III, and it set the tone for everything that followed.

Because before agents worry about scripts, hooks, or conversion tactics, Neel made one thing clear: most of us are speaking to the wrong audience on social media.

He back it up with numbers:

• 85%–90% of your audience is “not ready yet,” roughly 6, 12, or 18 months out
• But most agent content is aimed at the tiny slice of people who are ready in the next 30–60 days

That mismatch is why so much real estate content feels transactional instead of relational. Agents are trying to have closing conversations with people who are still in the getting-comfortable phase.

And that’s where Neel’s “small talk leads to big talk” line comes in.

If you want more business in 2026, you don’t just need better closing lines. You need to be in more conversations, earlier. Conversations that aren’t always about buying or selling, but about shared interests, observations, and common ground.

“If you can start the conversation, if you can be in the conversation with more people, you’re going to get more business in 2026.”

Building rapport alone isn’t the strategy. But it’s the entry point. And it becomes especially important when you remember who makes up the majority of your audience: the people who aren’t ready yet.

Talk to the “Not Yet” Crowd & Make Them Feel Smarter

Neel made the point that most real estate agents on social media are creating content for the smallest group of people on the real estate “audience spectrum.” 

Neel described the different “slices” on the audience spectrum, including: 

• People who will never talk to you
• People ready to transact now 
• The massive middle group: the  “not yet” crowd 

Here’s how he put it:

“The middle 85–90% of the audience on social media is ‘not yet.’ They’re the ‘not yet’ crowd. These are people who are 6, 12, 18 months away from buying a home. Maybe they don’t even know if they want to buy a home, but they’re just there, and they’re waiting to be talked to.”

And you can’t talk to someone 18 months out like they’re 18 days from closing.

If your content assumes urgency, you’ll sound like every other agent trying to speed-run trust.

“You can’t cold call these people…you have to do it with one-to-many marketing, which is your media, your webinars, different things like this.”

As Neel explained, social media is your long-game channel. It’s not the closing table. That long game gives you time to empower future clients by not only educating them but also making them feel smarter. 

“If you’re not making people feel good, they’re not going to like your content. If your goal is to get more clients, (make sure) that you’re making people feel good. You’re making them feel smarter.”

From there, Neel unpacked two practical content shifts that help you stay in those long-term conversations and turn “helpful” content into “I want to work with you” content.

Lead with observations, not declarations, and borrow credibility with headlines

Content that shares your expertise doesn’t have to feel like a lecture. Enter observation content, which differs from expert content in its approach.   

Neel made the distinction clearer, starting with an “okay, but not terrible” example:

“This is the number one thing you need to do if you want to own a home this year.”

It’s a hook that almost every agent on social has used at some point, making it easy to scroll past. 

A better strategy would be to make an observation:

“This buydown strategy is going viral right now, and it’s for good reason.”

As its name suggests, observation content begins with an observation rather than an expert declaration. It puts you on the same level as your audience as someone observing something relevant to them, calling their attention to it by leveraging an already trusted source. 

Neel laid out a simple two-step execution framework: 

• Use a headline as the “third-party” voice.
• Add your expertise.

Green screen reels are excellent for this type of content. But you can also screenshot an article to use as a static background. 

“What I do is I screenshot an article, and I talk about the article. 

“So it’s not Neel telling you about buying power, it’s Fortune Magazine telling you, and then I insert my expertise. So what you want to do is start with a headline, show the article if you can, start with a punchline, and then talk about the thing.”

Here’s an example:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Neel Dhingra (@neelhome)

Here’s Neel’s formula for observation content: 

• Screenshot a headline, including the publication name.
• Show it for 3–4 seconds at the start.
• Hit a clear punchline fast, then explain what it means locally in your market.

As Neel emphasized, this approach works because when your post reaches new people, those (relative) strangers don’t know your resume. But they don’t need it to appreciate your content. 

Observations reduce resistance. And clarity in the first three seconds keeps people from scrolling past. 

“You can do expert content, but not always. It shouldn’t be your entire feed. Some of it should just be, ‘Man, did you see this thing?’”

Observation + Unpopular Opinion

Observation plus perspective adds a one-two punch that makes these posts even more compelling, especially if you have a contrarian view on something the industry keeps repeating. 

Is there an established opinion or view in the industry that you disagree with, or that you believe is incomplete or needs nuance? 

“What does everybody in the industry believe that you think is wrong? Or at least it needs more nuance or [is] incomplete. What is one thing that everybody says, and you’re like, ‘You know what? I have a different point of view.’”

Serious caveat, here; This is not about painting those who hold that belief as less intelligent than you are. It’s about giving a voice to those who are already questioning it in their minds. 

Another caveat Neel offered had to do with veering off into the political arena, where you’re almost guaranteed to alienate a significant number of people who think differently, for reasons of their own. 

Keep it safe and professional. Question established wisdom to open up the conversation and invite other perspectives, not to shut anyone down. 

So, to recap on the new rules for standing out in 2026: 

• Stop posting as if everyone is ready today.
• Use observation content to share your perspective on news, market updates, etc.
• Earn attention and trust by making “not yet” people feel smarter.
• Question established opinions/views to give a voice to those already questioning them.

The full replay for BAM Pro Bowl III, including Neel’s presentation, is available in BAMx for members to access 24/7. Not a member yet? Sign up for a free 7-day trial to get full access. 

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