Realtors Are Chasing Likes While Ignoring the People Who Could Actually Build Their Business
Written by Devone Richard
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Some Realtors Have Become Content Creators Who Occasionally Sell Houses
Let’s talk about something happening all over real estate.
Agents are obsessed with followers.
10,000 followers.
50,000 followers.
100,000 followers.
They check likes.
They check views.
They check comments.
They check how many people watched their Reel.
But here’s the question that actually matters:
How many of those people would hire you?
Because 50,000 followers and zero closings is not a real estate business.
It’s an audience.
And there’s a difference.
FOLLOWERS DON’T PAY COMMISSIONS
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I’d rather have 100 people who trust me than 100,000 people who barely know my name.
Think about it.
If you have 100 people who genuinely know you, trust you and believe you’re excellent at what you do, what happens when one of them needs to sell?
Who do they call?
What happens when their coworker needs a Realtor?
Who gets recommended?
What happens when their parents decide to downsize?
Who gets the introduction?
That’s a business.
A stranger scrolling past your dancing Reel isn’t necessarily a prospect.
Attention isn’t the same thing as trust.
YOU’RE IGNORING THE PEOPLE ALREADY IN YOUR PHONE
Here’s what drives me crazy.
Some agents spend hours trying to get strangers on Instagram to notice them.
Meanwhile, they haven’t called a past client in two years.
They haven’t called the buyer they helped three years ago.
They haven’t checked on the seller who referred them business.
They have hundreds of contacts sitting inside their CRM…
And they’re worried about getting another 500 followers.
Why?
Your next commission may already be sitting in your phone.
100 REAL RELATIONSHIPS CAN CHANGE YOUR CAREER
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Let’s make this simple.
Imagine you have 100 strong relationships.
Not random Facebook friends.
Not purchased leads.
Not people who watched one video.
People who actually know you.
If only 10 of those 100 people send you one transaction or referral during the year…
That’s 10 transactions.
Now imagine those relationships compound over five years.
One client introduces you to their brother.
Their brother introduces you to a coworker.
That coworker sells and buys.
That buyer eventually sends you another referral.
That’s how real estate businesses are built.
Not one viral video.
Relationships that compound.
SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TOOL—NOT YOUR BUSINESS
I’m not against social media.
Quite the opposite.
Every Realtor should have a professional online presence.
Post listings.
Educate consumers.
Talk about your market.
Show your expertise.
Build your name.
But understand what social media is supposed to do.
It’s supposed to create relationships—not replace them.
If somebody comments on your video, talk to them.
If someone messages you about the market, respond.
If a past client likes your post, maybe that’s your reminder to call them.
Turn digital attention into actual human relationships.
That’s where the money is.
STOP TRYING TO LOOK FAMOUS
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This industry has developed an unhealthy obsession with looking successful.
Everybody wants to look like the biggest agent in town.
Luxury car.
Expensive clothes.
Perfect Instagram.
Professional videos.
Huge follower count.
But behind the camera…
How many houses did you actually sell?
How many clients called you back?
How many referrals did you receive?
How many people trust you enough to put a million-dollar asset in your hands?
You don’t need to look successful.
You need to become successful.
There’s a difference.
YOUR DATABASE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOUR FOLLOWER COUNT
Your CRM isn’t sexy.
Nobody applauds when you add 50 contacts.
Nobody likes your post when you make 20 follow-up calls.
Nobody sees you checking on a past client.
But those boring activities build businesses.
Every Realtor should know:
Who are my top 100 people?
Who would answer if I called?
Who knows exactly what I do?
Who trusts me?
Who would introduce me to somebody tomorrow?
If you can’t identify those people…
Stop worrying about Instagram for a minute.
You’ve got a bigger problem.
FINAL THOUGHT
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Realtors, stop confusing popularity with production.
Likes feel good.
Views feel good.
Followers look impressive.
But none of those automatically create a business.
I’d rather have 100 people who trust me enough to recommend my name when I’m not in the room than 100,000 followers who can’t remember my name five seconds after scrolling past my video.
Build your social media.
Absolutely.
But build something more valuable at the same time.
Relationships.
Because followers belong to the platform.
Your relationships belong to you.
And in this business…
Trust will always be worth more than followers.
Written by Devone Richard
Broker/Owner | OYT Real Estate
California Broker #01857383
Nevada Broker #1002115
📞 626-500-1212 | 702-941-0202
🌐 OYTRealEstate.com