Instagram Reels for Real Estate: What Real Estate Agents Need to Know Now
When Instagram Reels first launched in 2020, it was hard to tell whether it was a TikTok imitation or a here-to-stay feature that would change how Instagram users make use of the app.
If back then you guessed that it would be a game-changing feature, congratulations. You were right — in a big way.
A little more than two years since launching, Reels are Instagram’s fastest-growing feature.
Not that you need a statistic to tell you that.
Spend just a few minutes scrolling and browsing, and it’s easy to see that Reels have become a dominant form of content on Instagram.
Which makes it a good time for a refresher.
If you’re already making real estate Instagram Reels or are ready to get started, this post is for you.
Here’s what real estate agents need to know now about Instagram Reels for real estate.
All Instagram Video Posts Are Now Reels
For a brief while, Instagram had several different competing video formats.
There was IGTV. There were videos posted to the feed. Video content posted in Instagram Stories. Live video. And Instagram Reels.
In other words, too many formats.
In 2021, Instagram announced it was merging IGTV and in-feed videos. And more recently, Instagram made a bolder move to simplify things: any video shorter than 15 minutes in length will automatically be shared as a Reel.
That doesn’t include Instagram Stories (split into 15-second frames and only visible for 24 hours) or Instagram Live (live broadcasts which can last up to four hours).
The change means real estate agents have less formats to consider when creating Instagram real estate video content.
It also means Instagram will continue putting video front and centre — so if you’re not yet creating real estate video content on Instagram, it’s time to start.
Instagram Reels Can Be 90 Seconds Long
Instagram Reels used to have a running time limit of 30 seconds.
Earlier this summer, Instagram increased the maximum running time to 90 seconds.
It might not sound like a huge change, but that’s triple the amount of time available to deliver a marketing message and reach audiences.
It opens up different ideas and possibilities for Reels content you can experiment with.
You Can Make Instagram Reels Interactive
Something we love about real estate Instagram Stories is the ability to encourage audience interaction.
Using Stories features — called stickers — like polls and quizzes, real estate agents can drive Instagram engagement amongst their followers.
Instagram has now extended the same capability to Reels.
Users can add polls, quizzes and emoji sliders to their Reels content, combining the power of longer-form video with interactivity. It’s a compelling reason for real estate agents to make Instagram Reels a key part of their real estate marketing strategy.
Instagram Offers Templates For Reels
Unless you happen to love learning and experimenting with new social media formats, the thought of creating Instagram Reels content can be intimidating for some agents.
If that sounds familiar, we’ve got two pieces of good news for you. Starting with this: Instagram offers some in-app templates for creating Reels.
Templates let you make use of the timing (and music) of an existing Instagram Reel, but with your own video clips. (Here’s how Instagram explains it.)
It takes all the grunt work out of trimming your own clips, making it simple and quick to create an engaging Reel that looks professional.
The other good news for real estate agents who feel daunted by Instagram Reels…
You Don’t Need a Videographer (or Video Content) to Create Instagram Reels
Yes, Instagram Reels is a video format.
But there are ways to create Reels that don’t require shooting your own video.
With some creativity, you can create attention-grabbing Reels using combinations of text, music, still images and motion.
You could…
- Create a slideshow of real estate memes about a certain theme, set to music and combined with animated text or other animated graphics.
- Pick some eye-popping real estate stats, use an app to animate the text, and then add music.
- Have an interesting point you want to make or advice to share? Put together a combination of relevant photos, screenshots and texts and then record a voiceover explanation.
Sound doable? Check out these apps for creating real estate Instagram Reels and Instagram Stories.
