It’s Marketing and Branding Month here at Inman. As we enter a competitive spring selling season, let’s examine which tried-and-true tactics and cutting-edge innovations are getting deals done in today’s market. We’ll also be recognizing the industry’s marketing and branding leaders with Inman’s Marketing All-Star Awards.
Instagram is a powerful tool agents utilize to generate leads, market their businesses, and deepen existing relationships. But how do we do that without coming across as salesy or needy?
These 15 agents, team leaders and trainers can help you find the perfect mix of content to grow your Instagram channel.
Brad McCallum @the.real.brad.mccallum
Brad McCallum is with Calgary’s The McCallum Group of REAL Broker Canada. McCallum utilized video listing tours early in his career to generate leads to build his business from the ground up. He continues to innovate with creative and inspiring content that attracts both buyers and sellers to his business.
With over 26,000 followers on Instagram and over 44,000 subscribers on YouTube, McCallum’s is an Instagram account that should be followed by agents interested in seeing engaging content creation at its best.
Barak Sky @baraksky
Barak Sky is with The Sky Group of Long and Foster serving the Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia markets. Sky does an excellent job diversifying the types of content he produces from funny videos to creative team introductions. He utilizes reels, photos, and posts to develop the story of who he is and what he does.
His consistent content production has grown his profile to have roughly 50,000 followers. If you’re looking for a profile to emulate, this is a wonderful place to start.
Jake Garay @jakegaray
Jake Garay is with the Garay-Michaud Team of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Hudson Valley Properties serving the Hudson Valley of New York. Garay utilizes interview-style, talking head videos to provide educational content tailored to attract his ideal clients.
He also mixes in team and listing posts, but his interview-style videos, which are reduced from longer form videos into short, bite-sized clips, are where his account really shines. If you’re looking for a way to provide educational and entertaining video content, Garay’s account is a perfect one to model.
Jimmy Mackin @jimmymackin
Jimmy Mackin is the co-founder and CEO of Curaytor. His profile says he’s “on a mission to become the most useful person to follow in real estate.” In my opinion, he may already have achieved that mission.
Mackin shares some of the best, most actionable strategies I’ve ever seen. His openness with sharing exactly what is working right now for Curaytor clients makes his account a must-follow for agents who are searching for ways to grow their businesses.
Kevin Holmes @holmes_group_kc
Kevin Holmes is with the Holmes Group of ReeceNichols out of Kansas City, Missouri. Holmes has built a following on Instagram of over 38,000 people by authentically sharing his passions in his business and personal life. His mix of real estate content is accented by sharing content from his The Huddle Podcast that he co-hosts with fellow ReeceNichols agent Kaleb Drinkgern.
The podcast interviews interesting people from the Kansas City area with an emphasis on sports figures. The authenticity of the podcast content shared on Instagram with short-form videos brings a balance to his page that attracts his ideal clients. Holmes’ page proves that entertainment mixed with valuable business information is the true recipe for success on Instagram.
Marley Presswood @thingsmarleydoes
Marley Presswood is with REAL Brokerage serving the Mount Pleasant and Charleston, South Carolina markets. Presswood is an example of mixing highly professional content with stories that are more personal, helping her grow new and deeper connections with her followers.
The style of videos she creates to share her favorite restaurants, parks and amenities in and around Charleston is the type of content that builds community and trust. If you wonder how to balance work and your hobbies in a way that grows your business, this is the account for you.
Andrew Undem @undem
Andrew Undem is the owner and managing partner with The Sure Group of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Homesale Realty, serving the Baltimore metro area. Undem utilizes green screen videos, photography and a comedic twist on content, which has led him to close over $1 billion in sales volume over his career.
His use of stories to share the details of his day at work and with family documents his day in a way that draws his followers in. If you’re looking for a unique way to turn boring market stats into an entertaining video, don’t miss his “This Month in Housing” series.
Ricky Carruth @rickycarruth
Ricky Carruth is with eXp Realty out of Orange Beach, Alabama. He’s built an Instagram following in excess of 271,000 followers by providing actionable ideas on how agents can grow their businesses. He mixes posts, green-screen video content, and interview-style videos providing agents with multiple avenues for growth.
Carruth is consistently trying new types of content. Due to the size of his audience, if you watch the types of posts that garner the most engagement, you can model that type of content in your local market for success. Ricky Carruth is a perfect model of results that can be achieved with consistent, innovative content.
Jay Johnson @jayjohnsoniv
Jay Johnson is with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Beach Properties of Florida serving the 30A market in the panhandle of Florida. Johnson is a great example that you don’t need a huge following to build a thriving business.
His “Friday Find” series where he shares his favorite home on the market each Friday has built an audience that is consistently growing. His strong Southern accent, along with his entertaining delivery, led to three listings last week that all asked if they could be featured on a “Friday Find” video if they listed their home for sale with him.
Driven in large part by the leads he generated on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, Johnson closed nearly $25 million in sales volume in 2023, which was just his second full year in the business. This is another example that being authentically who you are will attract the people you are supposed to work with.
Katie Day @movemetotx
Katie Day is the team leader of The MOVEMETOTX Team with The Real Brokerage serving the Houston, Texas, market. Day is an example of consistent content that mixes valuable local market information, agent education showing her expertise, and lifestyle content that helps her followers connect with her personally.
With over 6,100 posts on her account, Day’s consistency has led to over 37,000 followers. That doesn’t happen without followers finding value in her content. If you’re looking for a balanced, deliberate Instagram strategy, this is the one for you to follow.
Marie Boatsman @mariebrealty
Marie Boatsman is with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Northwest Real Estate serving the Portland, Oregon, area. Boatsman brings a classiness to her video content that mixes listing highlights, design trends, and buyer/seller tips.
She also utilizes Instagram Stories to provide more personal connection, including her family and life outside of work. If you want to bring a level of style and elegance to your account, this is one to check out.
Brigette and Jay Modglin @themodglincollection
Brigette and Jay Modglin are with The Modglin Collection with Kentwood Real Estate serving the Denver, Colorado, market. Their mix of stunning photography, property highlight posts and lifestyle videography is the perfect mix of content for client attraction and relationship building.
A great example of this is their recent post where they filmed a relaxing snow skiing run with music that triggers emotions of being on the slope and a desire to be physically in that moment. If you’re looking for lifestyle video done at an extremely high level check out The Modglin Collection.
Haley Ingram @coffeecontracts
Haley Ingram is the creator behind Coffee & Contracts, a company that helps real estate agents grow their businesses through social media marketing. As a former agent, Ingram has a unique understanding of marketing real estate and real estate agents via Instagram.
Her content is incredibly timely and actionable, which has led to an Instagram following in excess of 74,000 people. If you want to know how to market yourself and your business, Coffee & Contracts is a must-follow.
The Broke Agent @thebrokeagent
Eric Simon is the founder of The Broke Agent. Simon has a unique way of calling out the craziness of the real estate business in a way that is so spot-on that you can’t help but laugh. If laughter is the soul’s medicine, The Broke Agent is the doctor serving the real estate community.
Ryan Serhant @ryanserhant
Ryan Serhant is the founder and CEO of Serhant. He really sets the standard for building a personal brand in real estate. With over 1.9 million followers on Instagram, no list of Instagram accounts to follow for real estate agents would be complete without Serhant.
This is a list of agents and trainers who I follow, but I’m sure there are many deserving people not included in this list. Please leave your suggestions in the comments below.
