Going Viral
Jokes, Pop Music and Radical Honesty: How TikTok Is Changing Home Sales
A new generation of real estate agents is going off-script to find leads.
Illustration: Shira Inbar for Bloomberg Businessweek
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In an effort to court first-time buyers, some real estate agents are trying a new tactic: radical honesty.
Videos sprouting up on social media are relying on pop music, off-color jokes and unconventional commentary (“This kitchen’s turning me on”) to stand out from highly produced walk-throughs that promise seemingly perfect homes. Agents say it’s helping them reach clients where they’re most comfortable. On TikTok alone, 5.3 million posts now carry the hashtag #RealEstate; the platform reports a 40% increase in such posts during the first two months of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023.