In today’s competitive housing market, a new breed of professionals has emerged: the Realtor influencer.

Albeit not entirely a new phenomenon, agents are establishing innovative and creative ways to use social media to connect with clients and close deals. 

“If you don't level up, you’re going to get washed out in this industry,” says Francesca Baier, a real estate agent with Spokane-based First Look Real Estate. “This is just the new way to market.”

Traditionally, real estate marketing has revolved around open houses, yard signs, word-of-mouth referrals, multiple listing services, and local newspaper advertisements. Today, however, platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have become channels for agents to reach potential buyers and sellers.

Since Instagram became popular for sharing visuals, real estate agents have been showcasing properties with virtual walk-throughs, photos, and aerial shots. 

Now, some agents are incorporating the job of an influencer by offering paid partnerships to restaurants, beauty and skincare companies, fashion brands, and gyms and fitness studios.

Alyssa Curnutt, a Spokane agent with New York-based REAL Broker LLC, a cloud-based, publicly-traded real estate platform, has 25,600 Instagram followers. She says the extra few hours it takes to shoot footage, edit a story, and post to social media is paying off. She sold 21 homes in 2023, 10 of which she attributes to her Instagram activity.

“I made over $200,000 within one year in (gross commission income),” she says. “I started hyperlocal content in 2023, and that’s when it started taking off.”

Curnutt says her focus on Instagram is hyperlocal content targeting mothers with young children and teens who live on Spokane's North Side.

Influencers can use Instagram demographic tools to collect and analyze data from users' profiles and interactions. The data shows her audience is 70% female, with nearly a third between the ages of 35 to 44 years old. That data enables Curnutt to tailor content to a specific audience, she says.

“I’m speaking to that person every single time,” she says. “If there’s something important that that person would care about, I’ll (cover) it. It’s very important to me.”

Curnutt, who graduated from Gonzaga University with degrees in both broadcast and print journalism, says she primarily focuses on two types of content.

“I have business highlights featuring local businesses and breaking news,” Curnutt says. “It’s all about what’s new and what people care about.”

“My job is not to get people, or convince people, to buy or sell a home,” she says. “It’s to be there, and be in their mind, when they want to. It’s so they think about me.”

Curnutt and Baier both say sharing local content and connecting with people on social media is becoming increasingly more important than simply showcasing a specific property.

For example, a woman moving from Seattle had been following Curnutt's Instagram content and engaged with one of her polls—a feature within Instagram stories that allows users to create interactive posts where followers can vote on two options, providing real-time results. 

Curnutt followed up with her follower and they discussed her relocation plans. In the end, Curnutt helped her buy a home, assisted her parents who are moving from Texas, and referred agents to handle the sale of properties in both Seattle and Texas—resulting in four income opportunities from one lead.

Baier’s first viral video—a 7-second Instagram video about Spokane-based Sando’s sandwich shop—has generated 1.8 million views since August 2024. She also has a post giving real estate tips that has 9 million views, she says.

“When I started to post local content is when I got all my followers,” says Baier, who has over 7,000 Instagram followers. “It’s a way to stay in front of people.”

Both real estate agents say the purpose of creating digital content is to improve their branding. Both have built recognizable online personas that blend professionalism and relatability.

“I’m very much a brand now,” Curnutt says. “The brand is me.”

Local businesses that partner with Baier and Curnutt also benefit from the content.

“I can post just a little five-second clip and they message me and tell me that it was such a small blessing for a small business,” Baier says. “I enjoy making (content) more when I’m helping small businesses.”

Baier says her social media presence helps her build trust with clients. 

“They want to know and trust you with their real estate transaction,” she says. “This is the biggest transaction of their life, normally.”

Baier treats both creating content and selling real estate as jobs, but real estate is where she makes money.

Instagram, however, has become crucial for Baier's brand, she says. Since her first viral video in 2024, Baier says she has averaged between 500 and 1,000 new followers each month.

“It’s a way to stay in front of people,” she says. “It’s brand awareness and recognition.” 

Baier's content covers local restaurants and retail businesses, including beauty, food, fitness, home goods, and fashion. 

When choosing what to cover, she always keeps her clients, and potential clients, in mind.

“If I were coming to Spokane, what would I want to know about?” Baier says. “If you’re relocating, and coming to Spokane, you can hop on my platform and discover all the places to go.” 

Baier and Curnutt both say they are followed on Instagram for their local business highlights and digital content, not necessarily by people who are looking to buy a home.

Curnutt says having a strong Instagram presence is almost mandatory in today’s market.

“A lot of real estate agents are realizing you kind of have to,” says Curnutt. “It’s your digital business card.”