Are people getting tired of the internet?
This sounds like a strange question when we’re talking about social media marketing. But there’s something worth noting now. Platforms are racing to create more AI-driven and automated digital experiences, while many of the people using these platforms are quietly moving in the opposite direction. They want human answers. They want less screen time, not more screen time. They want connections, not just content to consume.
For real estate professionals, that gap is actually an opportunity.
Engagement is getting harder to get
If you feel like your posts are getting less attention in 2025, you didn’t expect it. Buffer, a social media management platform that analyzed more than 52 million posts, found that engagement across Instagram, Threads, and LinkedIn was down year-over-year. Instagram decreased by about 26%, Threads by about 18%, and LinkedIn by about 5%.
Before you panic, let me explain the background. This doesn’t mean the platform is becoming less popular. It’s about them getting more crowded. More brands, more creators, and more experts are publishing more content than ever before. The pie is not shrinking. There were just more people at the table.
Buffer’s data also shows that conversations trump everything else. Especially on Threads and LinkedIn, posts where the creator consistently responded to comments performed better than posts where the creator did not respond. Timing and frequency are still important, but being present and actually talking to people is more important.
What this means for real estate professionals
Declining engagement is not a signal to disrupt your strategy, but rather to focus on what makes your service different from others. You’re already in a relationship-driven business, so it makes sense to reply to comments, answer questions in your DMs, and engage with other people’s posts.
TikTok is becoming a search engine
According to a recent Adobe Express study, 49 percent of U.S. consumers now use TikTok as a search engine, up from 41 percent in 2024. Why? Because a short video, told by a real person, showing you exactly what you need to do is often faster and more convenient than scrolling through a page of links.
The same study found that 14% of respondents are now more likely to use ChatGPT than Google when searching for something. Discovery is moving from traditional search engines to social platforms and AI tools.
The biggest challenge for small businesses using TikTok is not getting noticed. You’re turning that attention into real business. Business owners surveyed said that converting engagement to sales is the biggest hurdle, followed by gaining followers and maintaining consistency of engagement.
What this means for real estate professionals
Buyers and sellers are already using TikTok to search neighborhoods, understand the market, and understand how the home buying process works. Short videos answering frequently asked questions such as “What does serious money mean?” or “How is the market here?” [your city] Now? “It’s more than just content. Inside TikTok, it functions like search results.
You don’t have to be a TikTok creator to make this work. You should be the one who answers the questions your clients are already asking.
LinkedIn content appears in AI answers
An analysis by SEMrush looked at 325,000 prompts across ChatGPT, Google’s AI Mode, and Perplexity, another AI search tool, and found that LinkedIn was the second most cited source of AI-generated answers after Reddit.
Another study ranked LinkedIn as one of the fastest-growing sources of information cited by AI tools in just a few months. Additionally, a study by SEO agency Eight Oh Two found that 37% of consumers start their searches using AI tools instead of traditional search engines.
So when someone asks an AI tool about housing trends, local market conditions, or home buying advice, the answer is increasingly likely to be drawn from content on LinkedIn.
What this means for real estate professionals
LinkedIn posts and articles now reach beyond your network entirely. Clear, informative content about your local market, buying and selling tips, and where things are headed can appear directly as an AI-generated answer to someone who has never heard of you. That’s a pretty compelling reason to consistently publish there, even if it sometimes feels like shouting into the void.
Meta Betting on AI Social Networks
Meta recently acquired an experimental platform called Moltbook. It is built almost entirely around interacting AI profiles. Think Reddit-style discussion threads. Instead of humans talking, AI bots are doing the talking. Users can watch and vote, but the interaction itself takes place between AI agents.
This is consistent with what Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been saying for some time. This means that AI personas will eventually be able to operate across Facebook, Instagram, and threads, completing profiles, content, and ongoing conversations just like human profiles.
What this means for real estate professionals
Social platforms are preparing for a future where AI agents participate in conversations alongside humans. Feeds will become noisier and more automated. So what really stands out is you, a real human being with real expertise and having real conversations. As AI-generated content becomes the norm, the more human your online presence becomes, the stronger it will become.
The rise of “screen-free” technology
A wave of new products is growing rapidly by doing something counterintuitive: reducing the amount of time people spend on their phones.
Camp Snap was launched in 2023 as a simple digital camera designed for summer camps where cell phones are not allowed. It has since sold more than 1 million units and has found an audience far beyond children, including outdoor enthusiasts, sports fans, and anyone who wants to capture moments without reaching for their phone. Similar products designed to replace smartphones, such as tin can phones and children’s smartwatches, are also seeing similar increases in word of mouth.
people are tired. Tired of always being connected, always scrolling, always accessible. And more and more users, especially younger users, are actively looking for ways to be more offline.
What this means for real estate professionals
Real estate has always been about location, lifestyle, and community – what’s really happening off-screen. It’s never outdated to incorporate that into your content. It’s timely. Neighborhood highlights, local events, the feel of a particular street or community – this type of marketing is resonating right now because it’s an antidote to what people feel burnt out. It’s not just about selling a house. You’re selling your life.
TL;DR
Engagement is declining across major platforms. It’s not because the platform is disappearing, it’s because it’s becoming more crowded. Conversation and consistency are now more important than timing tips. Almost half of US consumers use TikTok as a search engine. Short educational videos function like search results within the app. LinkedIn posts increasingly feature AI-generated answers, allowing your content to reach beyond your existing networks. Meta’s latest move hints at a future where AI agents join social feeds alongside humans, making real human presence more valuable, not less. The screen-free technology movement is a cultural signal that lifestyle and community content is now hitting in a different way.
As platforms push further into AI-driven discovery and automated interactions, the value of human expertise and real conversations could actually increase. Feeds may become more crowded and more algorithmic, but the people who use them are still looking for authentic answers, context, and connections.
For real estate professionals, that presents an opportunity. Agents don’t have to compete on the amount of content or the sophistication of AI tools. What they can instead provide is an interpreter who explains market changes, answers questions, and helps clients understand complex decisions.
In an environment where technology continues to accelerate, those who provide the most human experience to their audience may increasingly have an advantage.
Every week on Trending, digital marketer Jesse Healy takes a deep dive into what’s trending on social media and why it matters to real estate professionals. From viral trends to platform shifts, she analyzes everything to help you understand what’s worth your time and what’s not.
Jessi Healey is a freelance writer and social media manager specializing in real estate. She covers how social media trends are shaping the industry. Find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, or Bluesky.
