Let me be blunt: most real estate agents are terrible at digital marketing.

They work hard. They’re smart. And yet their online presence looks exactly like everyone else’s. The same listing photos. The same “Just Sold!” posts. The same crickets in the comments.

I’ve spent the last decade building digital marketing systems for real estate professionals across Europe. Solo agents, branch managers, franchise CEOs. I’ve seen what separates the top 1% from the rest.

Here’s what I’ve learned.

The 5 Mistakes Killing Your Digital Presence

1. You’re Posting Properties Instead of Value

Open any real estate agent’s Instagram right now. Scroll for ten seconds. What do you see?

Listing. Listing. “Just sold!” Listing. Listing.

Here’s the problem: nobody follows you to see listings. People follow accounts that give them insight, entertainment, or education. The listings? Those are the result of trust you’ve already built. They’re not how you build it.

The fix: Follow the 80/20 rule. 80% value content like market insights, buying tips, neighborhood guides, and behind-the-scenes. 20% listings and self-promotion.

2. You’re Spreading Yourself Too Thin

“I’m on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, and I just started a podcast.”

Cool. How’s that working out?

Being everywhere means being mediocre everywhere. The agents I see winning are the ones who dominate one platform first. They understand that specific algorithm, that specific audience, that specific content format. Then they expand.

The fix: Pick your primary platform based on where your ideal clients actually spend time. B2B targets like developers and franchise owners? LinkedIn. Consumers? Instagram or Facebook. Master one, then grow from there.

3. You’re Ignoring AI (Or Over-relying On It)

We’re in 2026. If you’re still manually writing every listing description from scratch, creating graphics pixel by pixel, and spending hours on admin tasks, you’re burning time you don’t have.

But the opposite extreme is just as bad. Agents who let AI write everything sound robotic and generic. The algorithm notices. Your audience notices. Everyone notices.

The fix: Use AI as your starting point, never your final product. Let it handle the grunt work. Then add your voice, your local knowledge, your personality. That’s what makes content actually yours.

4. You Have No Content System

Most agents create content reactively. They wake up, think “I should probably post something today,” scramble to put something together, post it, and move on. No strategy. No repurposing. No system.

The top performers work differently. They batch create. They plan content weeks in advance. They turn one solid piece of content into ten.

The fix: Build a simple content machine:

• • Create 1 long-form piece per week (a blog post, video, or podcast episode)

• • Break it into 5-10 micro pieces (clips, carousels, quote graphics)

• • Schedule everything in advance

• • Repeat weekly

5. You’re Flying Blind

“I posted every day for three months and got nothing.”

Okay, but what did you actually post? What content performed best? Which posts got engagement versus actual leads? What time did you post? Which hashtags did you use?

Most agents have no clue. They’re throwing content at the wall and hoping something sticks.

The fix: Review your analytics weekly. Find what works, double down on it. Find what doesn’t, kill it. Simple as that.

What Actually Works Right Now

After building Formule.io (a CRM built specifically for real estate teams) and running Formule Media for years, here’s what I’m seeing work in 2026:

Short-form Video Still Wins

Reels, TikToks, YouTube Shorts. The algorithms still favor them. The bar is higher now though. You need a hook in the first second, real value in the middle, and a clear reason to follow at the end.

Personal Brand Beats Company Brand

People buy from people. The agents crushing it on social media are the ones showing their face, telling their story, and building genuine connections. Your brokerage’s brand matters way less than your brand.

Local Authority Content Compounds

Stop trying to become a national influencer. Become the undisputed expert in your specific market instead. Neighborhood guides. Local market updates. Business spotlights. This builds real trust and it’s SEO gold.

Smart Automation, Human Touch

The agencies and agents who are scaling use automation for follow-ups, lead routing, and admin work. But they keep the human element where it actually matters. That’s exactly the philosophy behind how we built Formule.io.

The Bottom Line

Here’s what nobody tells you: digital marketing is a slow game.

You’re not going to post for two weeks and suddenly have leads flooding in. You’re not going to make one viral video and retire. It doesn’t work that way.

But if you show up consistently, provide genuine value, and build real relationships online, the results compound. I’ve watched agents go from zero online presence to becoming the go-to name in their market within 12-18 months.

The question is simple: will you be one of them?