How Social Media Is Changing the Way Property Owners Choose Estate Agents in 2026

By Richard Gedall MNAEA | AARLA
Director, MyEstate Luton Limited

Not long ago, most estate agents won new instructions through property boards, newspaper advertising, leaflet drops, recommendations and prominent High Street offices.

Those methods have not disappeared, but the way sellers, landlords and freeholders choose an agent has changed.

Today, a property owner may follow an agent on LinkedIn, watch their videos, read their blogs and check their reviews for several months before making contact. The agent may not even know that person exists until the valuation request arrives.

This means social media is no longer simply somewhere agents advertise available properties. Used correctly, it has become a way of demonstrating knowledge, building familiarity and earning trust before the first conversation takes place.

However, there is an important difference between genuine property marketing and simply posting content.

Followers do not automatically produce instructions

Some agents appear successful online because they have large audiences, polished videos or posts generating thousands of views.

Those figures can look impressive, but they do not necessarily mean the agent is generating valuations, qualified buyers or completed transactions.

A video viewed by 20,000 people outside an agent’s working area may have less commercial value than a detailed local-market post read by 200 homeowners in the correct postcode.

The real question is not how many people saw the content. It is whether the content reached the right property owners and gave them a credible reason to contact the agent.

The agent is becoming part of the brand

Property owners increasingly want to know who will actually handle their property.

That is why many agents are moving away from entirely corporate social-media accounts and developing stronger personal profiles.

They are appearing in videos, discussing local-market conditions, explaining legislation and showing how they deal with real property problems.

This can make an agency feel more accessible, but it must be supported by genuine experience. A confident video presentation cannot replace local knowledge, professional qualifications, compliance or negotiation ability.

The strongest personal brands are not built around appearance alone. They are built around repeatedly answering the questions that sellers and landlords genuinely ask.

Short-form property videos

Short videos on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube Shorts are now being used to create interest before prospective buyers reach a traditional property portal.

These may include:

• Short property tours

• “Coming soon” previews

• Before-and-after refurbishment content

• Local-area introductions

• Explanations of unusual property features

• Answers to common seller and landlord questions

• Updates on legislation and market conditions

A good video can communicate the character of a property more effectively than a collection of still photographs. It can also be shared quickly between family members, investors and potential buyers.

However, video is an additional marketing tool—not a replacement for accurate particulars, professional photography, floor plans, properly handled enquiries and experienced sales progression.

Educational content is being used to build authority

Agents are increasingly publishing content about subjects such as:

• Current property prices

• Mortgage-market changes

• Landlord compliance

• HMO licensing

• Leasehold service charges

• Section 20 consultation

• Preparing a property for sale

• Choosing between selling and letting

• Common causes of failed property transactions

This approach works because property owners rarely wake up and immediately instruct an agent. They normally begin by researching a problem or considering their options.

An owner may search for information about a service-charge dispute, an HMO licence or the value of a property. If an agent provides a useful and credible explanation, that may be the owner’s first introduction to the business.

The blog or video does not need to force an immediate sale. Its purpose is to demonstrate that the agent understands the issue and is capable of handling it.

Professional organisations are also seeing the value of consistent, informative content. Propertymark reported that its social-media impressions increased from 1.3 million to 2.6 million during 2025, while shares increased by 44%. It attributed this visibility to sustained output and a varied mixture of professional content. Propertymark’s annual report provides further details.

Hyperlocal content instead of generic property news

Another important change is the increased use of hyperlocal content.

Generic posts about national house prices are easy to produce, but they may offer little practical value to someone deciding whether to sell a particular property in Luton or Bedfordshire.

Stronger local content may examine:

• Recent activity within a specific postcode

• Differences between houses and flats

• Local buyer and tenant demand

• Transport and regeneration projects

• HMO and licensing requirements

• Common leasehold issues within local blocks

• Why similar properties achieve different prices

• What buyers are currently questioning during viewings

This gives a property owner something more useful than a national headline. It shows whether the agent understands the streets, property types and problems affecting the local market.

Social proof and documented results

Reviews, testimonials and case studies are now central to many agents’ social-media strategies.

A properly presented case study can show how an agent solved a problem, managed a difficult transaction or improved a property’s marketing.

The most credible examples explain:

• The client’s original problem

• What action the agent took

• Any difficulties encountered

• The eventual result

• What other property owners can learn from the case

Agents must nevertheless be careful with claims such as “number one,” “market leader” or “best agent.” These are not harmless promotional phrases when they imply measurable superiority.

The Advertising Standards Authority states that objective superiority claims must be supported by appropriate evidence. It has also warned that property-portal figures alone may not be sufficient to prove general claims about an agent’s sales performance. ASA guidance on property-sales data explains the issue.

In June 2026, the ASA also upheld a complaint involving social-media comparisons between an estate agent and named competitors because several claims were misleading or could not be properly verified. The ASA ruling is a useful warning: creative marketing still requires evidence.

Private databases and early property s

Some agents now use social media to move suitable buyers and tenants into private databases, email lists or property- groups.

Instead of waiting for someone to discover a property online, an agent can notify registered applicants when a suitable instruction becomes available.

This can be particularly effective for:

• Investment properties

• HMOs

• Tenanted properties

• Development opportunities

• Freehold interests

• Blocks requiring new management

• Properties that may not suit conventional buyers

The value does not come from simply having a large database. It comes from maintaining accurate information and understanding what each applicant is genuinely able and prepared to purchase.

Paid advertising and retargeting

Agents are also using targeted digital advertising to place property and valuation content in front of people within selected locations.

A person who reads a valuation article or visits a property-management page may later see another advertisement from the same agency.

When properly managed, this can keep the agency visible while the property owner is still considering their options.

However, paid advertising cannot rescue a weak proposition. Sending more visitors to a poor landing page, an unclear service or a broken enquiry form simply wastes more money.

Effective advertising requires:

• A clearly defined target audience

• A relevant landing page

• Working telephone and enquiry tracking

• A strong reason to make contact

• Accurate and compliant claims

• Proper follow-up once the enquiry arrives

Artificial intelligence is increasing the amount of content

Artificial intelligence is making it easier for agencies to produce property descriptions, blogs, videos, images and social-media posts.

That creates an opportunity—but also a problem.

The internet is becoming flooded with generic content that sounds professional but says very little. Property owners should be cautious when an agent’s online material appears polished but does not demonstrate real local knowledge or experience.

AI can assist with research, structure and presentation. It should not invent market statistics, property features, legal claims, customer reviews or professional experience.

The agent remains responsible for what is published.

What should a seller or landlord ask?

Before instructing an agent, property owners should ask:

1. What is the actual marketing plan for my property?

2. Which social-media platforms will be used and why?

3. Will professional photography, video and floor plans be included?

4. How will enquiries be qualified and followed up?

5. Does the agent have an existing database relevant to my property?

6. How will marketing performance be measured?

7. Who will conduct viewings and negotiate offers?

8. Can the agent support its claims with evidence?

9. What happens after a buyer or tenant is found?

10. Does the agent understand the compliance issues affecting my property?

A social-media post may attract attention, but attention is only the beginning. The agent must still convert that attention into enquiries, viewings, negotiations and a successful transaction.

The MyEstate approach

At MyEstate, we use social media and educational content to explain the issues affecting sellers, landlords, leaseholders and freeholders.

Our objective is not to publish content simply to remain visible. It is to answer genuine property questions, demonstrate our experience and help property owners make better-informed decisions.

We combine modern digital marketing with local knowledge, professional property management, compliance support and direct personal service.

Whether you are selling a home, letting a property, managing an HMO or considering a change of block managing agent, the marketing should be built around your property and your intended result—not around collecting meaningless views.

To discuss your property or arrange a valuation, contact MyEstate Luton Limited.