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How to Use Stories Across Instagram and Facebook Effectively

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Stories are the fastest way to stay top of mind in the feeds that people check many times a day. They sit at the top of Instagram and Facebook. They feel personal. They load quickly. They suit short, simple updates about homes and local life. When used well, Stories can warm buyers, help sellers feel proud, and bring in new appraisal leads without heavy lifting.

This guide shows you how to use Stories across both Instagram and Facebook in a simple, repeatable way. You will get setup steps, content ideas, daily flows for property campaigns, and clear ways to measure what works.

Why Stories matter for real estate

  • They show your face and voice, which builds trust fast

  • They reward frequent posting, so you can share more without clogging your main grid

  • They are perfect for time sensitive updates such as open homes and price changes

  • They reach both warm followers and new locals who watch community tags and locations

  • They include interactive tools that turn viewers into enquiries

How Stories work on Instagram and Facebook

  • A Story is a vertical image or short video that disappears after 24 hours unless you save it as a Highlight

  • You can add text, stickers, music, polls, questions, links, tags and location

  • You can publish the same Story to Instagram and Facebook at once so you save time

  • You can save your best Stories into Highlights on your profile so new visitors can binge your content

Set up cross posting in a few easy steps

  1. Open Instagram. Go to your profile. Tap Menu. Tap Settings and Privacy.

  2. Find the account linking section. Connect your Facebook Page.

  3. Turn on Share to Facebook for Stories.

  4. Post a test Story. Check that it appears on both Instagram and Facebook.

  5. In Facebook Page settings, confirm that cross posting is on for Stories.

Tip. Keep notifications on for both apps so you can reply to Story replies quickly.

What to post. Simple themes that work every week

  • Property

    • Just Listed first look

    • Open Home reminders

    • Price update or recent sale proof

  • People

    • Meet the owner with consent

    • Meet the team

    • Client thank you messages

  • Place

    • Cafe shout outs and local parks

    • School zones and transport tips

    • Market wrap for your suburb

  • Process

    • Behind the scenes of staging or photography

    • Pre settlement walkthrough

    • How to get your home ready to sell

  • Proof

    • Testimonial clips

    • Before and after styling

    • Quick case study with three frames

Rotate these across the week so viewers never get bored and your brand stays balanced.

Story types that win attention

  • Face to camera talk. One to two short clips with captions

  • Tour snippets. Ten to fifteen seconds per room with simple labels

  • Timelapse. Setup, staging, or crowds arriving at an open

  • Countdowns. Use the countdown sticker for opens and auctions

  • Polls and questions. Ask for preferences or invite questions

  • Link frames. One frame with a clear link to the listing or booking page

  • Reposts. Share buyer and local business mentions to your Story and add your note

Build a simple Story in five steps

  1. Hook frame

    • One short promise or headline

    • Example. Three features buyers love at 12 River Street

  2. Proof frame

    • Show the best angle or a quick walk in clip

    • Add one label such as Sun filled living

  3. Detail frame

    • Show a key feature such as kitchen or outdoor area

    • Add a caption that speaks to lifestyle

  4. Engage frame

    • Use a poll or question

    • Example. Which matters more to you. Extra bedroom or bigger yard

  5. Action frame

    • Add a clear call to action with a link or DM prompt

    • Example. Tap for inspection times or Reply OPEN for details

Keep text large. Use captions on videos. Aim for four to six frames so viewers finish the Story.

Interactive tools that turn viewers into leads

  • Polls

    • Gauge interest in features

    • Use to qualify buyers quietly

  • Questions

    • Invite questions about the home or the process

    • Share answers in the next Story to build authority

  • Quizzes

    • Use fun market facts to teach and entertain

  • Links

    • Send to listing pages, booking pages, or lead forms

  • Mention tags

    • Tag owners only with consent

    • Tag stylists, photographers and local businesses to boost reach

  • Location tags

    • Always tag the suburb or venue so locals find you

  • Music

    • Light background music lifts watch time

    • Keep it tasteful and suited to the property feel

Property campaigns with Stories. Start to finish

Use this simple arc for each listing. Repeat the same shapes for every home so your audience learns what to expect.

  • Pre market tease

    • One frame. Sneak peek. A special home is coming to Fairfield. Reply VIP for first look

  • Coming soon week

    • Three frames. Front. Kitchen. Backyard. Poll. Which feature would you view first

  • Just Listed day

    • Five frames. Hook. Walk in. Two key features. Action with link

  • Open Home week

    • Two frames per day. Reminder with countdown. Local cafe or parking tip

  • Open Home day

    • Three frames before. Two frames during. Two frames after

    • Save highlights into a folder for that property

  • Offer or auction

    • Build excitement with respectful updates and a clear timeline

  • Under offer or sold

    • Tell the story. Days on market. Enquiry volume. Buyer profile with care for privacy

    • Invite new appraisals. We still have buyers who missed out. Reply SELL for a price update

Open Home day flow you can copy

Morning

  • Walk to camera. Today at 11 to 11.30 we open 12 River Street

  • Parking tip and best entry point

  • Countdown sticker set to the start time

Ten minutes before

  • Curb appeal shot with welcome message

  • Poll. Which would you see first. Kitchen or deck

During

  • Short clip of the line or a quiet pan of the living room

  • Question sticker. Want the price guide. Ask here

After

  • Quick thank you. We met 18 groups today

  • Next steps. Second open time or call to book a private viewing

  • Link to listing and brochure

Auction day flow you can copy

Before

  • Three frames. Reserve is set. Weather and crowd building. Auctioneer intro

During

  • One frame only. A respectful wide shot. No faces if people did not consent

After

  • Sold result with price if allowed by the vendor

  • Story of the campaign in three numbers. Groups through. Bids. Days on market

  • Invite new appraisals. We have qualified buyers who missed out. Reply VALUE for a suburb price update

Lead capture and follow up from Stories

  • Use reply keywords in your Action frames

    • Example. Reply OPEN for inspection times. Reply BROCHURE for the PDF

  • Create a simple lead form on your site

    • Link to it from a Story with a clear promise

    • Example. Get the full info pack in one minute

  • Save replies

    • Move hot buyers into your CRM with tags such as Street, Suburb, Budget range

  • Follow up fast

    • A quick voice note or short video reply feels personal and wins trust

Brand and compliance tips for local practice

  • Always ask the owner or tenant before filming inside a home

  • Avoid personal items, number plates, photos and documents in the frame

  • Use captions for accessibility and quiet viewing

  • Keep brand colours and fonts consistent across frames

  • Add your full contact details on the final Action frame

  • Check music rights inside the app library

  • If children appear in community clips, get permission from a parent or film wide so faces are not shown

  • Keep records of consent and approvals in your listing file

Measure results and improve

Track these each week

  • Accounts reached on Instagram and Facebook

  • Story views on the first frame and the last frame

  • Tap forward and exit rate so you see where viewers drop off

  • Replies and link taps per Story

  • Leads created from Story links and DMs

  • Open Home attendance or appraisal bookings that mention Stories

Improve with simple tests

  • Try shorter intros to lift first frame retention

  • Put the main hook on frame one

  • Use more captions

  • Use location tags to increase local reach

  • Add a link frame in the middle and at the end of longer Stories

  • Save top performing Stories into Highlights with clear names such as For Sale, Sold, Reviews, Open Homes

A simple seven day Story plan

  • Monday

    • Market wrap. One face to camera clip with three numbers for your suburb

    • Poll. Do you want a deeper update

  • Tuesday

    • Property tip. How to stage a small bedroom

    • Link to a blog or guide

  • Wednesday

    • Just Listed or Coming Soon tease

    • Question sticker. What do you want to see first

  • Thursday

    • Local business spotlight near your listing

    • Mention the business and add location

  • Friday

    • Open Home reminders with countdowns

    • Parking tip or best coffee nearby

  • Saturday

    • Open Home flow as above

    • Add a link for private bookings

  • Sunday

    • Story of the week. A success, a lesson, or a thank you

    • Invite appraisals. Reply VALUE for a quick price check

Repeat this plan every week. Swap in auction or settlement flows when needed.

Fast creation workflow

  1. Before the week starts, create a simple shot list for each day

  2. Save brand templates inside the app so text styles match

  3. Film in vertical and keep clips under fifteen seconds

  4. Add captions and one interactive sticker to most Stories

  5. Publish to Instagram with Share to Facebook turned on

  6. Save strong Stories into Highlights

  7. Log results every Monday morning

Example scripts you can use today

  • Just Listed hook

    • New to market in Red Hill. Three bedrooms. Big deck. Walk to shops. First opens this weekend. Tap for times

  • Buyer poll

    • Which is more important to you. Quiet street or bigger yard

  • Community frame

    • Best flat white near 12 River Street. Try Corner Bean on Main. Two minutes from the home. Tag location

  • Appraisal invite

    • Thinking of selling this spring. Reply VALUE and I will send a free price update for your street

Quick checklist

  • Link Instagram and Facebook and turn on Share to Facebook for Stories

  • Plan one Story theme per day using the seven day plan

  • Use four to six frames per Story with a clear hook and action

  • Add captions, location tags and one interactive sticker

  • Include a link frame to your listing or booking page

  • Reply to DMs within the hour where possible

  • Save best Stories into Highlights with clear names

  • Track views, replies, link taps and leads every week

  • Improve one small thing each week so your results grow

With this simple plan, your Stories will work harder across both Instagram and Facebook. You will show up every day. You will keep buyers and sellers informed. You will build trust through your face and voice. Most of all, you will turn quick updates into real conversations that lead to listings and sales.

 

Author Ken Hobson
ken@agentslibrary.com.au

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