But what are the “right” hashtags? And how do you know if they actually work? Don’t worry, we’ll cover all of that in this article. We’ll break down a list of impactful real estate hashtags for Instagram to incorporate into your strategy, share insights on how to utilize them effectively, and tools for monitoring success.

What are hashtags?

An Instagram hashtag is a clickable keyword or phrase preceded by a “#” symbol, used to categorize and discover content on the platform, making posts more discoverable and engaging to prospective clients.

Think of Instagram hashtags for real estate as signposts in a sprawling city. Just as signs guide homebuyers through neighborhoods, hashtags lead users to your Instagram posts. Using the right ones is like having clear, well-placed signs; they direct the right people to your listings in a crowded digital platform. For instance, when users search #LuxuryHomes, they’ll see all the posts using this hashtag.

Tips for using real estate hashtags for Instagram effectively

Follow these hashtag fundamentals to maximize your real estate marketing impact.

Prioritize relevant hashtags

The hashtags you use should be relevant to the theme of your content. One of the many goals of using hashtags is to get your content in front of people who are already looking for this type of information, similar to SEO. If you’re using hashtags that aren’t relevant to your content, the likelihood you’ll be reaching your intended audience is very low.

Beyond that, you could potentially get shadowbanned, meaning your content will not show up on anyone’s feed, the Explore page, or the hashtag pages unless they already follow you. This will ultimately impact your engagement and ability to get discovered, and we don’t want that.

 Research the hashtags your audience already uses and follow

Researching hashtags is a helpful way to ensure you’re choosing the hashtags that will resonate with your target audience. There are a couple of easy ways you can do this:

• First, type a keyword in the search tool.
• Instagram will then populate the “For You” page with top posts using this keyword.
• You can click through the top-performing posts to see what other hashtags they may be using to get ideas for your own posts.
• To take this a step further, you can also click on the hashtags used in those top-performing posts. Doing so will take you to each hashtag page, where you’ll be able to see if any of your followers are following that particular hashtag.
• If you follow anyone who also follows that hashtag, their Instagram handle will appear under the blue “follow” button on the page.

Similarly, if you type a keyword in the search bar, you can also navigate to the “Tags” page to see a list of other popular hashtags associated with that keyword, and make your selections from there.

Use a mix of niche and high-volume hashtags

While it can be tempting to go after those very popular, high-density hashtags like #luxuryrealestate, don’t overlook the power of low-density, niche hashtags like #[yourcity]realestate. The likelihood your post will be seen using a hashtag with only a few hundred or thousand posts will be much greater than one using hashtags with millions of posts. We recommend using a balance of the two to broaden your discoverability.

Use branded hashtags

Using branded hashtags makes it simple for your audience to easily search for your content. Encouraging your network to use them also helps boost your brand awareness and becomes another form of engagement with your audience base.

Use 3-5 hashtags per post

Although Instagram will allow you to use up to 30 hashtags in a single post, the platform itself has recommended you limit the number of hashtags to 3-5 per post as best practice. Using 10-20 additional hashtags won’t make a difference in your reach or distribution. #LessIsMore.

Use hashtags in your caption

Instagram advises keywords and hashtags to be placed in the caption—not the comments—for posts to rank higher on the search results.

70+ top real estate hashtags for Instagram

Here’s a list of the top real estate hashtags for Instagram. Remember to only use the hashtags that are relevant to the content you’re posting and stick to 3-5 per post for the best results.

Top 30+ neighborhood real estate hashtags for Instagram:

• #[yourcity]neighborhoods
• #[yourcity]realtor
• #[yourcity]local
• #moveto[yourcity]
• #[yourcity]realestate
• #[yourcity]realestateagent
• #relocateto[yourcity]
• #[yourcity]yourstate
• #[yourcity]houses
• #[yourcity]homesforsale
• #[yourcity]realty
• #ilove[yourcity]
• #[yourcity]life
• #[yourcity]living
• #[yourcity]broker
• #[yourcity]homes
• #neighborhood
• #lovewhereyoulive
• #loveyourneighborhood
• #neighborsandfriends
• #community
• #downtown
• #uptown
• #suburbs
• #beachlife
• #walkable
• #walkableneighborhood
• #walkscore
• #localmusic
• #closetothebeach
• #greattransportation

Top 20+ real estate hashtags for listings:

• #forsale
• #homesforsale
• #homeforsale
• #houseforsale
• #justlisted
• #newlisting
• #openhouse
• #justsold
• #listing
• #luxurylistings
• #offmarketlistings
• #offmarketlisting
• #pocketlisting
• #newhome
• #dreamhome
• #property
• #investmentproperty
• #luxuryproperties
• #realestateforsale
• #investmentproperty
• #realestateinvestment
• #fixandflip
• #renovated
• #curbappeal

Top 20 general real estate hashtags for Instagram:

• #realestate
• #realestateagent
• #realty
• #realtor
• #realtorlife
• #realestatelife
• #realestatebroker
• #broker
• #brokerage
• #realestatebrokerage
• #realestateinvestor
• #realestateexperts
• #realestateagency
• #realestateinvesting
• #realestatetips
• #realestateideas
• #realtortips
• #realestatemarketing
• #realestatemarket
• #realestatenews

Tools for monitoring success

As you start using these real estate hashtags for Instagram, it’ll be important to monitor their effectiveness and refine your strategy accordingly. Instagram Insights, a built-in tool, offers valuable data on hashtag performance, including reach and engagement. Consider using third-party analytics platforms like the ones below to provide more comprehensive insights.

Instagram Insights

• Pros: Free, in-depth data, audience insights, and content performance analysis
• Cons: Basic features
• Pricing: Free

Iconosquare

• Pros: Comprehensive analysis, competitor tracking, content scheduling, and customized reports
• Cons: Slight learning curve
• Pricing: Tiered pricing plans, starting at $29 per month

Sprout Social

• Pros: Unified platform to manage multiple social media accounts, comprehensive analytics, content scheduling, social listening, and team collaboration
• Cons: Slight learning curve and less budget-friendly than other platforms
• Pricing: Tiered pricing plans, starting at $99 per month

Keyhole

• Pros: Hashtag and keyword tracking, real-time monitoring, competitor analysis, and customized reports
• Cons: Fewer features than competitors, pricier than some other vendors
• Pricing: Tiered pricing plans, starting at $49 per month

SocialRank

• Pros: Audience demographic insights, follower sorting, competitor tracking, and offers free plan
• Cons: Limited free plan features
• Pricing: Tiered pricing plans, starting at $0 per month

Hootsuite

• Pros: Multiple platform management, content scheduling, comprehensive analytics, team collaboration, and app integrations
• Cons: Slight learning curve
• Pricing: Offers several pricing plans, starting at $19 per month

When you’re beginning to establish your online presence, use Instagram Insights to monitor your progress. As your follower base expands, consider transitioning to one of the paid platforms.

Partner with Luxury Presence to boost growth, engagement, and credibility

Take your real estate social media strategy to the next level with Luxury Presence, a company trusted by over 20 of the Wall Street Journal’s Top 100 agents and brokerages. Reach out to our expert marketing team to book an appointment and get started today.

To help you decide where you should spend your valuable time, we’ve outlined the pros and cons of each platform, as well as the table stakes you need to have in place before you go all-in on establishing your social presence.

Important factors to consider when deciding where to show up online

Before you spend time on your social media, there are a few things you already want to have established. If you don’t have these in place yet, it’s worth taking the time to focus on them first. Just make sure to bookmark this article now, so you can come back and dig into your social media once you’ve sorted out these essentials.

Your brand identity

To stand out in real estate, you need a strong, unique brand that expresses who you are to the world. Having a clear and consistent brand identity across all touchpoints is crucial for building brand awareness and establishing trust with your target audience. So take the time to decide how you want to express yourself online, so you don’t harm your business by posting spotty content that erodes your brand recognition and your audience’s trust.

Here are some helpful resources to explore, whether you’re just establishing your brand or want to uplevel it:

• How to Create a Strong Brand
• 17+ Real Estate Branding Strategy Ideas To Help You Stand Out
• Expert Tips for Rebranding Your Real Estate Business
• Why You Need a Brand Book—and How to Create One

Your target audience

Before you go all in on your social media, you have to know who you’re speaking to and who you want to reach. The PFDD framework is a great resource for helping you identify your ideal client profile and zero in on your target market’s pains, fears, dreams, and desires. Once you know this, you can better use your social media to appeal to your target audience, from establishing your tone to deciding what type of content to post to focusing on the platforms where your audience is most likely to be active and engaged.

Your website

Many potential clients will discover you via your social presence, and you want to drive them to a place where they can learn more about you and your business. Among its many benefits, a high-quality real estate website allows you to showcase your market expertise, capture leads, highlight your listings, and build brand recognition. So make sure yours is well established and represents you well, and that you’ve included a link to your site in your social bios.

Your bandwidth and resources

From consistently posting quality content to answering DMs, responding to comments, and engaging with other accounts, there’s a lot of work that goes into effective social media management. So be realistic about the time and effort you’re able and willing to invest. Do you want to manage it on your own? Do you have a team member that can handle it? Would you prefer to take social media management off your plate and have experts handle it to grow your presence and engagement? These are all important questions to ask upfront and check in with yourself regularly about.

Your comfort level with different platforms and formats

You might feel pressure to have a presence on all platforms, but that’s not always the best strategy for real estate businesses. In addition to understanding where your target audience spends time online, think about where you do, too. What platforms do you enjoy using? Do you prefer static pictures, videos, or text-based posts? Going where you feel comfortable is a key part of establishing an authentic presence and spurring you to be more consistent with posting.

The pros and cons of the top social platforms for real estate agents

Facebook

Pros:

• Almost 3 billion monthly active users
• Older target audience: 31% are 25-34 and 41% of users are 45+
• Easy to add links and create photos albums
• Connected to Meta Business Suite so you can manage your content across Facebook and Instagram from one place and track performance
• Content is easily shareable
• Messaging feature makes it easy for potential clients to reach out
• Lots of Facebook groups based on interest and location

Cons:

• Lower engagement than other channels
• You cannot fully brand your page
• Not video-based
• Limited SEO options
• You can’t send outbound messages (you must be messaged first)

Instagram

Pros:

• More than 2 billion active monthly users
• More diverse audience than some platforms: 49% of users are female and more than half are under 35
• Easy to engage with people and reach audiences more organically
• SEO/hashtag friendly
• Connected to Meta Business Suite so you can manage your content across Facebook and Instagram from one place and track performance
• Easy to add links to Instagram Stories
• Messaging feature makes it easy for potential clients to reach out

Cons:

• Algorithm is hard to nail and always changing (currently, it is heavily video focused and prioritizes sponsored posts/ads)
• Oversaturated platform
• Hard to stand out organically
• Can’t easily link in posts
• Hard to find usernames

For tips on using Instagram effectively for your real estate business, check out these articles:

• 15 Tips To Grow Your Real Estate Instagram From 150 to 150,000 Followers

• How to Take Your Real Estate Instagram Strategy to the Next Level

LinkedIn

Pros:

• 900 million users worldwide
• Excellent place to connect with professionals and reach specific target audiences
• Posts have longer lifespans
• Easy to add links
• LinkedIn Premium has great prospecting benefits
• Advanced search filters
• SEO-friendly, with the ability to optimize your profile with relevant keywords
• Messaging feature makes it easy for potential clients to reach out

Cons:

• Designed for the business community, so not a fit for all types of posts
• Text-based platform is not ideal for posting photos
• Niche content
• Need a large network to get engagement
• Audience is limited based on connections

To level up your LinkedIn marketing, try these 5 tips.

YouTube

Pros:

• More than 2.5 billion active monthly users
• Allows long- and short-form videos
• Great place for posting listings
• Easily reshared on other platforms
• Good place to develop a niche and build an audience
• Great for SEO (because YouTube is owned by Google, videos that are keyword optimized typically appear at the top of search engine results, even before the top-ranking websites)

Cons:

• Hard to gain traction
• Oversaturated platform
• The search engine is not optimized
• Must properly tag videos to get reach

Looking to start a real estate YouTube channel? Get tips on establishing yours here.

Twitter

Pros:

• 450 million monthly active users
• Short-form posts allow you to get right to the point
• Potential to go viral and gain a following
• Easy to add links

Cons:

• Hard to grow
• Moves fast, so you need to stay very active to get discovered
• Low character limit for posts
• More limited reach than other platforms, and audience is dwindling

TikTok

Pros:

• Rapidly growing platform good for reaching niche audiences
• Great for short-form video content
• Offers in-depth analytics
• Potential to go viral and skyrocket growth organically
• Ability to categorize and search for content

Cons:

• Future of the platform is uncertain
• Algorithm can be a mystery
• Need to post consistently to gain traction
• Hard to grow
• Can’t add links in captions

Learn how to reach new leads and market properties on a huge scale with a strong TikTok strategy.

Take your social media to the next level

We hope this overview has helped you understand the pros and cons of the most popular social platforms, so you can sort out which feel right for your business. Once you’ve decided how you want to move forward, check out this post with proven social media strategies to boost your business in 2023.

If you want to take your social presence to the next level without taking valuable time away from your business, our expert team is here to make it happen. From developing a strategy to posting content, our team does the work to grow your following, increase engagement, and establish you as a market and lifestyle expert. Reach out and let’s chat about how we can build your brand and grow your business.

But to get the most out of it, you’ve gotta have the right approach. Here, we’re sharing some of the real estate social media strategies we’ve used to build several top brands in the luxury real estate space, along with advice about which platforms are right for your business.

Why real estate social media marketing matters

Without a strong social media presence, you run the risk of missing out on major opportunities. Smart social media marketing strategies help you connect with your target market, establish yourself as an expert in the industry, expand your reach, and grow your real estate business. These are all keys to lasting success as an agent.

The top real estate social media tools

Let’s dive into some of the top social media platforms and how to use them to fuel the growth of your real estate business.

Facebook for realtors

Facebook is one of the most powerful marketing tools available, offering real estate agents an effective way to reach and meaningfully engage with potential clients.

With its enormous user base of over 2.9 billion active monthly users, Facebook’s targeted advertising platform allows you to pinpoint specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, making it easy to get your real estate business in front of the right people.

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. These are some of the other opportunities you can capitalize on to turn Facebook into a revenue generator for your business:

• Showcasing properties: Create posts or albums, complete with photos, videos, and detailed descriptions.
• Engaging with prospects: Facebook’s commenting and messaging features make it easy for potential buyers or renters to reach out with questions or requests for more information.
• Building relationships with clients: By sharing helpful real estate tips, insights, and updates, you can build trust and rapport with potential clients, which can be beneficial for long-term relationships and referrals.
• Keeping up with industry trends: It’s easy to follow and engage with other real estate professionals, industry news sources, and professional organizations to stay up to date with the latest real estate trends and developments.

LinkedIn for realtors

LinkedIn offers real estate agents the opportunity to promote their real estate businesses and become market leaders in their area. With its powerful network of professionals and potential clients, LinkedIn can be a terrific resource for generating leads and connecting with key people in the real estate industry.

By optimizing your profile with relevant keywords, accurate descriptions, and engaging copy that speaks directly to your ideal clients, you can position yourself as an expert in your field and attract more prospects.

Investing in sponsored social media posts or ads on LinkedIn is also a proven real estate social media strategy that works to multiply your visibility and fast-track results.

Instagram for realtors

Generally speaking, we consider Instagram to be the best social platform for agents looking to reach new prospects, due to the way the algorithm distributes content.

With over one billion active users, it’s no surprise that top real estate agents rely on the visual platform to build relationships with customers and boost their businesses.

From creating stunning visuals that capture potential customers’ attention to connecting with influencers who have a following in your niche, there are several Instagram strategies you can add to your real estate social media plan to accelerate your growth.

For a glimpse at the power of Instagram, check out this article which details the strategy we used to scale a client’s following from 150 to 150,000.

TikTok for realtors

With its focus on video content, TikTok can help you reach more people and generate buzz around your listings. And because it’s less focused on people who already know you, it’s an ideal place to find brand new viewers and build your audience. Take it from Ryan Serhant, who used the platform to drive explosive growth for his real estate business.

For more specifics about how TikTok can work in your favor as a powerful marketing tool, check out The Complete Guide to TikTok for Real Estate Agents.

YouTube for realtors

Real estate agents looking to maximize their online presence should consider creating a YouTube channel as part of their real estate social media strategy.

With over 1.9 billion active monthly subscribers, YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world. 51% of home buyers use YouTube for their research and 73% of homeowners say they’d be more likely to list with a real estate agent who uses video.

As YouTube is owned by Google, creators who use the platform also enjoy major SEO advantages, allowing them to dominate search engine rankings without needing to rely on expensive pay-per-click ads.

Real estate social media marketing tactics

Social media isn’t just about posting content and hoping for the best. To get real results, you need to have a plan and be intentional in your approach. Here are some proven strategies used by industry leaders who’ve built impressive real estate businesses fueled by social media.

High-quality photos

Professional photography is more than just beautiful pictures; it can help build trust with clients, increase engagement, and ultimately drive more sales. Luxury Presence client David Hatef’s Instagram account is a great example of the value of photography.

Success stories and client testimonials

One of the best ways to make your presence known on social media is by posting testimonials and success stories from past clients. Not only does this show potential buyers that you’re an experienced and successful agent, but it also humanizes you and provides social proof.

Company milestones

Posting company milestones on social media can be a useful way to build authority and trust. If you’re savvy, you can even turn this into a promotion. Here’s an impressive example from Ryan Serhant, another powerhouse Luxury Presence client.

Industry and market news

Posting industry and market news on social media shows that you stay informed, establishes you as an authority in your space, and helps build trust with your followers.

New listings and properties

Real estate social media provides the perfect platform to showcase your properties in an engaging way that will draw people’s attention. Ginger Martin does exactly that in her Instagram Stories—and it has paid off.

Home tips and renovation ideas

Sharing home tips and renovation ideas on your real estate social media account is another time-tested strategy to add to your social media content schedule to establish yourself as a reliable, helpful, and creative expert.

Real estate event coverage

Leveraging your involvement in industry events is also a smart practice on social media. Not only does it demonstrate your commitment and expertise, but it leaves a positive impression on prospects, too.

Dos and don’ts for mastering real estate social media

Now, let’s get into some best practices for real estate social media—and how to avoid common pitfalls.

Do:

• Be yourself: Agents often feel pressure to portray themselves in a certain light on social media—but being your authentic self is a much more effective way to resonate with current and potential clients.
• Educate buyers: Real estate social media marketing is an essential tool for connecting with and sharing information with buyers. By educating your audience, you position yourself as an expert and build relationships that increase sales.
• Post regularly: Regularly sharing valuable content that educates prospective clients about the industry and showcases your expertise will quickly build trust among your followers.
• Respond to comments: By responding quickly and kindly to comments, you show prospects and clients that you are engaged, timely, and on top of your game.
• Share contact details: Ensure that your contact info is clearly listed on all of your real estate social media profiles. If you make it hard for potential clients to contact you, they’re obviously less likely to reach out.
• Promote landing pages: Sharing your landing pages on social media is a proven way to drive more traffic to your website. This will not only increase visibility but can also generate leads and sales.
• Build your brand: Having a consistent presence across online channels gives you credibility, visibility, and reliability, which builds trust between you and potential clients.

Don’t:

• Forget about video: With the right strategy, real estate agents can use videos to engage with prospects, highlight properties, and showcase their expertise—all of which help you stand out from the competition.
• Assume everyone is a first-time buyer: Social media provides an opportunity for real estate agents to reach potential clients from all different backgrounds. If you’re not taking advantage of that, you’ll fall behind agents that do.
• Be self-centered: Excessively focusing on yourself will limit your success as a real estate professional by alienating current and prospective customers, damaging your reputation, and reducing engagement with followers.
• Ignore existing clients: Real estate social media is a powerful tool for connecting with current and past clients. If you want to make the most of it, make sure to engage with existing clients as well as prospects.

How to grow your social following as a real estate business

Promote your accounts

As simple as it may sound, agents often forget to include their real estate social media accounts on their website, marketing collateral, Google Business Profile, and other client-facing assets. Remember, the easier it is for prospects to contact you, the more leads you’ll get.

Keep your social accounts active

Simply creating a social media account for your real estate business is not enough. Stay active by consistently monitoring for comments and messages, as well as regularly posting content.

Let your personality shine through

With so much competition, how do you make sure your content is seen and appreciated? By building a brand that’s uniquely yours, you can create an online presence that will help you reach more clients and grow your business.

Hire real estate social media experts

With so many social media platforms and ever-changing algorithms, it’s easy to fall behind on your real estate social media strategy. That’s why hiring professionals to handle your social media is one of the best ways to ensure you get results without having to spend countless hours learning or managing campaigns yourself.

If this sounds like a good route for your brand, get started by connecting with our expert real estate social media team. They’re here to fast-track your progress and save you time so you can focus on other important aspects of your business.