Let’s get one thing out of the way: social media can absolutely generate business for real estate agents.

According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 75% of REALTORS® use social media in their business, and 39% say social media produces their highest number of quality leads—more than their CRM, MLS, brokerage website, digital advertising or their own website.

So, this is not an argument for abandoning social media.

It is an argument for abandoning the idea that more social media accounts automatically equals better marketing.

Posting everywhere just because you think you are supposed to be there usually creates exactly what you would expect: more work, rushed content, inconsistent posting and another thing hanging over your head every time you get busy.

And real estate agents get busy.

It’s Okay to Break Up With a Social Media Platform

Seriously.

You are allowed.

No dramatic announcement required. No farewell tour. Instagram and LinkedIn will not hold a candlelight vigil because you stopped posting on X.

A social media account is a marketing tool. If the tool is not helping you reach the people you want to reach, support your business, or build the reputation you want to build, you are allowed to stop spending time on it.

If you’re trying to figure out the best social media platforms for real estate agents, the question is not:

“Which platforms should a real estate agent be on?”

The better question is:

“Where are the people I want to reach, and what can I realistically do well?”

And the answer to that will not be the same for every agent.

Facebook: Still Very Much Alive

Facebook gets declared dead about every six months, yet 76% of REALTORS® still use it professionally, making it the most-used social platform among agents. And 71% of U.S. adults use Facebook.

So, there is a good reason it keeps hanging around.

For a lot of agents, Facebook is where past clients, friends, family, local connections and referral sources already are. It also works naturally for community content, local information, listings, market updates, questions, recommendations and the occasional glimpse of the human being behind the real estate license.

You do not have to turn your Facebook page into a nonstop stream of listing graphics.

In fact, please don’t.

If your business depends heavily on relationships, referrals and staying visible within a local community, Facebook probably still deserves a seat at the table.

Instagram: Strong, Visual, and Definitely Not Just Reels

Instagram is now used professionally by 57% of REALTORS®, and 50% of U.S. adults use the platform. Among adults ages 18–29, that jumps to 80%.

So yes, Instagram can be extremely valuable—particularly if your audience skews younger or if your brand benefits from strong visual content.

And no, that does not mean you have to spend your life filming yourself pointing at words floating above your head.

Listings, neighborhoods, local businesses, buyer and seller education, behind-the-scenes content, market explanations, carousels, Stories and short-form video can all work together.

Instagram makes sense when you have something useful or interesting to show, and you can maintain enough consistency for people to recognize you when you show up.

If every Instagram post takes you 90 minutes, three Canva meltdowns and a small existential crisis, you probably need a different plan.

LinkedIn: The One Agents Tend to Forget About

55% of REALTORS® now use LinkedIn professionally.

And LinkedIn does something a little different from Facebook and Instagram.

People are already there thinking about business.

That makes it a natural place for market insight, investment information, professional expertise, case studies, local development, commentary, and the kind of information that demonstrates you actually know what you are doing.

It can also keep you visible to lenders, attorneys, financial professionals, business owners, executives, investors and referral partners.

Those people may never like your kitchen-renovation Reel. They may, however, refer you to a $700,000 client.

Different platform. Different job.

YouTube: Worth Considering, if You Have Something to Say

Here is one change I would pay attention to: 31% of REALTORS® now use YouTube professionally, putting it ahead of TikTok in NAR’s 2026 data.

And YouTube itself reaches 84% of U.S. adults, more than any other major platform measured by Pew.

YouTube is a different commitment because creating useful video takes more work. But, good YouTube content can also keep working long after a typical feed post has faded from view

If people are actively searching for the information you already know, YouTube can make a lot of sense.

Neighborhood guides, relocation information, home-buying questions, market explanations, community tours, and seller education give you plenty of useful, searchable topics to build videos around.

That does not mean every agent needs a YouTube channel.

See how this works?

TikTok: Huge Audience. Much Smaller Agent Adoption.

Only 16% of REALTORS® use TikTok professionally, while 37% of U.S. adults use it. Among adults ages 18–29, usage jumps to 63%.

That gap can create a real opportunity.

If you are targeting younger buyers, first-time buyers or people moving into your market—and you are comfortable creating short, informal video—TikTok may deserve more attention than agents usually give it.

But a platform having millions of users does not automatically make those users your audience. There is no medal for forcing yourself onto TikTok if you hate making that kind of content and your ideal clients are somewhere else.

And What About X?

X is a good example of why agents should stop treating social media platforms like a checklist.

It used to appear regularly in real estate social media recommendations. Today, X is not among the five leading platforms REALTORS® report using professionally in NAR’s 2026 Member Profile. Meanwhile, 21% of U.S. adults use X, compared with 71% for Facebook and 50% for Instagram.

Does that mean no real estate agent should use X?

No.

If you have an active audience there, follow local news, participate in industry conversations or generate business from it, keep using it.

But if you are posting there because somebody put “X” on a real estate social media checklist four years ago?

You can let it go.

I promise you will survive.

Not Every Social Media Platform Deserves Your Time

Before adding another platform—or continuing to drag around one you secretly hate—ask yourself:

• Are the people I want to reach actually here?
• Does this platform fit the way I naturally communicate?
• Can I create useful content for it without turning social media into a second career?
• Is anything happening because I am here—conversations, relationships, website traffic, leads, referrals or increased visibility?
• If I stopped posting here tomorrow, would it actually hurt my business?

The answer to that last question tends to clear things up pretty quickly.

Be Where Your Clients Are. Not Everywhere.

An agent with a strong sphere and referral business may get tremendous value from Facebook and LinkedIn.

An agent trying to reach first-time buyers may lean harder into Instagram and TikTok.

Someone building a relocation business may have a very good reason to invest in YouTube.

And, you may discover that trying to maintain four platforms is preventing you from doing any one of them particularly well.

That is not a social media failure.

That is a strategy decision.

Because the best social media platforms for real estate agents are not the same for every agent. They are the ones that help you reach the right people—and that you can realistically use well.

So:

• Pick the platforms that give you the best chance to do that.
  · Create content worth paying attention to.
  · Show up consistently enough that people remember who you are.

And if one of those social accounts is doing nothing but making you feel guilty every time you see the app on your phone?

Break up with it.

You have houses to sell.

 

Sources & Data
National Association of REALTORS® — 2025 Technology Survey
National Association of REALTORS® — 2026 Member Profile
Pew Research Center — Americans’ Social Media Use 2025

Statistics referenced were current as of September 2026.