In the first three years of building The Broke Agent, I spent more time doing “hand-to-hand” combat than actually posting content. And I think it’s kind of a lost art in today’s version of social media, where everyone is obsessed with the algorithm, views, and pumping out more posts.
What I’m talking about is growing your brand without posting.
What do I mean by that?
Commenting on other accounts. Responding to DMs. DM’ing people from their stories. Posting in Facebook groups. Basically, I was doing everything I could to get the name “The Broke Agent” out there and start conversations.
Of course, I was still posting daily. But I credit this strategy as the backbone of my brand’s growth. So I put together a simple formula you can use that takes 20 minutes a day (or less) to grow your brand without posting.
Step 1: Scroll Your Feed & Start Conversations
Start with 10 minutes on Instagram, but be intentional with how you scroll.
Spend the first 5 minutes on the home feed or your “following” feed. The home feed is a mix of suggested content and people you follow, while the following feed is just accounts you follow.
During those 5 minutes, you’re doing two things: leaving comments and starting conversations.
Not clapping emojis. Not “🔥🔥🔥”. Thoughtful, helpful, or conversational comments. The kind that actually makes someone want to reply or click your profile.
If you leave a good comment, someone might check out your account and follow you if your profile is dialed in and optimized. But even if they don’t, you’re still getting visibility.
As agents, the goal is mindshare. What’s the difference between a client seeing your post in their feed versus seeing your name pop up in their comments or DMs? Either way, you’re in their head. The only difference is one feels more conversational and personal.
Step 2: Use Reels to Reach People Who Don’t Know You Yet
Then spend the next 5 minutes on the Reels feed.
This is almost entirely suggested content based on your interests. Here, you’re doing two things again.
First, save content for inspiration. This is where you’ll get ideas you wouldn’t normally see in your own network.
Second, keep doing hand-to-hand. Comment. Start conversations. Get your name in front of people who don’t even know you exist yet.
But be smart about it. Try to focus on local or relevant accounts. Commenting on a random meme page (unless it’s mine) isn’t going to hit the same as engaging with a local business or someone in your market.
This is also another way to develop your brand voice.
Step 3: Turn Stories into Daily Conversations
Next, spend 5 minutes scrolling stories and sending DM’s.
Reply to stories. Start conversations. Look for anything you can engage with naturally.
Someone posts they’re golfing, and you golf? Send this: “Love that course, what’d you shoot?”
Someone posts a restaurant you’ve been to? “Went there last week, so good.”
Now you’re in a conversation. Now they associate you with something they like. People tend to work with people who feel similar to them.
Step 4: Add Value in Local Facebook Groups
Last 5 minutes: local Facebook groups.
Leave helpful comments. Be present. Be useful. My wife is in a Playa Vista Facebook group here in LA, and there’s a real estate team that technically sponsors the group. They’ve got the banner and branding, but that’s not why people know them. They’re constantly commenting. Sharing updates. Talking about new restaurants, construction, local events. They never pitch real estate. But they’re everywhere.
So when someone thinks real estate… they’re top of mind.
The Bottom Line: Conversations Compound
This kind of hand-to-hand engagement is a lost art right now. Everyone wants to go viral. Everyone wants more views.
But a comment or a DM can accomplish the exact same thing as a post. It’s like setting up a little, digital real estate sign in someone’s head.
Of course, you should still be posting. But if you pair daily posting with this 20-minute strategy, you’ll be ahead of 90% of agents.
We broke this down even further on this week’s Walk Thru. Take a look, and let me know how this strategy works for you.
