The secret’s out. REALTORS® are using Instagram Reels, and so is the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) social media team, which manages both CREA and REALTOR.ca channels.
What used to be a novel tool for tech savvy business owners to experiment with has become a marketing juggernaut for anyone looking to expand their reach, share information, or simply connect with likeminded individuals.
Since launching in 2020, CREA’s produced hundreds of Reels, earned tens of thousands of views, and most importantly spoke to the value REALTORS® across Instagram. And with a larger focus on Reels, REALTOR.ca’s Instagram account recently surpassed 20,000 followers.
We took some time to catch up with our social media savvy colleagues and ask them for lessons learned about making Reels for real estate. We hope you will find these tips helpful.
1. Everyone loves market data
The most popular content type of Reel for REALTOR.ca and CREA’s accounts is market data. CREA’s team of economists release information each month via CREA Stats that our social media teams turn into content for our audiences.
One of the best ways that REALTORS® add value for their clients is being market experts. Sharing insights and in-the-moment market updates is just one way you can establish yourself as an expert.
As a national association, we share monthly data for the whole country. You can replicate this on a local level using the local data CREA provides to speak to your own community.
Here’s an example of a data-driven Reel, which we cross-posted to both our REALTOR® and consumer audiences:
2. Tell a compelling story
Real stories can help grab people’s attention. When you think of a story, you may be thinking of a whole novel’s worth of content – but great stories can also be told in a condensed way. It’s all about context and subtext, highlighting an element people can relate to without filling in all the gaps for them.
Here are two examples of Reels we’ve used to tell a story:
3. Capitalize on what’s trending
Whether it’s a trending sound or a timely event, creating content that speaks to the moment is a great strategy to tapping into a more engaged audience. You can find and use trending audio directly through Instagram, or look for ideas surrounding large events like award shows and sporting events, or from holidays and seasonal changes, like Mother’s/Father’s Day or Halloween.
Keep in mind while something may be trending on one platform, it’s not always trending across platforms. When you’re planning for Reels, make sure the trend is active on Instagram.
Here’s an example of what we did during the Stanley Cup finals:
Other tips and reminders
When you’re making Reels, remember that you don’t need to take it too seriously. Reels don’t have to be over-produced to perform well, and often do better when they’re showing a more authentic version of you. Always be sure to maintain a level of professionalism.
Here’s a few more rapid-fire tips:
- Be the expert in your market first.
- Make sure you have a business profile.
- Build Reels and add audio within Instagram.
- Film in bright, natural light whenever possible.
- Talk to your phone as if you’re on a FaceTime call.
- Keep it accessible and add captions.
We welcome you to follow @REALTORdotCA and @CREA_ACI and copy our ideas, just make sure to tag us so we can see your interpretation (and, maybe even interact with your content!).
For immediate Reels inspiration, we invite you to check out our consumer facing blog REALTOR.ca’s Living Room.
