Written by Devone Richard
Social media didn’t ruin real estate.
It distracted realtors from making real money.
Somewhere along the way, the industry stopped rewarding production and started rewarding attention. Likes replaced listings. Followers replaced fundamentals. And too many agents confused visibility with profitability.
The result?
A generation of busy realtors who look successful online—but struggle to build consistent income offline.
Attention Is Not Income
Social media creates motion without progress. Realtors spend hours filming content, chasing trends, and posting daily—yet can’t tell you their conversion rate, average commission, or monthly revenue target.
Being visible feels productive.
It isn’t.
Seven-figure realtors don’t track likes.
They track closings, margins, and leverage.
The Influencer Trap
Social media rewards entertainment, not execution. Algorithms promote flash, not fundamentals. As a result, many agents optimize for reach instead of revenue.
They know how to:
- Film reels
- Edit videos
- Build aesthetics
But they haven’t mastered:
- Pricing strategy
- Negotiation
- Listings
- Client leverage
Real estate isn’t a content business.
It’s a decision business.
Busy, Not Profitable
The most dangerous phrase in real estate today is:
“I’m busy.”
Busy agents chase low-quality leads, post nonstop, and stay reactive. Profitable agents control inventory, build referral pipelines, and protect their time.
Social media didn’t create hustle culture—but it amplified it. And hustle without structure leads to burnout, not wealth.
What Top Earners Actually Use Social Media For
High-producing realtors don’t disappear from social media. They demote it.
They use it to:
- Reinforce credibility
- Stay visible to past clients
- Support listings and authority
They don’t use it as their primary income engine.
Social media supports the business.
It does not become the business.
The Shift Back to Real Money
The real money in real estate still comes from:
- Listings
- Negotiation skill
- Repeat clients
- Referrals
- Systems
- Ownership and leverage
Agents who return their focus to fundamentals don’t just earn more—they last longer.
Final Thought
Social media made real estate louder.
It did not make it more profitable.
Realtors who stop chasing attention and start building structure will always outperform those chasing algorithms.
Because real money doesn’t trend.
It compounds.
—
Devone Richard, Real Estate Broker
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