Instagram reels have become the new source of leads for businesses, including the real estate industry. Considering its Tiktok-esque addictive format and large user base (1.50 million active users in 2022 in the UAE), Instagram reels definitely have the potential to help real estate agents showcase their expertise in the market. It can also be an excellent tool for personal branding, by allowing agents to highlight what makes them stand out from other agents in the city.
Thinking about making your own Instagram reels? We’re here to help! In this article, we show you the easiest way to create Instagram reels, and how you can create reels that catch your audience’s attention. We’re also sharing a few fun content ideas for your next Instagram reels, so keep reading,
Making Instagram Reels: The Basics
Here’s how you can Instagram reel from the app:
- Click on the + button at the bottom of Instagram’s home screen. Then, click on “Reel” from the bottom menu.
- Instagram offers two options to create reels from here. You can either press and hold the record button to capture footage or upload a video from your camera roll (by swiping up).
If you’re recording reels from the Instagram app’s camera, you can record a series of clips (one at a time), or all at once. You can then use the ‘Edit Clip’ button to trim each clip and add music, transitions or effects.
The edit button at the bottom of the screen allows you to trim each clip. The bar on the top’s icons is for downloading, adding audio, filters, stickers, scribbling, and adding text, respectively.
The Secret To Creating Great Instagram Reels
Now that you know how to create an Instagram Reel, here are three key things you should keep in mind to make your content memorable and get it noticed by your target audience:
Hooking Your Audience
You have around eight seconds to get your audience to watch your content. So, start with your ‘hook’ immediately – ask a question, an interesting fact, or an announcement.
Here’s an example:
Take a look at this reel by Bayut on the rental market’s performance in Dubai. It starts off with an open question (are you looking to rent in Dubai?). This is an example of a great starting hook.
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Providing Value
Your content needs to offer real value to the audience – i.e. it needs to be targeted to your audience and specific to their needs. For example, if your target audience is property seekers new to Dubai, you can provide value by sharing quick tips about buying in the UAE, laws and regulations, property prices, etc.
Staying On Top Of Trends
Instagram trends come and go – these usually are popular audios, dances or ‘challenges’ used by multiple users on the platform.
To check if an audio used by a content creator is trending, click on the song’s name at the bottom of the screen. Then, you can see the number of reels it has been used in. The higher this number, the better.
To create viral content on Instagram reels, you should be active on the platform, follow fellow real estate influencers in the region, and keep your eyes on songs that multiple creators use. This way, you can latest trends and incorporate them into your content plan.
Instagram Reel Ideas For Real Estate Agents
Here are some cool ideas for real estate agents looking to make Instagram reels:
- Quick video tours: Have you got a unit with a great view or an eye-catching layout in your inventory? You can make a short video tour of this property. This can either be a full guided tour of the unit, or you can film multiple short clips and edit them together. Then, add text to different clips and combine these clips to make a whole video.
Looking for inspiration? Check out Bayut’s video tour of a villa in Al Barari. Fun fact, this was filmed using a phone camera, and edited on the Instagram app.
- Tips for buyers or sellers: Buying or selling properties can be overwhelming, especially for people new to real estate. Create reels to answer common questions about real estate processes, the laws, etc.
- About Yourself: You could use reels to showcase your personality too. Videos like “Day in the Life of…’ or ‘fun facts about Me’ are great content ideas. You can also do ‘behind-the-scenes’ reels, which could be short videos from your office, heading out to viewings, etc.
Being a content creator is a journey, as it takes practice to master content creation. We recommend experimenting with different ideas, using different music, and trying out effects and filters. If you’ve tried these tips, send us your reels and tell us about your experience, for a chance to be featured in our blog!
Explore more resources and tips to help you accelerate your real estate career on our Content Corner, our library of resources for real estate professionals. You can also join us for our workshops at Bayut Academy, our in-house series of workshops for realtors in the UAE.