Did you know that real estate agents are expected to spend an average of 4.5 hours a week on social media and that only 11% of agents have a dedicated social media manager?
It’s true.
If you’re a real estate agent, you have to get in the habit of posting a social media reel of your listing. It’s a must when it comes to landing new clients and maintaining your existing ones. And in this day and age, when our clients are looking for homes online, it can be difficult to keep up with their expectations so why not make it easier for them to find their dream homes?
But what exactly is a social media reel, and how does it work? A social media reel is a short video that highlights your expertise in a specific area of real estates, such as buying or selling homes, or helping people find the right neighborhood for them. Or it can be a video that highlights the neighborhood you focus on. Reels are a great strategy for you to get more eyes on your listings than just MLS alone.
So, now that you know what a reel is and what its benefits are, let’s walk through how to post your first reel or how to post it so you don’t miss a beat! First, you’ll have to start with choosing an Instagram Cover Photo, these are the preview images for your IGTV uploads and/or Reels. And they can be difficult to format the correct way, but we’ve got you covered!
There are 2 ways to choose a cover image. You can upload a vertical image with text or branding or you can select a frame from the video itself.
In Instagram, every detail counts. Even your reels’ cover photos. Covers invite potential viewers to click and watch specific topic videos while also managing to keep your IG Profile Grid stylish. This is why we always recommend when creating your reel cover, you should keep in mind that any text or graphics added to it is in the Title Safe Area. This is the area where your text or graphic isn’t at risk of being cut off when viewed from different devices.
Take a look at the reel cover example below. Making a note of this area will ensure that all text you add to your reel video cover photo is placed in the central area of the image for it to be visible on all devices.
Now that you understand how to format your reel cover image it’s also important to ensure the videos are properly formatted before posting. Currently, Instagram is offering four different video-sharing placements — In your Feed, your Reels, and Stories. Here are some rules when posting on these different placements.
- REELS
- Cover Image: Either choose a frame from the video file or upload a custom-designed, vertical cover photo. The image file must also be vertical (9:16).
- Video Aspect Ratios: Instagram Reels are meant for mobile viewing. As a result, they require a vertical aspect ratio of 9:16. Simply hold your phone upright, point, and press the record button every time you record a reel.
- Your video uploads must not last longer than 30 seconds.
- FEED
- Feed videos provide the most versatility in terms of accepted video dimensions. Square, portrait, landscape, and widescreen formats varying from 1:1 to 16:9.
- Feed videos don’t really allow you to upload a completely separate image file (PNG, JPEG, etc.) as a cover photo. While editing, one could, however, insert a cover photo (thumbnail) into the video file itself. You could then manually select it by dragging your finger over the scroll bar.
- Uploads must be at least one (1) second long and no longer than 60 second
It’s also important to consider what kind of reel will work best for your business and how much time you want to spend making it.
We know that even though many people are trying to sell their homes, there’s a lot of competition in the market these days. That’s why it’s important for you to stand out from the crowd and draw attention to your listing with an enticing reel!
Luckily, we’ve got just the thing: interior and exterior photos of your listings with fast, enticing reels and of course cover images to complete the package!
Our Social Package includes:
- Interior/Exterior Photos
- Vertical Instagram Reel Cover Images
- Branded Instagram Social Media Reel
- Branded + Unbranded HD Listing Website
We’ve been doing this for a long time, and we know exactly how much work goes into selling a home—and how important it is that everything goes smoothly. That’s why we put so much effort into making sure you get in front of your target audience with your best face forward so you can be the ONLY go-to agent to buy their next home. Let us do what we do best, with you, so you can focus on delivering the best services to your clients. Let’s chat and see how we can help you take your listings to the next level!
