10 Instagram Features You May Not Know About for Real Estate Agents (Updated 2025)
Instagram is constantly evolving, rolling out new features designed to keep users engaged and inspired. While there’s buzz about these tools giving you an algorithm boost, the real magic lies in how they help real estate agents like you connect with your audience and showcase your expertise in fresh, impactful ways.
Whether you’re hearing about these features for the first time or already testing them out, they can elevate your Instagram strategy, attract new followers, and generate leads. Let’s dive into 10 Instagram features and how you can use them to take your real estate business to the next level!
1. Action Buttons
Instagram offers several action buttons that can be added to business profiles to help users engage with your business directly. Action buttons on your profile make it easier for followers to connect with you and take specific actions, like scheduling a consultation or sending an inquiry.
🏡 Key Buttons for Real Estate Agents:
- Apply Now: Perfect for capturing buyer leads or email subscribers with custom questions.
- Call & Email: Direct followers to call or email you instantly.
- Book Now: Link this button to a booking page for showings or consultations.
- Message: Keep DMs open for quick, private conversations.
- Directions: This button provides users with directions to your business location via a map app.
✍🏻 How to Add Action Buttons:
1. Tap “Edit Profile.”
2. Select “Action Buttons” to customize options like “Apply Now” or “Book Now.”
3. Add your preferred contact details under “Contact Options.”
4. Click “edit profile” when looking at your profile.
5. Click “contact options” and add a phone number and/or email you want to appear.
6. Click "Profile Display" at the bottom and toggle the “display contact info” so you see these options on your profile.
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Highlight only two key contact methods on your profile to avoid clutter. Use your bio links for additional options.
2. Multiple Links in Your Instagram Bio
Many businesses on Instagram have relied on tools like LinkTree to share multiple landing pages through a single link in their bio. Instagram now allows you to add multiple links directly to your bio, keeping followers within the app while offering them easy access to your resources.
🏡 Using this feature as a Real Estate Agent:
- Buyer inquiry forms
- Lead magnet links
- MLS search links
- Email opt-ins
- Showcase multiple listings
- Promote upcoming events or open houses
- Link to Educational Content
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Use this links feature for a landing page to collect contact information for one of Coffee & Contracts Lead Magnets such as a Buyers Guide. (Don't worry, we teach you how!)
✍🏻 How to Set It Up:
1. Go to your Instagram profile and tap “Edit Profile.”
2. Navigate to “Links” and select “Add External Link.”
3. Enter the URL and a title for each link.
👎🏻 Drawbacks of Instagram Links:
While Instagram’s built-in multiple links feature has its advantages, there are also some potential drawbacks when compared to using external tools like LinkTree:
- Limited Customization
- No Analytics
- Fewer Links Allowed
- Dependence on Instagram's Platform: By relying solely on Instagram’s native features, you’re more dependent on their platform and any changes they may make. External tools provide a level of independence, as they’re not tied directly to Instagram’s updates or changes in policies.
3. GIF Comments on Instagram
GIF comments on Instagram are a feature that allows users to include animated GIFs in their comments on any post.
🏡 Using this feature as a Real Estate Agent: Using GIF comments can be a creative way to engage with followers, add personality to your interactions, and make your comments stand out. For example, you might use a celebratory GIF to congratulate someone on their pregnancy announcement.
✍🏻 How to Add GIF Comments:
1. Tap the comment box on a post and select the GIF icon.
2. Search for GIFs based on keywords like “celebrate” or “thumbs up.”
3. Select your GIF, and it will appear as your comment.
4. Dual Camera Feature
Instagram’s Dual Camera lets you use both the front and back cameras simultaneously, creating interactive and engaging content.
🏡 Using this feature as a Real Estate Agent: This is perfect for virtual house tours where you can show the property while sharing live commentary.
✍🏻 How to Use It:
1. Open the Instagram Camera and select “Story” or “Reel.”
2. In the camera view, you'll see several icons on the left side of the screen (or the bottom, depending on your device).
3. Tap the Dual Camera icon (two stacked circles).
4. Record your content with both cameras active.
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Drag the smaller front-facing view to different corners of the screen for the best framing.
5. Instagram Fundraiser
Within the Instagram app there’s a feature that allows you to set up a fundraiser to support global and local charities you love. This will show up in your Bio once published!
Use Instagram’s fundraiser tool to support local causes and charities while connecting with your audience in meaningful ways.
🏡 Ideas to use this feature as a Real Estate Agent:
-Organize a fundraiser for back-to-school supplies in August
-Support a local mental health institute in May (Mental Health Awareness Month)
-Focus on housing initiatives in October (Domestic Violence Awareness Month)
- Support a humane society in December (Animal Adoption Month).
☝🏻 Pro Tip: As a Coffee & Contracts member you have access to our Quarterly Branding Guides where we provide a calendar of awareness dates such as Breast Cancer awarenss and national holidays.
6. FAQs in your Instagram Direct Messages
Displaying FAQs in your Instagram inbox can be a great way to provide quick and helpful responses to common questions.
💬 Create FAQ Responses: Prepare a list of frequently asked questions and their answers. This could include information about your real estate services, property listings, office hours, or how to get in touch with you.
By setting up and managing FAQs effectively, you can improve your responsiveness and provide valuable information to your audience, enhancing their experience with your real estate business.
✍🏻 How to Set Up FAQs:
1. Go to Profile Settings:
2. Open your Instagram profile, tap the menu icon (three lines), and select “Settings.”
3. Navigate to Messaging Tools:
> Under “Business” or “Professional Dashboard,” look for “FAQs” or “Messaging Tools.”
4. Add FAQs:
> Click “Add Question” and type a common question (e.g., “What services do you offer?”).
> Write a detailed response to each question in the message box.
5. Save your FAQs and preview them to see how they appear to clients.
7. Saved Replies in your Instagram Direct Messages
🗣️ Saved Replies on Instagram is a feature that allows you to create and store predefined responses for frequently asked questions or common inquiries. This is similar to canned responses in email and can help streamline communication, save time, and ensure consistency in your replies.
🏡 Examples of Saved Replies for Real Estate Agents:
For Buyer Inquiries: Shortcut: “buyerinfo” Message: “Thanks for reaching out! Here’s a link to my free Home Buyer Guide: [insert link]. Let me know if you have any questions!”
For Consultation Requests: Shortcut: “schedule” Message: “I’d love to help! You can schedule a consultation with me here: [insert booking link]. Let me know what works best for you.”
✍🏻 How to Set Up Saved Replies:
1. Go to Your Inbox: Open Instagram and navigate to your DMs.
2. Access Saved Replies: Tap the message icon, then click the three-dot menu or “Saved Replies” option in your inbox.
3. Create a Saved Reply:
> Tap “Create New Reply” or the “+” button.
> Enter the shortcut (a keyword to trigger the reply). For example, use “buyerinfo” for a standard buyer response.
> Write your response in the message box.
> Save It: Tap “Save” to store your reply.
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Include links to lead magnets, seller guides, buyer guides, or listing pages in your saved replies for easy client access.
8. Instagram Channels
Instagram Channels allow you to create dedicated spaces for updates, content, and closer interactions with your audience.
🏡 Ideas to use this feature as a Real Estate Agent: Channels can be particularly useful for real estate agents looking to streamline their communications and build a closer relationship with their followers.
1. Direct Access & Exclusive Content: Channels let you communicate directly with your most engaged followers and share exclusive property updates, early listing access, and market insights.
3. Community Building: By creating a dedicated space, you foster trust and loyalty with your audience.
4. Engagement Boost: Channels provide a focused way to interact with your audience, increasing the likelihood of meaningful engagement. You can host Q&A sessions and share polls!
✍🏻 How to Set Up an Instagram Channel
1. Update Instagram: Ensure you have the latest version of the app.
2. Create Your Channel: Go to your DMs and tap “Create a Channel.”
> Name your Channel (e.g., “Exclusive Real Estate Updates” or “[Your Name]’s Property Hub”).
> Add a description to let followers know what kind of content they’ll get.
3. Set your Channel to public or private, depending on your goal.
4. Start Posting: Begin sharing content with your Channel members, like property updates, videos, or even polls to engage your audience.
5. Promote Your Channel: Share your Channel in Stories, posts, and your bio to encourage followers to join.
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Promote your Channel through Stories and posts, encouraging followers to join for insider updates.
9. Schedule Reels and Carousels
You can now schedule Reels and carousel posts up to seven days in advance, ensuring a consistent posting schedule without the stress.
✍🏻 How to Schedule:
1. Draft your post or Reel as usual.
2. Tap “Advanced Settings” before sharing.
3. Select “Schedule This Post” and set your date and time.
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Use the Coffee & Contracts custom content calendar to plan. your content for the month!
10. Notes Feature
The Notes feature allows you to share short updates or messages that appear beside your profile photo and individual posts. You can now also do this on your individual posts. It’s designed to provide a quick and simple way to communicate without the need for images or videos and stands out over a standard comment.
🏡 Ideas to use this feature as a Real Estate Agent:
- Share quick updates like open house times or new listings.
- Post event reminders or deadlines.
- Add CTAs like “Comment ‘guide’ for my free checklist!”
☝🏻 Pro Tip: Use Notes for personal touches like what you’re up to today, keeping your audience engaged in a casual, approachable way.
Stay Ahead with Instagram’s Latest Features
Instagram is constantly evolving, and these new features provide exciting ways for real estate agents to elevate their marketing. From simplifying your bio links to scheduling content and engaging through Channels, incorporating even a few of these tools can make a big difference in how you connect with your audience.
Don’t feel like you need to master everything at once—start small, test what works, and build from there.
Your Marketing Made Easy with Coffee & Contracts
At Coffee & Contracts, we help real estate agents like you stay ahead of Instagram’s latest updates. Our tools, templates, and trainings are designed to make content creation simple, effective, and engaging.
Join today to unlock everything you need to master Instagram marketing and grow your real estate business.
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Let’s make 2025 your breakout year in Real Estate! 🚀
