The Content That Actually Builds Trust Is the Content That Feels Risky to Post

By Haley Ingram, Founder and CEO of Coffee and Contracts

If you want to know which post is going to perform, look for the one you almost didn't publish. In my experience, that's usually the one.

The post you almost didn't publish

I know an agent who posted a video of herself playing hide and seek, filmed exactly the way real hide and seek looks, nothing staged for the algorithm. It went viral because nobody else could have made that exact video.

I've watched other agents try to recreate it, and it never works, because you can't copy somebody else's kid or somebody else's house or somebody else's version of that moment. It's a reminder that the thing people actually connect with can't be templated.

Personality beats polish

There's another agent I know in Tampa who leans all the way into comedy. She does bits about touring houses, and some of it is a little controversial. Real estate purists probably wince at some of it.

But it's worked for her career in a way that generic listing content never could, because people remember her. They know exactly who she is before they ever talk to her, and that's worth more than a few extra likes on a well behaved post.

I think this works for a specific reason. When every agent has access to the same templates, the same trending audio, and the same design tools, strategy becomes the entire game, and personality is a huge piece of that strategy.

Sharing something honest, a hot take, an opinion some people might not agree with, or something a little more personal than your usual posts, is what makes an agent memorable instead of interchangeable. Yes, it can feel exposed. That's exactly why it works. If it didn't feel a little vulnerable to hit post, it probably wouldn't build much connection either.

Shoot it like it's real

This same idea shows up in how something is filmed, separate from what it says. Content that looks like it was actually shot on your phone in the moment tends to outperform content that looks imported or overproduced, because people can tell the difference between something real and something polished for them.

Know where the line is

I do think there's a line here worth naming. There's a difference between an honest opinion and a hot take that punches down, and I've seen agents cross it, especially with humor that starts to feel like it's roasting the very clients they're trying to attract.

That kind of content might get attention, but it can work against you with the people you actually need to trust you with their biggest financial decision. Be willing to be honest. Be careful about being cruel. Those are not the same thing.

So the next time you're sitting on a post because it feels a little too personal, a little too opinionated, or a little too much like actually you, that's probably the signal to hit publish instead of hitting delete. The templated, safe version of you was never going to be the reason someone chose to work with you. The real one might be.