A sophisticated real estate agent brand doesn’t start with a trendy script, an overproduced reel, or a bloated newsletter. It starts with something simpler and harder to fake: authenticity.
That’s the central message from Merriam Meral, a Montreal-based real estate marketing strategist with more than 12 years of experience who has led marketing programs and training for real estate networks including agents, brokers and Christie’s International Real Estate since 2019.
Based on years of campaigning with agencies and brokerages, Meral argues that the marketing tactics that make a real difference today are those that feel the most human. This is a particularly relevant discussion in an era when social media feeds are flooded with AI-generated slop.
Trust is built by personality, not sophistication
When it comes to video, Meral recommends abandoning the common practices that have flooded social media feeds for years.
“The most effective branding videos for clients are those that match the broker’s personality and brand,” Meral told Inman, noting that generic content such as “5 reasons to work with me” or “3 reasons to love this space” tends to generate little engagement.
Instead, she recommends content that reflects how agents actually show up in the marketplace. She pointed to a high-end broker in the Montreal Island city of Westmount who is known for his deep market knowledge and accurate pricing. His content works because it reflects his calm, direct demeanor, rooted in the places and conversations that define his business.
She said agencies should rely on short, spontaneous clips about local markets, neighborhood developments, notable sales or behind-the-scenes daily operations, rather than imposing a social strategy built on imitation.
This type of content is important because trust increasingly depends on perceived trustworthiness, not just credentials. Citing the Edelman Trust Barometer, Meral argued that consumers are more likely to respond to someone whose values, communication style, and personality they perceive to be authentic. Video gives agents a way to convey these characteristics in a format that a headshot or bio never could.
Algorithm still needs push
Credibility alone does not guarantee reach. Meral said effective video distribution still requires strategies such as SEO-friendly captions and often paid promotions.
He says that while organic reach may be easier for creators and influencers, consumers typically perceive agents as businesses rather than people, making ad support a critical part of any serious social media plan.
Her advice on video length is similarly platform-specific. She says TikTok values quick, direct videos that are 15 seconds or less. You can go a little longer on Instagram, but she thinks there’s a sweet spot within 30 seconds.
“For useful content, keep it under a minute, especially since you can’t boost the reels for more than 90 seconds. The goal is always to minimize the drop rate,” Meral said.
Your production style should also match your message. Whether you’re reacting to market news or sharing quick insights, natural phone-shot clips can perform better than polished footage. A more sophisticated format can help strengthen credibility when presenting market reports, introducing your team, or sharing performance results.
The larger principle, she says, is that viewers judge almost instantly whether someone feels authentic.
“Speak naturally, stand comfortably, and be yourself,” Meral says. “Inauthenticity triggers the same instinct in the brain as distrust. In a business that is built entirely on personal relationships, it’s important to avoid those relationships, and they’re very difficult to reverse.”
Email will still work if it’s built on permission and value
The same logic applies to email. Meral believes email is a valuable channel for agents as long as it’s built on permission and relevance. She warned against the outdated practice of stuffing email lists with contacts who don’t opt in, arguing that a better approach is to structure newsletter subscriptions around useful content and real value.
When that happens, subscribers arrive warmer and more engaged because they feel like they’re already getting something of value, she said.
“Remember that real estate in 2026, despite all the TV shows and PR, still carries a lot of stigma around unsolicited promotional communications,” Meral said. “Never be the person who adds people to your list without asking.”
Although US law under the CAN-SPAM Act does not require prior opt-in to marketing emails, sending newsletters to people who have not requested them is still a risky strategy. While agents may be in compliance with the law if they include appropriate disclosures and unsubscribe options, unsolicited communications often undermine trust, lead to spam complaints, and ultimately damage long-term relationships with customers. This makes permission-based marketing a much more effective approach.
As for frequency, Meral recommends keeping it in check. No more than once a week for real estate-focused newsletters and no more than twice a month for more educational or informative news. Just as important, she believes agents should get rid of the corporate feel that still dominates much of the industry’s email marketing.
Newsletters should be short, easy to read, and personal, and shouldn’t be weighed down by oversized logos, repetitive contact blocks, or adjective-heavy property descriptions.
She says readers respond better when the text sounds like a real person and includes something memorable that goes beyond the list, like local recommendations, personal insights, or collaborators worth knowing.
“My golden rule is to get rid of the corporate feel completely,” she said. “People work with brokers because they like them. Every touchpoint strengthens or weakens that relationship.”
Agents who stand out don’t follow trends
When it comes to measuring what works, Meral goes back to authenticity. She says the entries that generate the most reactions are usually the ones that feel most true to the agents behind them.
Still, she encourages agents to combine that intuition with better measurements. This means paying close attention to more than just open rates, using UTM parameters to track what drives clicks.
She noted that open rates can provide a signal about a subject line’s performance, but privacy changes have made it less reliable as a standalone metric.
Click-through rates, unsubscribe patterns, scroll depth, and read times can all give you a clearer picture of whether your newsletters are actually resonating within your sphere of influence, or simply reaching your inbox unnoticed.
For agents trying to decide where to invest their marketing energy in 2026, Meral’s argument is straightforward. “Let’s stop chasing the established rules.” Show up consistently, be yourself, and give people something worth noting.
“Copying what others are doing will never get you anywhere,” Meral says. “There’s no real differentiating factor, you’re second-guessing yourself every time someone else pivots, and that insecurity is transmitted to people, even through a screen.”
Email Nick Pipitone
