Winning on TikTok for real estate agents starts in the same place as it does for anyone else – with the TikTok algorithm.
TikTok for real estate agents is a divisive subject. A lot of agents still believe that the platform is populated by young people looking to kill brain cells and watch silly videos. While this is true, TikTok is also now populated by seemingly everyone else. As a marketer, it’s something you can no longer deny.
And while that alone makes it a great opportunity for expanding your audience and building your reputation, it’s not the best part…
The best part about TikTok for real estate agents is that it prioritizes the content it feeds you based on your geographic location. That means that if done the right way, your videos will make their way to the people you need them to go to – those who live in your market.
But, of course, only if you do everything according to how the TikTok algorithm wants you to. That’s why in this blog, I’m going to break down the algorithm rules to follow when posting to TikTok. You’ll learn when to post, how to post, and what to post to reach the widest and most interested audience possible.
Let’s dive in.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 1: Hook them FAST
Here’s the biggest rule that separates TikTok from a lot of other social media platforms (but it’s also generally good advice for any of them)…
You must retain a 70% watch rate for the first three seconds of your video. That is the average time that people are willing to give your video a chance, and if you fall below that 70% watch mark, TikTok is going to start downranking you, making it a lot harder to get the views you need.
So, what does this mean? It means that you need to spend some time thinking about the hooks you’re going to use to grab attention in those first three seconds. The trick here is to capture curiosity. Pose a question or toss out a statement that people will feel the need to know more about.
And on this point, it’s super helpful for you to remember that your videos are being shared with a local audience.
WHY IS RIVERWEST THE WORST NEIGHBORHOOD IN MILWAUKEE?
Because too many people flock to all our great restaurants, nightlife, and friendly people, of course. 😉
Use captions, headlines, and other things to help you here. The last thing that people on TikTok will give their patience to is someone just sitting in a room, talking to the camera.
Grab’em.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 2: Post Cadence
This is a bit of a two-parter, and the first part, well… It might be a bit overwhelming…
If you want to break out on TikTok and start amassing followers quickly, you should be posting THREE TIMES A DAY.
Yes, I know that’s a lot. But it’s what it’ll take to get the TikTok algorithm to start prioritizing your videos to the right people. You don’t need to keep this up forever, but when you’re getting started, make sure you have a plan for batching plenty of content ahead of time.
Now, for part two, the times that you post are equally important as how often you’re posting. Never post more than one video within the same hour and keep them in these windows (according to the time zone that you are in):
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11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
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3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
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7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
So there’s your schedule: Every day, three times a day, within those time windows.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 3: Post Length
Next question when planning your TikTok video content is, how long should your posts be?
This is actually a tough question to answer because people are finding success with all kinds of different lengths. It’s true that TikTok has traditionally prioritized videos that run between 7 and 15 seconds but they’ve recently updated their algorithm to push longer (over one minute) content.
And I know you already have a lot on your plate with the whole three posts a day thing, but this push for longer content is actually good for you because you’re not looking for views – you’re looking for followers, and this is how you get them.
My suggestion is to use the three daily posts to experiment and then track what is getting the most attention. Using your three time slots, post one video of each of these lengths:
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7 to 15 seconds
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21 to 34 seconds
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1 minute to 1:15
This is where analytics become super important because everyone is different (even on TikTok), and it’s crucial to find what works best with your audience. It might be strange to say that the algorithm words differently for everyone, but it seems to be the case.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 4: Use the Right Features
There are so many trends and features popping up on TikTok that people are having success with such as Stitching and Sludge Content (for what this means, ask Jason Pantana). A lot of them involve grabbing attention with visuals that are just meant to be eye-popping and addictive but don’t add any real value to what you’re saying.
Am I recommending you use them just to get the views? Absolutely not.
Here’s the thing… Your entire mission is to get people to Know/Like/Trust you. If you’re just posting trend-chasing garbage, you’re actually doing the opposite.
The goal is to add value. If you can’t add sufficient value three times a day, then do it once a day, algorithm be damned.
But there is one feature that the TikTok algorithm IS prioritizing which is huge for you…
Green screens.
As you probably already know, I’m a huge fan of green screens in real estate content (which is one of the things that TikTok and I actually have in common).
For an example of how to do this right, check out my buddy Jeremy Knight, who is having beaucoup success with his Instagram green screen content.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 5: Show Your Audience What They Care About
Coming back to the point I made above, give the people what they want and what they need. Search for trending hashtags in your areas and be sure to visit answerthepublic.com when brainstorming your content ideas.
The more tapped in you are to your audience, the better chance you have of not only getting followers but having people reach out to you.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 6: Give it Time
But Tom, I thought you said it’s all about rush-rush-rush, more-more-more?
To an extent, it can be. I mean, that’s what TikTok wants, but you can still reap the benefits with consistent content, day after day.
Here’s the most important thing to keep in mind: It takes most people at least 50 posts to have a viral video on TikTok.
That number is true for both people who post three times and day and people who only post now and then. Remember that this isn’t a race; you’re in the real estate business, not the TikTok business.
TikTok for Real Estate Agents, Rule 7: Link Out to Longer Content
Let’s hear that line one more time:
You’re in the real estate business, not the TikTok business.
TikTok is to grow your following, not convert them. Conversations don’t come from TikTok, and that’s why you need to be linking out to longer content on other channels such as Facebook and Instagram.
Instagram in particular is a place where agents are having extreme success in converting leads through the DMs. So, be sure to always include your Instagram handle in the caption of your videos.
Have a Social Media Plan
This isn’t a TikTok-specific rule but it applies to anything you’re doing on social media or in life…
You must have a plan if you’re going to reliably get to where you want to be.
And I know it can be hard to build a solid plan while you’re also running a business and posting on TikTok (three times a day).
That’s what we specialize in. You need to devote time to working ON your business instead of in it. Get the tools, inspiration, and support you need to keep going forward – and also create a plan to integrate your conversion and marketing efforts.
There’s no better place to do this than at Sales & Marketing Edge, where you’ll learn from the king of real estate marketing Jason Pantana and sales wizard Jeff Mays.
New dates are coming up, and if you’re in need of attention-grabbing TikTok content, there’s hardly anywhere better.