We've all heard —either from colleagues or online coaches— that as realtors we should be leveraging social media.
And we get it. After all, we're in a people-centric industry, and people share their lives and connect through social media more than anywhere else these days.
But while most agents know they should be posting online, many still struggle to figure out how to do it in a way that actually converts attention into relationships—and ideally, transactions.That's why in our recent /RealEstate episode we spoke with Nora Schneider, a 21-year-old realtor and Real Geeks’ educational video partner, whose take on authenticity, batching, and social proof is redefining what “social media for realtors” looks like in practice.
In this article, we break down Nora's advice in a digestible way, so that you can start generating some social media wins as soon as possible.
As Nora puts it: “Social media is a free tool that builds relationships while you sleep.”
While this might sound like a marketing cliché, it’s backed by data. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 46% of real estate businesses cite social media as their top tech tool for generating high-quality leads (NAR, 2024 Technology Survey).
Why do you think that is? Perhaps because social media is less about hard selling, and much more about helping your leads connect with you as a trusted advisor.
“I don't think my end goal is for it to be a lead generator,” Nora says. “What I hope to gain is authenticity. If I looked up my name and nothing showed up—or only hair stylists showed up—why hire me?”
In other words, the first rule of real estate social media is this: you're not trying to go viral. You're trying to be findable.
Let’s define the term: social media for realtors is the use of platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to build brand visibility, create trust with potential clients, and showcase both expertise and personality. It includes a mix of content types—property tours, educational posts, lifestyle updates, and client testimonials—aimed at humanizing the agent behind the listings.
Nora emphasizes that the agent is the brand: “The thing that stays consistent in all of my videos is not a font, it’s not a color—it’s me.”
This shift toward personal branding is supported by consumer psychology research.
But here's the thing: creating content where you're featured is only the first step. The true key to success lies in authenticity.
Check this out: A recent study (2024) suggests that revealing vulnerabilities or “weaknesses” as a human brand can evoke favorable consumer responses.
In other words: perfectly polished content isn’t always best. People don't just want to see a successful realtor showing them amazing houses – they want to see a human they can connect and relate to.
This is why avid social media users like Nora roll their eyes when agents say they're not "ready" to create content because they don't have the right camera, lighting, microphone, or location. If you have a modern phone and natural light, you have the right equipment. Authenticity is much more important.
When asked what percentage of her business comes directly from social media, Nora’s answer might surprise you: “Right now? Technically 0%. But… I recently had a client say, ‘I Googled you, saw all your content, and I knew you’d be my realtor.’”
In other words, even when social doesn’t “generate” the lead, it helps convert it. The client felt like he already knew her from her content, and trusted her enough to buy sight unseen in a virtual showing.
This speaks to the “mere exposure effect,” a psychological principle that says people develop preferences for things simply because they’re familiar with them. So the more someone sees you showing up consistently—whether it's in stories or reels—the more comfortable they are hiring you.
One of Nora’s biggest takeaways is to avoid the all-business feed. “You start playing the bragging war, and you forget to film the behind-the-scenes videos—which I’m absolutely obsessed with,” she says. “That’s the stuff that shows how you show up for your clients.”
Instead, she recommends every agent use a balance of:
✔ Personal content – to show you’re relatable (you with your family, on your free time, with your pets)
✔ Business content – to show your expertise (prepping for an open house, interviewing a recent buyer, making calls)
✔ Community content – to show your local pride (talking to your local gym owner, showcasing a new park installation, the opening of the latest restaurant)
This trifecta isn’t just a cute formula—it’s a strategic way to foster parasocial relationships. People connect with people, not logos. So if you’re trying to build trust at scale, posting your morning walk to a local coffee shop can actually be part of your lead funnel.
Nora’s advice on content formats is clear: don’t post the same type of thing every time. “Everyone's going to scroll by if it all looks the same,” she says.
That’s why she mixes:
✔ Reels (2–3 per week)
✔ Stories (daily)
✔ Still photos
✔ Carousels
✔ Collabs with local businesses
This aligns with platform algorithms, too. For example, Instagram boosts engagement on accounts that post multiple formats rather than just one.
And for realtors wondering when to post: “I post in real time on stories, but I batch reels. Real estate is my full-time job, social media isn’t. I batch three months of content in two or three days.”
Batching—aka filming a bunch of content at once and editing it later—saves time and keeps your feed active even when you're busy showing homes.
As we explained above, if you have a modern phone and access to natural lighting, you can already start creating great content. But if you wanted to take it to the next level, even Nora’s setup is very accessible. “Everything I use is from Amazon, and it’s under $20,” she says.
Here are her go-to tools:
✔ Moft phone stand for countertop shots
✔ OctoBuddy for suctioning her phone to mirrors or glass
✔ Ring light for indoor lighting
✔ CapCut for video editing (“It turns 20 minutes of editing into 5.”)
She films everything in 4K using her iPhone’s back camera for better quality—and always edits outside of Instagram before uploading.
Here is Nora's editing workflow:
1. Shoot video on phone (back camera, 4K, 60fps)
2. Edit using CapCut or DaVinci
3. Upload final video into Instagram
4. Write captions with help from ChatGPT
5. Tag people, invite collaborators, and schedule posts
One of Nora’s favorite tricks? Trial reels.
Trial reels allow you to test content without blasting it to all your followers. Instead, Instagram shows it to non-followers. If it performs well, you can post it later to your main feed. “That’s how I’ve gotten a couple random followers I can’t trace,” Nora says.
It’s a smart hack for agents who want to experiment without overwhelming their existing audience.
Nora is adamant about matching content to where your clients actually hang out.
“Facebook is where I’m getting most of my actual clients,” she says. “That’s the age group buying homes right now.”
This aligns with industry data: as of 2024, 69% of homebuyers over the age of 40 still use Facebook daily, compared to just 36% of TikTok users (Pew Research Center, 2024).
It’s not about what you prefer—it’s about where your clients are.
“If it were up to me, I’d be texting everyone and only on Instagram. But you want to communicate how your client wants to communicate. And right now, that’s Facebook for me.”
Still, don't disregard Instagram and even TikTok. Not only are these great to convert the audience who's looking your name up online, but it's where the next generation of homebuyers lives.
So get ahead of the game if you don't want to stop selling homes in a couple of years when Gen Z takes over the market.
Nora’s message isn’t “get famous”. It’s “get real”.
“Stop being so self-conscious about posting business on your personal,” she says. “You are your brand. Real estate isn't a 9-to-5 job. It's your life.”
The real goal of real estate social media isn’t to sell—it’s to serve. To show up consistently. To humanize yourself. To let your future clients know what it’s like to work with you before they even shake your hand.
And if you need some quick motivation, as Nora puts it: “Just post. Let everyone know you're a realtor. It's the best way to get clients this year.”