When someone lands on your Instagram grid, they should see two things right away: Faces and Places.
Haley Ingram of Coffee & Contracts and I came up with this during one of our many audit sessions, and it has stuck ever since. It is simple, obvious, and instantly fixes the biggest problem most agents have on Instagram.
Here is what I mean.
Faces: The Fastest Way to Build Trust
At a glance, when someone opens your profile and scrolls through your first ten to fifteen posts, they should see your face. If you are not in any of your content, that is a problem. How can someone know, like, or trust you if they are just scrolling through random houses, text graphics, or B-roll clips that do not show who you are?
Yes, you should be making video. But even if you are not, your face should show up on static images and carousel covers. If you are going to put effort into creating content, you might as well let people see the person behind it.
Take Shane Burgman, for example. When you head to his profile, his face is everywhere. You know exactly who you are dealing with, and you feel like you already know him.
Or look at Selene Hanna. She posts a ton of videos, but even her carousels have photos of her mixed in. They could have been text only, but she adds her own photos because she understands that faces get more engagement and build more trust.
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Places: Make Your Location Obvious
Now let’s talk about the second part of this, which is just as important. Places.
When someone opens your profile, they should immediately know that you sell real estate and where you sell it. If you are an agent in Miami, I should feel Miami the moment I start scrolling. The culture, the weather, the colors, the hyperlocal moments, and of course, the real estate. It should be obvious.
Look at Katie Lucie, who sells in Jupiter, Florida. Her posts show the water, the lifestyle, the community, and the homes. You see Jupiter everywhere. Her face is there, and her market is there. There is no confusion about what she does or where she does it.
That is the entire point. Your profile should clearly communicate who you are, what you do, and where you work. You are not just a real estate agent. You are a local advocate and a walking commercial for your town. If your grid is filled with generic graphics, canned templates, or national market stats that have nothing to do with your city, people will scroll right past you.
So, remember: Faces and Places! If you focus on those two things, your content becomes more personal, more local, and instantly more valuable.
