From Likes to Leads: How to Build a Brand on Instagram, LinkedIn & Beyond

Your social platforms should be working overtime — attracting qualified leads, showcasing your expertise, and building the trust that converts followers into clients. This guide reveals the strategic approaches that top-performing agents use across Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube to transform casual scrollers into committed clients who choose you first in a crowded market.

Why social media is essential for building a brand

Social media is a powerful tool for brand building because it allows real estate professionals to establish credibility, engage directly with potential clients, and expand their reach beyond traditional marketing methods. In fact, almost half of Realtors agreed that social media was the best tool for generating quality leads. Here’s what social media can bring to your personal brand:

• Increased visibility: Platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook help you stay top of mind with potential buyers and sellers. In fact, 64% of consumers want brands to connect with them, and social media is an ideal way to do it.
• Stronger relationships: Engaging with your audience through comments, messages, and live interactions fosters trust and loyalty. According to a 2024 survey, 78% of consumers agree that a brand’s social media presence has an impact on whether or not they trust that brand.
• Cost-effective marketing: Compared to traditional advertising, social media allows you to promote your brand with minimal cost.
• Real-time market insights: Building your personal brand on social media allows you to actively monitor industry trends and engage directly with your target audience. These interactions provide invaluable insights into client preferences, pain points, and behaviors — helping you refine your offerings and messaging while positioning yourself as responsive and in tune with market needs. Unlike traditional market research, these insights arrive in real-time, giving you a competitive edge in adapting to changing demands.
• Competitive edge: Establishing a strong online presence differentiates you from competitors who may not be effectively leveraging social media.

How to build a brand on Instagram

Instagram is a visual-first platform, making it perfect for showcasing real estate listings, client success stories, and behind-the-scenes content. Here’s how to build a brand on Instagram effectively:

• Optimize your profile: Use a professional profile picture and craft a compelling bio that includes your niche and location.
• Link to your website or lead capture page. On Instagram, link options are limited unless you have more than 10,000 followers or a business account. But real estate agents can utilize workarounds such as adding your primary link to your bio, creating a custom link-in-bio page to house multiple links, mentioning “#linkinbio” in your posts, or using Instagram’s story highlights with swipe-up features to maximize your profile’s effectiveness.
• Use a consistent aesthetic: Your brand’s color scheme, fonts, and style should be cohesive across posts, stories, and reels to create instant recognition.
• Post high-quality content regularly: Share professional photos and videos of listings, market updates, testimonials, and educational tips for buyers and sellers. Use compelling, informative captions. By consistently delivering visually appealing, valuable content in your distinct voice, you establish yourself as a trusted authority in your market. This content consistency creates a recognizable brand identity that potential clients can connect with, helping you stand out from competitors and remain top-of-mind when prospects are ready to buy or sell.
• Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and direct messages, and interact with local hashtags to boost visibility.
• Leverage Instagram Stories and Reels: Stories keep you top of mind, while Reels help you reach a broader audience with short, engaging video content.
• Utilize hashtags strategically: Research and use location-based and industry-specific hashtags to expand each post’s reach. When building your brand, consider creating your own hashtags that tie back to your name, slogan, location, or unique selling point. A consistent, personalized hashtag helps unify your content, encourages followers to use it when sharing their experiences with you, and makes your posts more discoverable. This creates a searchable catalog of your work while reinforcing your brand identity across platforms and fostering a sense of community among your followers.

Building a personal brand on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a powerful tool for networking and positioning yourself as a thought leader in the real estate industry. Follow these steps to start building a personal brand on LinkedIn:

• Leverage LinkedIn’s professional platform: Unlike other social networks, LinkedIn offers unique opportunities for real estate professionals to connect with high-value clients and industry partners. Transform your profile into a personal marketing platform with  a professional headshot that shows your approachable yet professional demeanor, a headline that includes your specialty market or unique value proposition, and a summary that tells your real estate story.
• Establish thought leadership: Position yourself as an industry authority by sharing your unique perspective on market trends, housing policy impacts, or innovative approaches to transactions. Consistently commenting on industry news and offering valuable insights demonstrates your forward-thinking expertise to potential clients.
• Strategically grow your network: Connect with past clients, fellow agents, and local business owners. According to the National Association of Realtors, 48% of real estate professionals are already using LinkedIn professionally, representing a wide pool of potential referral partners and collaborators.
• Document your real estate journey: Post your transactions, client testimonials, and before-and-after renovation photos in the “Featured” section to create a visual portfolio that tells your unique professional story.

Facebook: Engaging your community

Facebook remains a key platform for real estate professionals due to its community-driven nature. Here’s how to maximize your presence:

• Curate a distinctive real estate presence: Transform your Facebook business page into a digital storefront that reflects your personal brand through consistent color schemes, professional photography, and a compelling “About” section that highlights your unique approach to real estate.
• Become a community voice: Rather than just joining local groups, position yourself as a neighborhood expert by sharing insider knowledge about school districts, upcoming developments, and local business recommendations that demonstrate your deep market knowledge.
• Create episodic video content: Develop a signature Facebook Live series like “Market Monday Updates” or “Thursday Virtual Tours” that establishes you as a reliable resource with recognizable, branded content that followers come to expect.
• Target your ideal client persona: With an average cost per click of $1.81, it’s relatively cost effective to use Facebook ads and retargeting strategies to reach specific demographics that match your specialty — whether it’s first-time buyers, luxury homeowners, or investment property seekers. Craft messaging that speaks directly to your target audience’s unique needs.
• Build a referral community: Rather than simply collecting reviews, spotlight client success stories, celebrate home purchase anniversaries, and feature local businesses, encouraging them to become brand ambassadors.

TikTok: Capturing attention with short-form video

TikTok’s popularity has soared, making it an excellent platform for real estate branding. Here’s how to make the most of it:

• Create a signature video style: Develop a recognizable format for your property showcases with consistent intro music, transitions, or catchphrases that viewers immediately associate with your personal brand among.
• Craft a content persona: Turn your niche into a memorable title, such as the luxury property expert, first-time buyer guru, or investment property oracle. This will help you establish a clear identity that differentiates you from other real estate content creators on TikTok.
• Develop an episodic series: Create branded recurring content like “Hidden Gem Thursdays” that followers eagerly anticipate, establishing you as a reliable, consistent voice in real estate.
• Balance entertainment with expertise: Incorporate trending sounds and challenges while overlaying them with valuable market insights or property tips that demonstrate your professional knowledge while keeping content engaging and shareable.
• Build cross-platform recognition: Include your branded colors, logo watermark, and consistent name, or handle, across all videos to create visual continuity that viewers will recognize.

YouTube: Establishing authority with long-form content

YouTube is ideal for in-depth real estate content in video form. Follow these strategies:

• Create a branded channel identity: Design a YouTube channel with consistent visual elements, including a professional intro sequence, branded thumbnails with your photo or logo, and cohesive graphics that instantly identify videos as yours in search results and recommendations.
• Develop signature video series: Establish yourself as an authority through recurring themed content like “Market Watch Mondays,” “Property Transformation Tuesdays,” or “Investment Strategy Sundays” that viewers come to anticipate.
• Build a recognizable on-camera presence: Develop consistent verbal cues, a signature presentation style, and sign-off phrases that make your personality memorable. This will help establish you as a trusted advisor rather than just another agent posting videos.
• Cultivate a recognizable personal style: Choose a specific on-camera wardrobe that reflects your brand personality, such as power blazers in your favorite color, distinctive accessories like a statement watch or scarf, or a casual-professional hybrid look that sets you apart from traditionally suited agents. One great example of this is Glennda Baker’s signature stars; her visual appearance has become part of her brand.

Building your brand on social with Luxury Presence

While mastering social media branding requires investment, the returns are undeniable: heightened visibility, qualified leads, and market authority. Luxury Presence specializes in elevating real estate professionals with tailored digital marketing strategies and sophisticated online solutions that set you apart.

Don’t just compete online — command attention. Contact us today to transform your digital presence into your most powerful business asset.