by Daniel Houston | Jun 23, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
In the first spring since new rules went into effect, agents told Intel they were more likely to field a hard bargain from a buyer or seller — a trend that squeezed buyer-side commissions from multiple angles.
This report is available exclusively to subscribers of Inman Intel, the data and research arm of Inman offering deep insights and market intelligence on the business of residential real estate and proptech. Subscribe today.
As the spring market built up momentum ahead of real estate’s busiest season, buyer’s agents found their rates increasingly squeezed from multiple angles, new Intel survey results suggest.
The large majority of agents surveyed each month as part of the Intel Index survey continue to say that their commissions have not changed, or have declined only slightly, since the NAR settlement rules went into effect in August.
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But the share of agent respondents who have been spared of negotiations with buyers has steadily eroded since the start of the year, the May survey results show. And more agents are dealing with sellers who want to attempt a hard strategy of not paying the buyer commission, Intel found.
Taken together, the results paint a picture of a market where an ongoing downward tug on commissions continues to strengthen, a reality with limited short-term impact but unknown long-term consequences.
Intel breaks down the findings in this week’s report.
Rising exposure
In late August, the first weeks after the National Association of Realtors settlement rules went into effect, roughly 3 in 4 agents said they hadn’t yet dealt with any buyers or sellers trying to take advantage of the new rules to drive a hard bargain.
Today, fewer agents are fully insulated from the change.
The first shift happened from August to September, as more buyers and sellers wrapped their heads around their options.
But Intel has observed a more recent shift in buyer behavior as well, coinciding with the start of the spring season and continuing through the most recent May results.
Intel: Over the last 3 months, what portion of your prospective buyer clients tried to negotiate a lower commission than what has been traditionally paid to buyer’s agents in your market?
December survey % → May survey %
- 66% → 57%: None tried to negotiate below the typical range
- 19% → 26%: Some, but fewer than 10%
- 9% → 10%: More than 10%, but fewer than half
- 6% → 7%: More than half tried to negotiate below the typical range
As we can see above, the share of agents who have no exposure to commission negotiation in recent months has dropped to a little over half of recent survey respondents.
Still, for the vast majority of survey respondents, these negotiations with buyers remain rare — making up fewer than 1 in 10 of the buyer clients with whom they ended up doing business.
For 17 percent of agent respondents, however, buyer negotiations have increasingly become a fact of life, affecting a significant share of their clients.
Intel also found evidence that sellers have taken the spring market as an opportunity to benefit from the new rules.
Intel: Over the last 3 months, what portion of your seller clients actually took a hard-line approach against covering the buyer’s agent commission?
December survey % → May survey %
- 74% → 64%: None
- 19% → 25%: Some, but fewer than 10%
- 2% → 6%: More than 10%, but fewer than half
- 4% → 5%: More than half
Here, too, we see that more agents have had experience with listing clients who were dead-set against the longstanding U.S. real estate practice of covering the buyer’s agent commission.
While these cases remain rare, it’s clear that the practice is not going away any time soon, even as agents largely advise their sellers against taking a route that might hurt their listing’s appeal on the market.
And the overall effect of these changes on commission rates? Not much, at least for most agents.
- Just over 47 percent of agent respondents in May said that they have observed no change to commission rates in their markets since the rules went into effect, and another 33 percent described the decline as slight.
- Only 5 percent of agent respondents told Intel that their compensation rates had decreased “significantly.”
- That’s even fewer than the 7 percent who said they have been able to negotiate higher rates as a result of the changes.
Intel will continue to monitor these trends in the months to come.
Methodology notes: This month’s Inman Intel Index survey was conducted May 20-June 3, 2025, and received 529 responses. The entire Inman reader community was invited to participate, and a rotating, randomized selection of community members was prompted to participate by email. Users responded to a series of questions related to their self-identified corner of the real estate industry — including real estate agents, brokerage leaders, lenders and proptech entrepreneurs. Results reflect the experience of the engaged Inman community, which may not always match those of the broader real estate industry. This survey is conducted monthly.
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by Troy Palmquist | Jun 23, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
After years being out of production, Troy Palmquist is going back to sales, and he’s betting big on this platform to help him maintain consistent, smart communication with his sphere.
Since the NAR commission suit settlement, buyer agents have faced new rules, new documents and a new normal. This month, Inman drills down on Today’s Buyers Agent with the fresh marketing strategies, skills and tools buyer agents are using to prosper in changing times.
After years in brokerage leadership and consultancy, I’m getting back into production. I’m a big believer in the pendulum swings of the real estate market, and after the past couple of tight years, I believe that the time is now to focus on the untapped potential in the current and upcoming landscape.
Getting back into the day-to-day means focusing on what drives relationships and revenue rather than chasing shiny objects. That starts with consistent, smart communication with my sphere of influence.
It means rebuilding my pipeline, my brand and my audience. The first move? A smarter, sharper newsletter that’s not just a listing showcase, but a real channel for value-added content that educates and nurtures new leads. After testing a few tools, I landed on Constant Contact, which offers terrific tools for real estate pros.
You’re not just sending emails. You’re building a brand
If your current email blast only goes out on holidays or when you have a new listing, you’re doing yourself and your database a disservice. A newsletter is for building a voice, delivering value and staying top-of-mind, even if the folks in your sphere aren’t currently in the market for a new home.
If your only touchpoint is “just listed,” you’re missing out on the long game. And playing that long game is what keeps you top of mind on the day that someone has a question about their market or their home’s value.
Newsletters work even when you have nothing to sell
A newsletter shouldn’t be an extended advertisement for you or your listings. It can and should include:
- Market insights
- Homeowner tips
- Community events
- Real stories and case studies
- Reviews and testimonials
It offers you the opportunity to display your expertise and to drive traffic to your website, blog, YouTube, social channels and other digital platforms.
Not sure what to write about? Consider the following:
- Explain the meaning of (don’t just list) the latest market data
- Answer the questions you hear clients and colleagues discussing right now
- Give a heads-up on new development projects in your market
- Talk about changes to zoning regulations in your area
- Provide tips on DIY home improvement and maintenance
- Spotlight local luxury or historic properties
- Share photos from a recent community service or volunteer event
The point is to give your mailing list a chance to get to know you, while they get to know more about your local market.
Forget basic blasts. Be strategic
Working with a platform like Constant Contact gives real estate agents the chance to see what’s working and what isn’t in their newsletter planning. Three of my favorite features include:
- A/B testing that lets me experiment and optimize my email campaigns based on real engagement
- Auto-resizing that helps me repurpose one piece of content for use across a variety of platforms
- Templates that are already dialed in and optimized for real estate, cutting out the guesswork
For brokerages and teams, there’s flexibility and scalability, whether you’re a solo agent or collaborating with a 50-agent team. Enterprise-quality tools help organizations centralize branding, content and insights without slowing down production.
As a broker, I’ve always worked with content and design specialists to provide marketing collateral to my agents for email blasts and outreach, but my input ended with the content itself. It was up to the individual agent to format it and send it out in a timely manner.
With the scalability of Constant Contact’s platform, team leads and brokers have an enhanced ability to collaborate and ensure that the content it’s providing is optimally distributed — ensuring their branding is consistent.
Look for a do-it-all tool
If you’ve been cobbling together generic tools, a powerful and flexible newsletter platform like Constant Contact is going to be a game-changer for you. It’s like having a marketing department overseeing the look and function of your newsletter because many of its templates and tools have already been optimized for use by real estate industry professionals.
It offers free education so that you and your team can learn more about multichannel marketing, generating leads with email and even content creation that utilizes AI. It was the winner of Inman’s 2024 Best Use of AI in Marketing Award, so it lives on the cutting edge of this technology, and you can trust that it has made it easy for real estate pros to use.
I’m really excited to use Constant Contact to develop consistency in my newsletter routine, amplify my content to followers on social media and generally get more done with less effort.
Here are some of the ways I’ll be planning ahead for each edition of my newsletter:
- Instead of sitting down and trying to come up with a month’s worth of content, I’ll be gathering stories, stats, videos and other shareable content every day and putting it in a dedicated folder for later reference.
- I’m not forcing myself to write every Thursday at 4 p.m. I’m prioritizing the newsletter when I’m in the zone and have something compelling to share, possibly even doing some batch writing for multiple editions.
- I’m going to use Constant Contact’s AI tools to iterate on ideas for new content and email design, and I think I will learn a lot about the best times to send my newsletter. Nobody likes a guessing game, and Constant Contact will solve that problem for me.
- I’ll be working from one of Constant Contact’s professionally designed email templates so each newsletter looks consistent and follows a familiar pattern. That predictability is good for engagement.
- I’ll repurpose what’s working on other channels, like social posts or videos that get great engagement. That way, I’m not always reinventing the wheel.
- I’ll invite engagement with a clear call to action for each edition — schedule a consultation, download a guide, RSVP to an event — so readers know what to do next and how to reach out.
- I might also experiment with automated reminders and SMS messages — both of which are great touchpoints for new clients and repeat buyers who want to make sure they don’t miss one of my updates.
Whether you’re rethinking your current business model, rebooting after a slow season or just getting started in real estate, I want to hear about your experiences as well. What are you doing to get in front of your SOI now? What’s working and what’s not? What’s keeping you from creating the content you need to engage with your audience? Drop a comment below.
Troy Palmquist is the founder and principal at HomeCode Advisors. Connect with him on LinkedIn.
by Bernice Ross | Jun 23, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Saving clients and prospects money is the best marketing you’ll ever do, trainer Bernice Ross writes. You’re building trust and creating an unbeatable personal connection. Here’s how to do it.
Since the NAR commission suit settlement, buyer agents have faced new rules, new documents and a new normal. This month, Inman drills down on Today’s Buyers Agent with the fresh marketing strategies, skills and tools buyer agents are using to prosper in changing times.
Let’s face it: Your clients don’t care about your Instagram followers or whether you or your company is No. 1. In today’s tough market, what they care about most is money. If you want to build a database of raving fans, here are seven ways you can help save them serious money.
1. Save them an average of $18,000
Down Payment Assistance (DPA) programs remain one of the least-used tools in most agents’ financial arsenal. According to Rob Chrane of DownPaymentResource.com, over 80 percent of all non-homeowners believe they need 10-20 percent down to purchase a home.
The reality? There are more than 2,400 DPA programs across the U.S. that offer grants, forgivable loans, matching savings plans or subsidized mortgages to help buyers get started with far less.
Moreover, over 84 percent of the homes in the U.S. (and in some cases mobile homes) are eligible for DPA. Here’s what you need to know:
- The average amount of DPA granted last year was $18,000.
- Two-thirds of the DPA programs are for first-time buyers or those who have not owned a home in the past three years. The other third is available to those who currently own homes, provided they meet certain financial requirements.
- Veterans, teachers, first responders and low- to moderate-income buyers may qualify for grants as high as $40,000.
- Mortgage Credit Certificates (MCCs) offer up to $2,000 annually in dollar-for-dollar tax credits for the life of the loan. This is not a deduction, but a direct reduction in the amount of how much you pay in taxes. In some markets, this can add up to $60,000 in savings for a homeowner paying off their mortgage over 30 years.
- You can “stack” DPA programs. One savvy agent in Seattle stacked five programs to help her buyers buy a property worth almost $1 million.
If you aren’t already working with a lender who specializes in these programs, now’s the time to identify these companies/organizations in your market.
An easy way to see what DPA is available on any active listing on Realtor.com or Zillow is to navigate to the mortgage payment information on that listing. If DPA is available, both sites will list the programs and the resources available for that specific property.
2. Show clients how to eliminate PMI early
Private Mortgage Insurance (PMI) is an invisible money leak for many buyers. Most of your clients and prospects will have no idea they can eliminate PMI, not when they have paid down 20 percent of their loan, but when they can demonstrate they have a 20 percent equity position in their property. (This will require an appraisal.)
If you’re in a market that has appreciated 20 percent since any of your clients purchased their home or if they have added square footage, updated the kitchen or even improved landscaping significantly, that new value could eliminate their PMI now rather than years from now.
PMI typically costs hundreds of dollars a month. Canceling it early puts thousands back into your client’s pockets, turning you into their financial hero.
Check out Bankrate for an excellent guide to cancelling PMI.
3. Give your new listings more market time
Did you know that Friday is the best day to put a new listing on the market? The reason is that most people look on the weekends, plus on Saturday and Sunday, there is no new competition coming on the market until Monday.
I’ve seen numerous studies over the years showing that this approach almost always nets the seller more money as compared with listing on any other day of the week.
4. Boomerang buyers
“Boomerang buyers” are former homeowners who lost their homes in foreclosure, sold in a short sale or who may have had to move into a rental due to a loss of income from a divorce, illness or other event.
Many don’t realize that they can qualify to buy a home as a first-time buyer (provided they haven’t owned a property in the past three years) with a reduced down payment and down payment assistance.
If any of your past clients have experienced this situation, advise them that they may now be able to become a homeowner again and to stop paying their landlord’s mortgage rather than their own.
5. Maximize credit scoring strategies before preapproval
Credit scores not only influence whether a borrower will qualify for a loan but also the rate and terms. To help your clients maximize their credit score before applying for a mortgage pre-approval, have them do the following:
- Check their credit score on Equifax, Experian and Transunion for errors. Correct those before applying for a loan.
- Make sure all their payments are made on time.
- Advise them to avoid applying for any other type of credit, especially before closing, because along with increased credit comes an increase in payment obligations, which in turn can destroy their ability to qualify.
For example, when we purchased our new home, we only had one car but needed two. Nevertheless, we postponed picking up our new SUV and ordering new furniture until the transaction closed and we had our keys in hand.
- Do not close existing credit card accounts. Instead, advise your clients to buy a small item on the card every couple of months and pay it off immediately. While having a card that has no balance is great, it’s even better for your credit score when you use it periodically to purchase one item and pay it off.
- Explain how to improve their “credit utilization ratio.” While this sounds complex, it’s simply a matter of them paying down their existing debt. Banks typically like to see a credit utilization ratio of 30 percent or less when assessing mortgage applications. This means using no more than 30 percent of your total available credit across all credit cards and other revolving credit accounts. Keeping your credit utilization low demonstrates responsible credit management to lenders.
A better interest rate and terms translate into lower monthly payments, and the potential for long-term savings in the tens of thousands.
6. Leverage energy rebates and tax credits in 2025
With the Inflation Reduction Act in effect, there are now dozens of federal, state and utility rebates available for energy-efficient home upgrades. Sadly, most buyers are completely unaware of them.
The IRS has published a comprehensive list of options as well as a series of articles on this important topic. Some of the most notable ones cited include:
- Be efficient by saving on your energy bills by upgrading your appliances. Water heaters, air conditioners and certain stoves qualify for a 30 percent tax credit when you upgrade to newer more-efficient models.
- Don’t wait — insulate. Having air leaks or poor insulation in your home is like watching money literally escape through the cracks. Don’t let it happen to you! Weatherize your home with a 30 percent tax credit on insulation, doors and windows.
- Under the Inflation Reduction Act, you can get a tax credit for 30 percent of the cost of installing clean energy systems in your home, including solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage and more.
- Heat pumps are rapidly gaining popularity as an energy-efficient option for home heating and cooling. With a 30 percent tax credit available for a range of heat pump solutions (up to $2,000 per year), it’s a great time to investigate if this clean technology is right for your home.
- Local utility companies often offer their own rebates. Check their websites for what’s available now, and share it, not only with your current buyers and sellers but also with past clients and your sphere.
7. Help your global buyers save tens of thousands of dollars
If you’re working with buyers who are from outside the U.S. and they do not have green cards, you absolutely must advise them to see an immigration attorney who specializes in tax law for foreign investors in the U.S. prior to writing an offer on any property. Here’s why.
- If your buyers purchase and take the property in their own name, they will be unable to deduct depreciation if this purchase is an investment property, nor will they be eligible to do a 1031 tax-deferred exchange.
- In addition, the entire amount of their sale proceeds when they sell, whether it was an investment or their primary residence, will probably be subject to both state and federal income tax.
- Here’s the biggest challenge, however. Failing to use an offshore LLC could result in their offshore income being taxed by U.S. authorities in some states. The most notable case is in California, where, if this issue is not addressed, it could result in a substantial part of all their offshore income becoming subject to California state income tax.
The bottom line is that saving clients and prospects money is the best marketing you will ever do, whether it’s helping them obtain DPA, cutting their PMI, finding rebates or helping them obtain a more favorable mortgage at a better rate. Not only are you helping them, but you are also creating connection and trust, the foundation for building raving fans, referrals and repeat business.
Bernice Ross, president and CEO of BrokerageUP and RealEstateCoach.com, the founder of Profit.RealEstate and a national speaker, author and trainer with over 1,500 published articles.
by Stephanie Alfonso | Jun 23, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Driven by technological advancements and shifting consumer expectations, the real estate industry is undergoing a transformation, presenting both challenges and opportunities. In our recent research report, “The State of Real Estate Marketing,” we found that agents are still tackling traditional challenges, but are also struggling to learn and adapt to technology that will help them grow their marketing success.
The marketing burden
It’s no surprise that only 9 percent of real estate agents have handed their marketing over entirely to a brokerage or in-house team. After all, the personal touch is critical for real estate success. But it may be surprising to learn that nearly half (47 percent) actually do all their marketing alone, and only 13 percent of those solo marketers would rate their marketing as very effective.
And while these agents are facing some timeless challenges, like generating and converting leads and standing out against competitors, there are new challenges emerging: nearly one-third are struggling to implement the right technology, and another third feel they can’t keep up with the pace of changing tech.
To achieve success and stay competitive, agents need technology that’s easy to use, and strategic direction to get the most out of it.
Effective and efficient
While agents struggle to keep up with technological advances, the benefits of those advances are clear: those utilizing digital tactics like social media, email marketing, search engine optimization and paid social report more marketing success across the board, while also relying less on tactics like events and direct mail.
What specifically is driving that success? The most successful marketers share some things in common:
- Automation and integration — They are nearly one and a half times more likely to use automated follow-ups and drip campaigns, and to integrate their contacts across platforms like CRM, email, and advertising tools.
- Personalization and testing — They are two times more likely to test and refine things like marketing messaging and timing.
- Embracing AI — They are nearly twice as likely likely to use AI tools in their marketing efforts.
Ultimately, these agents are embracing advanced technologies, but with the explicit outcome of streamlined marketing — making the most of their limited hours.
How brokerages can help bridge the gap
It might seem like a foregone conclusion that agents who are part of a brokerage struggle less with access to technology; however, only one in five are satisfied with the technology their brokerage provides, and often seek out alternative tools. So, how can brokerages drive agent tech adoption, satisfaction and success?
First and foremost, brokerages must recognize the importance of contact list ownership; 96 percent of agents say exclusive, protected access to their own list is critical, and 90 percent view owning their list as a competitive advantage.
Next, brokerages must balance their desire for advanced measurement with agents’ need for a solution that’s streamlined and easy to use. Agents need to actually feel able to use the tools selected.
Finally, agents are more successful when they have guidance: offerings like coaching, online training, webinars and support centers help agents adopt and utilize brokerage-provided technology.
Moving ahead with confidence
There’s no question that agents must embrace tech to drive marketing success; both agents and brokerages can set their sights on success by implementing flexible, robust marketing tools that both offer scalable features and agent independence and provide an easy-to-use, streamlined experience.
Constant Contact helps real estate professionals supercharge their marketing beyond CRM functionality. Easily create content, build your client audience and seal more deals with automated email, SMS, social media marketing, landing pages and more. Learn more at Constant Contact.
by Matterport Editorial Team | Jun 23, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
The real estate landscape is evolving, and artificial intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of this transformation. For residential real estate agents, adopting the latest technology is no longer optional — it’s essential. AI in real estate isn’t just a passing trend; it’s redefining how agents showcase properties, engage with clients and close deals faster than ever before.
Why AI in real estate matters
AI in real estate brings sophisticated tools that automate time-consuming tasks, enhance property presentations and offer data-driven insights. For real estate agents, this means more efficient workflows, higher client satisfaction and ultimately, more closed deals. Here’s why AI is becoming an indispensable ally for agents:
- Enhanced productivity: AI automates property measurements, listing descriptions and client recommendations, saving hours of manual work.
- Better client service: Tailored recommendations and rapid responses improve the overall client experience.
- Winning marketing strategies: AI-driven tools create polished, professional property presentations that make listings stand out.
As AI continues to develop, agents who adopt these tools now will gain a competitive edge in an increasingly tech-driven industry.
Leading the AI revolution in 3D
Among the leaders driving this innovation is Matterport, with its cutting-edge Property Intelligence tools designed to revolutionize how residential agents market and sell homes. Matterport has long been renowned for its ability to create immersive 3D virtual tours through its digital twin technology. But with their latest suite of AI-powered Property Intelligence tools, they are setting a new standard for how homes are marketed.
Here’s how AI is empowering real estate agents with smarter solutions:
- Immersive virtual tours: Create true-to-life digital representations of properties that buyers can explore in full detail.
- AI-powered insights: Automatically generate room names, property dimensions and accurate measurements in seconds.
- Compelling descriptions: Craft professional-grade property descriptions in moments, optimized for search engines and tailored to attract buyers.
But there’s one specific feature you absolutely need to know about…
The jaw-dropping Auto-Defurnish Tool
A standout AI innovation for 3D tours is the Auto-Defurnish Tool. This AI-powered feature automatically removes furniture and personal clutter from a 3D tour with one click, presenting a clean, blank canvas. For residential agents, this tool is a game-changer:
- Maximizes buyer imagination: Buyers can more easily envision their personal style in the space.
- Simplifies property prep: Skip costly and time-consuming physical staging or decluttering.
- Removes barriers: Overcomes objections from buyers who struggle to “see past” current furnishings.
The Auto-Defurnish Tool empowers agents to present properties at their best, driving buyer interest and faster decision-making.
Additional tools driving value for real estate agents
AI-powered tools extend beyond visual enhancements, offering agents a complete toolkit to streamline their operations:
- Auto-generated descriptions: Save time by letting AI craft polished, SEO-friendly property descriptions that highlight a property’s best features.
- Auto-measurements and room labels: Provide precise property dimensions directly within 3D tours to help buyers make informed decisions without additional inquiries.
- Data-driven marketing: Leverage AI insights to tailor your strategies for maximum engagement and outreach.
All of these value-add features work seamlessly together to simplify your workflow and create an exceptional experience for your clients.
Start your AI journey today
For real estate agents looking to future-proof their business, the time to act is now. AI is no longer a luxury; it’s a necessity to stay relevant and competitive. With tools like Matterport’s Property Intelligence suite, you’ll not only save time and effort but also unlock new levels of client satisfaction and professional success.
Transform your approach to real estate marketing. Explore Matterport’s AI-powered real estate solutions today and revolutionize your business. Explore AI-powered solutions now.
by Jessi Healey | Jun 22, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
Real estate is changing fast, and so must you. Inman Connect San Diego is where you turn uncertainty into strategy — with real talk, real tools, and the connections that matter. If you’re serious about staying ahead of the game, this is where you need to be. Register now!
Each week on Trending, digital marketer Jessi Healey dives into what’s buzzing in social media and why it matters for real estate professionals. From viral trends to platform changes, she’ll break it all down so you know what’s worth your time — and what’s not.
TikTok is turning livestreams into serious sales, YouTube wants creators to double down on Shorts, and Meta is — not so quietly — reshaping Facebook into a reels-first platform while confirming what we’ve all suspected: Links in captions kill reach.
Add in Apple’s iOS overhaul, which changes how your clients even see and sort your content, and it can feel overwhelming with how fast the platforms are moving — and not always in a direction that helps real estate agents.
If you’ve been relying on the same posting habits or content formats, this is your cue: It’s time to adapt. Whether it’s a new algorithm push, another privacy misstep or a shift in video strategy, one thing stays true: The platforms make the rules, and they’ll rewrite them without warning.
The good news is, it’s never too late to adapt; you’re just in time for the next shift.
TikTok Shop sales jump as livestream buying grows
TikTok Shop is gaining serious traction in the U.S., with a 120 percent year-over-year sales increase and more than 70 million products now available in-app. According to TikTok, 76 percent of users who engaged with TikTok Shop made a purchase via livestream in the past year, and 83 percent discovered a new product through this channel.
Top categories include womens wear, beauty, health, sports gear and electronics. More than 171,000 small businesses are now selling through TikTok Shop, and creators have hosted over 8 million hours of live shopping.
To maintain momentum, TikTok is introducing new seller tools, along with a special promotion and campaign.
What this means for agents
Livestream content is fueling discovery and conversion, not just entertainment. Real estate pros testing TikTok should pay attention to how creators explain value in real-time, engage directly with viewers and use storytelling to drive action.
Even if you’re not selling products, you are selling expertise. Think walkthroughs, market updates and Q&As — live.
YouTube pushes deeper into short-form shopping and brand deals
YouTube is betting big on creators — and shoppable content — with a batch of new tools designed to boost engagement and brand partnerships.
First up: Shopping in Shorts is getting an upgrade. Instead of the small banner in the corner, tagged products will now appear as prominent stickers you can move around the screen. Early tests show a 40 percent increase in product clicks with the new format, especially when used in livestreams or high-interest Shorts.
Meanwhile, YouTube’s Communities feature is rolling out to more creators, offering a dedicated space for audience interaction beyond the comment section. Think of it as a built-in discussion board with sorting options like “Top Posts” and “Newest,” plus visibility boosts for quality content.
And in an effort to make influencer-brand deals more accessible, YouTube’s new Open Call system allows brands to post partnership briefs that creators can apply to. This shift gives creators — regardless of size — more opportunity to pitch themselves for paid collaborations.
What this means for agents
Take notes on how YouTube is blending visibility, community and monetization. Try experimenting with short-form video that includes strong visual storytelling and subtle product placement (Think: neighborhood perks, not just listings). And don’t sleep on the power of audience connection — comment threads and community posts can build trust just as much as video views.
Meta’s AI missteps raise privacy concerns as Facebook doubles down on reels
As Meta pushes forward with new AI tools and video features, it’s facing serious backlash over unintentional data exposure on its chatbot platforms. Users interacting with Meta AI — thinking they’re having private conversations — have accidentally shared deeply personal content to public feeds, including medical questions, private travel plans and even phone numbers.
Despite Meta’s disclaimer that posts are only public when shared, the UI and user confusion suggest a design issue, not just user error.
At the same time, Facebook is streamlining all video uploads into its Reels format — removing the distinction between traditional videos and reels entirely. There are no length limits, and creators will get access to the same editing tools across the board. The Video tab is being renamed to Reels, and audience settings are being unified to help users better manage who sees what.
What this means for agents
There’s a clear gap between what platforms intend and what users understand. Make sure your content — especially anything AI-assisted — is clearly reviewed and intentionally shared. And if you’re using Facebook for community building, the shift to all-video-as-reels could be an opportunity.
Longer listing videos, walkthroughs and client testimonials can now get the same algorithmic push as short-form clips, so don’t be afraid to experiment across video lengths.
Meta confirms what marketers suspected: Links in captions hurt reach
Social media managers have long debated the best place to put a link on Facebook — in the caption or the first comment. Now, Meta is quietly confirming what most already suspected: Links in the post body can hurt performance. New post-level insights in Facebook’s Professional Dashboard suggest that placing your link in the first comment might help maximize reach.
It’s a subtle but important shift for agents who rely on Facebook to drive traffic to listings, blogs and lead forms. According to Meta’s own “Widely Viewed Content Report,” 97.3 percent of U.S. post views go to updates that don’t include a link to an outside site. If you’re still dropping links in your caption, you may be limiting your exposure.
What this means for agents
Rethink how you share listings and lead-gen links. Skip the default link drop and lean into visuals, captions that drive interest and first-comment links. Test the performance of these approaches — small changes could result in significantly more views from potential buyers and sellers.
Pro tip: Let Facebook generate the link preview, then delete the URL from your caption. Or try posting a high-quality image and dropping the link in the first comment — a tactic used by top-performing Pages. It requires more manual effort, but could lead to more eyeballs on your content. Agents should test both methods to see which gets the most traction.
iOS 26 redesign and AI features will change how clients experience your content
Apple’s newest iPhone update isn’t just about aesthetics — it’s a major shift in how your clients interact with content, communication and even your listings. With iOS 26, Apple introduces a striking new design, AI-powered features and seamless app integrations that will impact how agents show up in clients’ digital lives.
The biggest shift: Apple Intelligence — a suite of AI tools built into the iPhone — enables smarter message translation, live summaries, and real-time suggestions that enhance communication. That means your listing updates, client check-ins and showing reminders could be filtered or flagged differently based on what the AI prioritizes.
Apple’s new design also places more focus on visual content through dynamic widgets and full-screen web flows, meaning your mobile-optimized site, images and videos need to be sharper and more engaging than ever.
Messages and Phone apps now screen unknown contacts by default, and new layout changes might bury less relevant interactions. If your follow-ups aren’t clearly personalized, they may get lost. Apple Maps now offers encrypted “Visited Places,” which could be a gold mine for retargeting — or a challenge, depending on privacy settings.
And with video now even more immersive across Safari and CarPlay, real estate agents need to assume that buyers are watching listing videos, walkthroughs and branding content on the go.
What this means for agents
The way your clients interact with your brand on iPhone just changed. Don’t let their first impression be your last — it’s time to audit your mobile presence, messaging strategy and visual assets for the new Apple standard.
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
- TikTok Shop is booming with livestream sales up 120 percent. Watch how creators use real-time engagement to convert — it’s a model for value-driven, interactive content.
- YouTube doubles down on Shorts and creator tools. New shopping stickers, open brand deals and expanded community features point to deeper engagement opportunities.
- Meta’s AI raises privacy red flags as user confusion leads to accidental public posts. Meanwhile, all Facebook video is now Reels — a major shift with algorithmic upside.
- Facebook confirms it: Links hurt reach. Move your links to the first comment, or delete them after preview generation to improve visibility.
- Apple’s iOS 26 redesign means clients will see your content differently. AI filters, enhanced video and mobile-first design demand sharper, more strategic communication.
Features come and go, algorithms shift, and what worked last month might tank tomorrow. But here’s what doesn’t change: The way you show up for your clients.
You don’t need to chase every update or hop on every trend. You just need to understand what tools are out there, how people are actually using them, and how that lines up with the way you do business.
Keep showing up with clarity, stay nimble with your strategy, and remember — the real power isn’t in the platform. It’s in how you use it.
Jessi Healey is a freelance writer and social media manager specializing in real estate. Find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, or Bluesky.
