$15M Closed from Instagram: 6 Agents Tell Us Exactly How They Do It
If you've ever posted a reel, gained a few hundred followers, and then wondered why your phone isn't ringing, this one's for you.
We went directly to the source. We asked six agents one question: Walk me through exactly what happens when you get a client from Instagram, from them following you to becoming a client.
What came back wasn't theory. It was the actual process, the DMs, the calls, the tools, the daily habits. Here's what they said.
Megan Ryker
@fla_coastal_living · Melbourne, FL
Megan's business runs almost entirely on reputation, and she's built that deliberately.
Most of her top clients come from other agents on Instagram who already love her content and send referrals her way. By the time those leads reach out, the rapport is already there before she's even picked up the phone.
When someone downloads a resource or engages with her posts in a Facebook group, they typically end up in her inbox or email. From there, her rule is simple and she doesn't budge on it: get them on the phone. She won't try to gather information over text or close anyone through a DM thread.
On that call, she's not just running through budget and timeline. She shares her background in insurance, explains how she evaluates homes on a deeper level, and weaves in stories from past clients.
The goal is for them to feel like they found someone who actually gets it, someone who's going to help them avoid costly mistakes and not just open doors.
After the consult, she follows up with an email using templates she's built out herself, recapping the conversation and laying out the next steps. Then she rinses and repeats.
Ashlee Fox
@ashleefoxrealestate · Chicago, IL
Haley: "Ashlee, can you walk me through exactly what happens when you get a client from Instagram: from them following you to then becoming a client?"
Ashlee: "I’d love to! Most of my conversations start from my stories, or a listing tour reel that I did myself. Rarely does it come from true production items. Once someone asks about a property, I share the link with them thru my Zenlist page. I don’t pressure to have them sign up, I don’t ask too many questions unless they seem to want to chat. Typically, it will take a few homes that they comment on for me to engage them. “Looks like you’ve really been liking these homes in Barrington, are you thinking about moving?” Something casual. Most of the time, they give me plenty of information. I’ll give them a link to Zenlist and then I can see what they’re saving and searching. I’m very low pressure with people, and I can easily tell when they’re ready to see homes in person. It’s easy to build relationships with people in your stories, even if it starts out talking about restaurants, play places, whatever. They feel comfortable with you and it’s not sales’s"
Katherine Kirkland
@kksellstn · Nashville, TN
Haley: "KK, can you walk me through exactly what happens when you get a client from Instagram: from them following you to then becoming a client?"
Katherine: "I can try!! Honestly, it’s a pretty simple but the magic is in how consistently it’s done.
It usually starts with someone following me on Instagram. From there, I’ll shoot them a DM asking what they’re here for. If they say they’re lookin to buy or sell, I’ll send them my link to book a call with me.
On the call, I’m not “selling” anything. I’m just getting to know them. what their goals are, timeline, budget, what they actually want their life to look like in a home.
If they’re a buyer, the next step is almost always connecting them with a local lender to get pre-approved. That piece is key because it sets the foundation for everything else.
Once they’re pre-approved, I’ll set them up on a customized home search so they’re seeing exactly what fits their criteria in real time.
Then, when they’re ready to start touring homes, that’s when I send over my buyer’s rep agreement and walk them through it so they fully understand how I represent them.
From there, we’re off! touring, writing offers, and getting them to the closing table. It’s very relationship-driven, very intentional… and it all starts with one DM."
Haley: "Do you have any systems in place for follow up and conversion?"
Katherine: "I just use Google Sheets!"
Caten Murphy
@itscatenmurphy · Charlotte, NC
Caten's strategy is the most diversified of the group. Where most agents described one primary entry point, she described three running at the same time.
Organic discovery through reels, the explore page, or a friend of a friend sharing a post is how most people find her.
But she's noticed that followers usually warm up before they reach out. She regularly gets DMs that open with someone saying they've been following her for a while, or that a mutual client pointed them her way. By the time they reach out, she says, the trust is already there.
Beyond direct DMs, she has a client questionnaire linked in her bio that takes people off the app and prompts buying or selling action before they've ever spoken to her.
And her third pipeline runs completely on automation. She posts locals guides or features a house, prompts people to comment, and ManyChat takes it from there. The lead gets captured before she even has to respond.
Three simultaneous funnels means someone is always moving toward her from multiple directions at once.
Cat Zevada
@cattzevada · Waco, TX
Haley: "Catt, can you walk me through exactly what happens when you get a client from Instagram: from them following you to then becoming a client?"
Catt: "Hey!! Yeah so when I get a follow I immediately send them a message thanking them for the follow and that if they need any local recs or have questions, I’m here to help! I keep it pretty chill. My tasks for Instagram everyday is to love and engage with people for about an hour. I go back through the people who watch my stories and like my post and will love on their stories (keeps me in their notifications), comment, etc Once I get someone interested, they typically DM me and then I give them my number so we can text/call. Then depending on what they’re wanting I get their info, address/email, and add them to my database and that’s how I keep up with them.
I will say I am on my stories a lot showing my life and just being as authentic as I can. I have built a lot of connections through sharing my life and people connecting to me so that like/know/trust factor is establish early on!"
Kate Kazell
@katekazell · Golden, CO
Kate thinks about Instagram conversion a little differently than most agents.
Her goal isn't just to get a DM. It's to make it as easy as possible for the right people to find their way to her, however they prefer to connect.
When someone new follows her and looks like a potential client, she follows back and starts engaging by liking and commenting to build the relationship. When someone requests a listing link, she follows up with a casual question about whether they're actively house hunting. But a lot of her conversions actually happen before she ever enters the picture.
She has buyer and seller questionnaires on her website alongside a Calendly link, and she says people frequently book a meeting or fill out a form before they've ever sent her a DM.
It just comes in out of the blue. Those questionnaires also ask how they found her, which means she has real data on how many clients are coming directly from Instagram.
Her lead magnets, buyers packets and neighborhood guides, do double duty by delivering value and collecting contact info.
Once someone's in her system, they go on her newsletter and she connects offline from there.
What They All Have in Common
All six agents are in different markets, work in different styles, and have built different systems. But the same pattern runs through all of them.
Content is the introduction, not the close. Every agent said the same thing in different words: the post gets someone in the door, but the relationship is what converts them. None of them are closing clients because of a viral Reel. They're closing clients because of what they do after someone watches that Reel.
Stories build trust faster than anything else. Ashlee, Cat, and Megan all pointed to Stories, not polished feed content, as the place where real relationships begin. Showing up daily, sharing real moments, talking about local life. The agents getting the most consistent inbound aren't the most produced. They're the most present.
The first touch is proactive. Katherine DMs every new follower. Cat sends an immediate welcome. Kate engages on their content. None of them wait to see if someone will reach out on their own.
Get to a call and stay off text. Every agent with a real funnel had a phone call as a non-negotiable step. Megan was the most direct about it: don't try to close over text. Get them on the phone, share your personality, and let them feel the difference.
Low pressure isn't a vibe. It's a strategy. The agents with the highest conversion aren't pushing. They're creating easy entry points, questionnaires, Calendly links, ManyChat automations, Zenlist, and letting people move through at their own pace. The work is in building the system, not in chasing the lead.
💡 The biggest unlock isn't a better post. It's knowing exactly what you do after someone engages.
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