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Social Media Simplified:

5 Common Real Estate Social Media

Mistakes to Avoid
Standing out in the crowded world of real estate social media is hard enough on its own…

…the last thing you need is to be making dumb mistakes that sabotage your chances

for success.

But we still see these common social media mistakes over and over – especially when it

comes to real estate agents’ online profiles.

So we’re here to help you avoid these reputation-killing blunders and put yourself on the

path to success.

As you read through each mistake, check all your social media accounts to make sure you’re

doing things right. At the end, we’ll provide a checklist to double-check yourself.

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Table of Contents
Intro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Inconsistent Profile Names . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Unprofessional Profile Photo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Unmatching Bios . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

No Content Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Sporadic Follow-Through/No Accountability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Congratulations on downloading this informative guide!

Everyone knows the importance of posting on social media, but what holds us back is figuring out
exactly WHAT to post. Right?

The goal of this guide is to eliminate that guesswork and give you ready-to-use concepts so you can
start building your brand and attracting more business through social media. We’re also including
tips to optimize your time and effectiveness on each platform.

Many of these strategies are pulled directly from the playbook of some of our top-producing
coaching members.

To maximize the impact of this guide and to discover how our coaching members earn 10X the
industry average, be sure to schedule your free coaching consultation right away.

Good luck to you, and please know we’re always here to help!

Tom Ferry

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Real Estate Social Media Mistake No. 1

Inconsistent Profile Names

Your username is pretty much the first thing people see when they encounter you on social media.
Therefore, it’s important.

This should seem obvious, but having different profile names across social media platforms can
confuse potential clients and make it harder for them to find you. Make sure your usernames are the
same across all platforms by researching them online (keep reading for details).

For instance, It’s better to be johnsmith11 across the board than johnsmith2 in one place and
johnsmith11 in another.

Each platform requires a username and a name (Instagram calls “Name” “Display name,” but it’s the
same thing). Usernames have to be unique, so this is where you have to do some research before
you start creating usernames across your social platforms.

To get a uniform username, go to namecheck.com and start inputting possible names until you find
one that is available for all the social platforms you use (or intend to). In YouTube, you can’t choose
your own username (here it’s actually called a “Custom URL”) until you have a minimum of 100
subscribers.

Also, a word to the wise… If you do change your username to a new one, you won’t be able to switch
back. It will no longer be available for use.

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Real Estate Social Media Mistake No. 2

Unprofessional Profile Photo

You might love that photo you’ve been using since you got licensed 15 years ago. But a more
recent photo with an accurate portrayal of your current self is the considerate thing to provide for
prospective clients who will be meeting you for the first time. Remember, the most important thing
you can do is establish trust.

Be sure to periodically refresh your real estate social media profiles with professional photos. As a
general rule, these photos should be the same across all your social media profiles.

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Real Estate Social Media Mistake No. 3

Unmatching Bios

If a prospective client finds you on one platform and wants to know more about you, they’ll likely
look you up on other social media platforms. You want to make it crystal clear right from the start
that they’ve found the same person.

Too often, agents’ bios from one site aren’t consistent with how they present themselves on other
online hubs.

And we recognize that not all platforms allow the same parameters when it comes to your bio.
Here’s some guidance on character limits to help you:

TikTok = 80
Instagram = 150
Facebook = 160
YouTube = 1500 (150 visible and the rest hidden)
LinkedIn = 2600 (200 visible and the rest hidden)

The way to ensure consistency across all of your bios is to begin with writing a full bio, then reduce it
to fit each platform’s requirements.

This is about your brand. Everyone who researches you will see your bios, so those bios need to not
only include the right content but convey the right tone. As with anything marketing related, there
are experts who can do a better job than you, so if you have the budget, hire someone from Fiverr or
Upwork to put you in the best light.

Your bios (“About” in Facebook and LinkedIn) won’t be the same on each platform, but they can be
consistent so that they all share a common tone and message.

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Here are some important elements to consider for your full length bio (LinkedIn
and website).
• Differentiation – who you are and what you’re known for (your value proposition)
• Personality – something special about you
• Motivation – your passion for your business and the people you serve (your “why”)
• Experience/success – years in industry, number of people helped, volume sold (Note: If you give
such examples, you’ll need to make a point to keep them current. You can avoid this when you
use percentages, as in “Top 5% in sales.”)
• Location – where you do business
• Local connection – what associates you with your area
• Awards and designations – how you stand out

For TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook, the lower elements are less important because you simply
don’t have space for them.

Emojis
TikTok bios almost always have emojis. Instagram bios are most effective when they’re simple,
bulleted lists, and emojis can be a helpful addition. Unless your personality is full-stop emoji-
expressive, you’ll probably want to exercise discretion using emojis in your LinkedIn summary.

Hashtags
Use hashtags only if they clearly relate to your brand.

Link in bio (that’s “link in” – not to be confused with with LinkedIn)
For your Instagram and Tik Tok bios, include a ”link in bio” like linktr.ee or later.com.

Here are some considerations unique to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Facebook
◆ Cover photo (That’s the background photo behind your headshot. Make sure it’s on point
with your brand.)
◆ Intro (Make sure people know how to reach you, so don’t forget to add your website, street
address, phone, and email address.)

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Instagram
◆ Instagram Creator or Business accounts have sections you can Hide or Unhide to show
your contact information
◆ If you have an Instagram Business account, make sure to consider including an
action button

LinkedIn
◆ Background photo (Are you going to settle for the blue default background, or are you
going to choose something that goes well with your headshot and reinforces your brand?)
◆ Headline (Are you going to define yourself according to your team or brokerage, or can you
effectively add some punch with something that’s more like a tagline?)
◆ Make sure your current position, education, location and industry information are all
up to date
◆ Make sure your Experience, Skills, Education and Accomplishments are all up to date
◆ If you’re serious about leveraging LinkedIn, you’ll want current Recommendations as well
as Skill Endorsements (Keep in mind that reviews for Google Business Profile will likely
have a bigger impact on your business, so you’ll want to direct your review efforts there.)

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Real Estate Social Media Mistake No. 4

No Content Strategy

If we were to sit down and look at your social media calendar, how far in advance could you show us
what you have planned? Do you have regular features that are published on certain days each week?
Are you posting the preferred number of times for each platform?

Or are you like most agents taking a scattershot approach – posting only when you remember,
posting everywhere or nothing at all, ignoring some platforms, and basically hoping for the best?

While you only need to conduct a profile audit once a year or so, you should evaluate your
content strategy on a regular basis.

◆ Review your recent posts to determine if they align with your brand’s goals and target
audience. Consider the type of content you are posting, the frequency of posts, and the
time of day you are posting. If you don’t already have a content strategy and calendar,
you’ll likely see substantial room for improvement.
◆ Analyze your engagement metrics: Take advantage of available platform tools to analyze
your engagement metrics, such as likes, comments, and followers. Look for trends and
identify areas for improvement.
◆ Evaluate your hashtags: Consider the hashtags you are using and whether they are
relevant to your target audience. Research popular hashtags related to your niche and test
them out in your posts.
◆ Assess your brand voice: Ensure that your brand voice is consistent across all of your posts
and interactions with followers. This includes the language you use and the tone
you convey.
◆ Check for technical issues: Ensure that your account is set up correctly and is fully
functional, including your contact information and privacy settings. Research yourself
online and check out your accounts through an incognito tab.
◆ Seek feedback: Ask your followers for their opinions on your content and profile. Use this
feedback to make improvements and fine-tune your profile.

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5 Common Real Estate Social Media Mistakes to Avoid

Real Estate Social Media Mistake No. 5

Sporadic Follow-Through/No Accountability

You can have all the social media calendars in the world, but if you’re not following through on your
plans, your social media strategy will fall short and fail to elevate your name in your marketplace.

Real estate is a difficult business that pulls you in a million different directions, and when that
happens, it’s real easy to de-prioritize a social post here or there.

And here’s where it gets really painful… those missed opportunities add up. Over time, you’re
becoming your own obstacle to success by failing to follow through on the things you should be
doing.

Good news: Two solutions come to mind.

1. Invest in some sort of social media management platform that allows you to systematize your
social media output and provides reminders (or in some cases, posts automatically on your
behalf). Sprout Social and Hootsuite are two of the biggest players in this field, but there are
many other options as well.
2. If your “failure to follow through” issues aren’t limited to just social media – and are preventing
you from fulfilling your potential – you’ll definitely want to explore hiring a coach. At Tom Ferry,
we help thousands of real estate professionals reach that “next level” of business through
powerful accountability, business guidance, and the support of the entire coaching community.
Reach out to us at 888-866-3377 or click here to request a free coaching consultation.

By avoiding these five common real estate social media mistakes, agents can improve their online
presence and attract more clients. We hope you use this information to increase your commitment
to social media marketing and get the recognition you deserve in your market!

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