Use these social media post ideas from Listing Leads’ Jimmy Mackin to generate more leads — not likes.
A lot of agents still confuse being seen on social media with being effective. They’re not the same. Recently, I sat down with Jimmy Mackin, co-founder of Listing Leads, to talk about what’s actually working right now, not for views but for real conversations and closings.
TAKE THE INMAN INTEL INDEX SURVEY
His take was simple: “You’ve got to focus on cheap and fast,” Mackin said. “What can you do right now that doesn’t cost much and gives you feedback quickly?”
That feedback loop is what makes social media so powerful. You can test, adjust and improve in real time. And the agents who lean into that are the ones turning content into clients. Here are a few of the frameworks he says are working right now.
Real estate social media posts that generate real leads
Challenge what people believe to create curiosity
One of the fastest ways to generate engagement is to challenge a belief your audience already has. For example, online home valuation estimates. Most agents know they’re off. Most consumers think they’re accurate. That gap creates opportunity.
“You have to create a curiosity gap,” Mackin said. “You’re not just giving information, you’re making someone wonder, ‘How wrong is mine?’” Posts that highlight a recent home value being significantly off, paired with an offer to check theirs, consistently drive responses. The key is what happens next.
“The handoff is where people fumble,” Mackin said. “When someone responds, you’ve got to move quickly and make it easy to continue the conversation.”
This is an example of this type of post:
Sell your insight, not just listings
Many agents hesitate to post because they don’t have a listing. That’s the wrong mindset. One of the most effective strategies right now is the “deal of the week,” which highlights the best opportunity an agent sees in the market based on their analysis.
“Consumers don’t want more options. They want a plan,” Mackin said. Instead of posting properties, you’re positioning yourself as the one doing the work for them, reviewing listings, identifying value and surfacing opportunities.
“You’re not selling the house,” he said. “You’re selling your analysis.” And that’s what creates conversations.
This is an example of this type of post:
Turn your buyers into lead generators
Most agents wait for inventory. Top agents create it. That’s where the “magic buyer” strategy comes in. Instead of waiting for the right home to hit the market, you promote your buyer’s needs, price range, location, and criteria and ask your audience to share.
“The top 3 percent don’t wait for inventory,” Mackin said. “They create it.” This works because it turns your audience into your distribution channel. It also reinforces your identity as someone actively doing business.
This is an example of this type of post:
Build interest before you deliver value
Another high-performing strategy is creating anticipation before sharing information. Instead of posting a list of price reductions, position it first. You’re reviewing the market. You’re looking for the best deal. Do they want it when you find it?
“I like to do the work before I do the work,” Mackin said. That simple shift turns ordinary market updates into engaging content. It invites people into the process and makes them more likely to respond.
This is an example of this type of post:
Reduce friction to increase conversations
At the core of everything is one principle: Reduce friction. Most agents struggle with one thing: not closing, but getting into conversations. “The bottleneck for most agents isn’t conversion,” Mackin said. “It’s conversations.”
The solution is to make the first step easier. Instead of asking, “Do you want to sell?” ask something smaller. More conversational. Less pressure. “If you want more conversations, shift from asking them to make big decisions,” he said. That’s how you get people to engage.
The goal isn’t attention. It’s action
Social media isn’t about looking busy. It’s about creating opportunities. That means posts should do more than get views. They should get responses.
“You’ve got to detach from your feelings and let the market tell you what works,” Mackin said. “And the only way to do that is to produce more.”
Because in the end, the agents who win on social media aren’t the ones who post perfectly. They’re the ones who post consistently and make it easy for people to say yes.
March is Marketing and Branding Month at Inman. As the spring selling season kicks in, we’ll examine the proven tactics and new innovations driving results in today’s market — and celebrate the industry’s top marketing and branding leaders with Inman’s Marketing All-Star Awards.
Jimmy Burgess is the Chief Coaching Officer for HomeServices of America and President of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
