The 80/20 Rule of Social Media Content for Real Estate Professionals

What the 80 20 rule means

The 80 20 rule is a simple plan for your content mix.
Eighty percent of your posts should serve the audience. These posts teach, help, and entertain.
Twenty percent of your posts should sell. These posts invite action and ask for the next step.

This balance builds trust first, then invites people to work with you. It is calm, respectful, and steady. It keeps your feed useful while still bringing in appraisals and buyer leads.

Why the 80 20 rule works in property

People open social apps to be informed and inspired. If your feed is only listings and sold posts, many will scroll past. When most of your content is helpful, people stop, read, save, and share. The platform then shows your posts to more locals. When you do post a strong call to action, you have already earned attention.

Benefits you will see

• Stronger reach because helpful posts get more engagement

• More profile visits from locals who feel you understand the area

• Warmer enquiries because people already trust you

• Better vendor conversations because they have seen your expertise over time

What belongs in the 80 percent value bucket

Use these ideas to fill most of your calendar. Aim for clear language, short captions, and one big takeaway in each post.

• Local market explainers

  • Simple monthly wrap using three numbers and one sentence

  • Suburb spotlight with median price trend and who the area suits

  • What rising or falling stock levels mean for sellers and buyers

• How to guides

  • Step by step plan to prepare a home for photos and open homes

  • How to choose the right sale method in your suburb

  • Tips to write a winning offer without overpaying

• Buyer and seller education

  • What happens from appraisal to settlement

  • What a building and pest report does and does not cover

  • Common contract conditions explained in plain words

• Behind the scenes

  • Your checklist for open home day

  • How you stage a room to feel bigger and brighter

  • Your weekly training or team meeting focus

• Community care

  • Feature a local cafe, park, market, or school

  • Share council updates that affect parking, bins, or development

  • Promote local charity events and sports teams

• Story based trust builders

  • A short story of a nervous seller who became confident

  • A first home buyer journey and how you guided them

  • A problem you solved during a tricky campaign

• Light social proof

  • A short thank you note from a client

  • A screenshot of a kind message with names hidden

  • A photo of multiple groups lined up for an open with a lesson you learned

• Interactive posts

  • Polls about dream streets or most loved features

  • Question box for anything property related

  • This or that choices for two kitchens or two facades

What belongs in the 20 percent promotion bucket

Use this space to invite action. Be clear and confident. Add one link or one contact instruction only.

• New listing alerts with three best features and a clear next step

• Open home and auction times with a short hook on why to attend

• Just sold with the strategy used and a line that invites market appraisals

• Case studies with a clear before and after

• Lead magnets such as suburb price guide or seller checklist in exchange for contact details

• Direct call to action posts such as Book a free price update this week

Your weekly 80 20 posting plan

Aim for one to two posts per day across your main platforms. Keep it simple. Use this as a guide and adjust to your workload.

• Monday

  • Value. Market wrap for your main suburb with three numbers and one insight

  • Value. Story about a buyer problem solved last week

• Tuesday

  • Value. Home styling tip with one photo showing before and after

  • Promo. New listing teaser with two lines and a register interest link

• Wednesday

  • Value. Local highlight such as a school zone map or park review

  • Value. Q and A reel answering a common contract question

• Thursday

  • Value. Vendor preparation checklist for the weekend

  • Promo. Open home schedule and one reason to attend each

• Friday

  • Value. Community event post for the weekend

  • Value. Myth buster such as Auction always means overpaying with a calm explanation

• Saturday

  • Value. Open day story frames showing flow and visitor count

  • Promo. Last call to inspect with map pin and time

• Sunday

  • Value. Week in review with one lesson for sellers and one for buyers

This mix gives you ten value posts and four promotion posts. That sits close to the 80 20 balance.

A simple month plan that follows 80 20

Pick twenty posts for the month. Choose sixteen value posts and four promotion posts.

• Value ideas to choose from

  • Four suburb profiles

  • Four how to guides

  • Two behind the scenes

  • Two community features

  • Two market myths

  • Two client stories

• Promotion ideas to choose from

  • One new listing

  • One open or auction run sheet

  • One just sold case study

  • One appraisal call to action

Schedule them across four weeks so you always lead with value.

Templates and prompts you can copy

Use these with your writing or paste into your AI tool. Replace the items in brackets.

• Suburb snapshot caption

  • Heading. [Suburb] at a glance this month

  • Three numbers. Median price, days on market, number of listings

  • One insight. What this means for sellers and buyers

  • Soft call to action. Want a price update for your street. Send a message

• Listing teaser caption

  • Hook. Coming soon in [Street and Suburb]

  • Three features. [Bed Bath Car] plus [best feature]

  • Next step. Comment Yes for the full tour link

• Just sold case study caption

  • Problem. The home had [challenge]

  • Plan. We used [strategy] to attract [buyer group]

  • Result. Sold for [result] after [time]

  • Invite. Curious about your price range. Book a free update

• Community feature caption

  • Why we love it. [Place name] is great for [reason]

  • Quick facts. Parking, best times, family or pet friendly

  • Tag. Thank you [business] for caring for locals

• Market myth post

  • Myth. [Short myth]

  • Truth. [One clear truth]

  • Takeaway. Here is how to apply this when selling in [suburb]

Your weekly workflow to keep it easy

• Plan in one sitting

  • Choose one theme per week such as Schools or Downsizers

  • Map four value posts and one promotion post

• Gather assets

  • Shoot ten short clips on one day such as intros, tips, and street walks

  • Save five photos for carousels such as kitchens, gardens, and parks

• Write once

  • Draft all captions in a single document

  • Add hooks for the first line and one call to action at the end

• Design fast

  • Use two or three brand templates for carousels and stories

  • Keep text large and readable on mobile

• Schedule ahead

  • Use the built in scheduling tools for each platform

  • Block one hour each week to load the next seven days

• Engage daily

  • Reply to comments within one hour when possible

  • Send follow up messages to warm leads from polls and questions

How to measure if your 80 20 mix is working

Track these signals each week. Compare week to week and month to month.

• Reach and watch time for value posts

• Saves and shares on guides and checklists

• Profile visits and website taps after market explainers

• Replies to stories and direct messages from polls

• Enquiry count from call to action posts

• Open home attendance and appraisal requests sourced from social

If reach is low, improve your hooks and thumbnails. If saves are low, make posts more practical. If calls to action do not convert, simplify the next step.

Do and do not

• Do

  • Lead with value in four out of five posts

  • Use clear photos and steady video

  • Speak to one person not the crowd

  • Add captions on all videos

  • Put the most important words in the first two lines

• Do not

  • Post only listings

  • Use jargon that confuses readers

  • Overload a tile with text

  • Share dark or blurry images

  • Ignore comments and messages

Platform tips that support the 80 20 balance

• Instagram

  • Use Reels for short teaching moments and street walks

  • Save Stories Highlights for market updates, tips, and testimonials

  • Carousels work well for checklists and step by step guides

• Facebook

  • Share market explainers into local groups where allowed

  • Create Events for opens and auctions and invite followers

  • Pin a helpful guide to the top of your page for newcomers

• LinkedIn

  • Post weekly market insights and longer client lessons

  • Use native documents for carousels that feel professional

  • Build a network of locals and business owners in your area

• TikTok

  • Keep tips to thirty to sixty seconds with one clear idea

  • Use on screen text and end with a question to spark comments

A simple checklist for each post

• One helpful idea or one clear call to action

• Strong first line that tells the value

• Clean photo or steady video

• Short caption with spacing for easy reading

• One next step only

• Location tag where relevant

• Replies sent to all comments and messages

Putting it all together

The 80 20 rule is a calm system that protects your brand and powers your pipeline. Four posts out of five show care for the community and teach the process with simple words. One post out of five invites action with a clear next step. This balance keeps attention high and sales steady. Use the weekly plan, copy the templates, and measure your results. Stay consistent for three months and your feed will look and feel like the helpful local guide that people trust when it is time to sell or buy.

Author Ken Hobson
ken@agentslibrary.com.au