If this year’s Super Bowl proved anything, it’s that culture no longer unfolds in neat, restrained moments. It compounds. The halftime show becomes a geopolitical discussion. Updates to our privacy policy will coincide with product launch. Valentine’s Day promotions are a referendum on relationships, budgets, and identity. The broadcast ends, but the conversation picks up speed.
Social listening is no longer optional. Hyperlocal discovery is built into the feed. Algorithms are becoming adjustable in real time. Successful campaigns are not the loudest, but the ones that feel participatory, concrete, and emotionally fluent.
Where opinions are divided is the reaction of brands and experts. Some people chase attention, while others stop and observe. People who are building a lasting presence are doing something quieter and more strategic. They enter conversations with intention, tailor content to place and moment, and recognize that visibility without relevance is increasingly vulnerable.
In a landscape defined by speed, personalization, and fragmentation, those who understand not just what is happening, but how their audience is reacting to that development, have an advantage.
Super Bowl halftime becomes live listening test
The LX Super Bowl halftime show didn’t just dominate the stadium, it dominated the feed. Bad Bunny delivered the first all-Spanish headliner performance in Super Bowl history, celebrating Latin heritage while delivering a message of unity, identity and belonging.
The results were immediately polarizing. Supporters amplified the show’s message of love and cultural pride. Critics called it divisive. Plenty of politicians and pundits.
While overall TV viewership was slightly lower than last year, social media told a different story. The halftime show garnered a record 4 billion views across platforms in its first 24 hours, more than half of which came from international viewers. The cultural influence extended far beyond the broadcast itself.
Moments like this are more than just entertainment. These are real-time case studies of audience emotions. No dialogue was taking place on stage. It played out across Facebook, threads, Instagram, TikTok, and group texts.
What this means for real estate professionals
Sharing cultural moments is an opportunity to build connections. You can not only express your opinion, but also listen and interact. If something catches your audience’s attention, be thoughtful and acknowledge it. Ask me a question. Adopt perspective. Be human.
Agents who build lasting brands speak to their followers rather than at them, demonstrating that they understand the moment and the people experiencing it.
TikTok goes deeper into local discovery
TikTok has officially launched Local Feed in the US, adding a new tab designed to show you nearby creators, restaurants, events, and small businesses based on location and timeliness. The feature has been tested internationally for years, but its U.S. debut comes just weeks after backlash over TikTok’s privacy policy updates related to its U.S. ownership restructuring.
The company says posts in local feeds are ranked by proximity, topic, and recency to help users discover what’s happening in their immediate communities. Critics question whether the development is aimed at allaying concerns about the growing use of location data.
TikTok insists that the policy update is not about increased oversight, and that local feeds are positioned as a discovery tool rather than a tracking mechanism.
For agencies and local brands, the bigger takeaway is the intent of the platform. TikTok shows that hyperlocal discovery is a priority. This aligns directly with neighborhood knowledge, which is the core value proposition of real estate.
What this means for real estate professionals
If your content isn’t clearly tied to a location, it might not show up where it matters most. This is a reminder to optimize your profile, captions, and video topics for neighborhoods, landmarks, schools, and local events. Platforms are increasingly valued for specificity. Agents that treat social as a local search engine, rather than just a highlight reel, will be in a better position as discovery tools evolve.
Threads allow users to manipulate algorithms
Threads gives users new ways to influence what they see with “Dear Algo,” an AI-powered feature that allows users to request more or less specific topics in their feed. Users can temporarily adjust their feeds for three days by posting a follow-up to “Dear Algo” with their preferences, such as wanting more NBA coverage during live games or fewer posts about shows they don’t watch.
The move reflects broader changes across social platforms. Viewers want on-demand personalization, not just passive algorithmic curation. Rather than guessing what’s important, Threads encourages users to say it directly.
That’s important for professionals who value social visibility. If users can adjust their feeds in real time, content that is deemed less common or relevant may disappear faster. At the same time, active opt-in by users can give further momentum to topics of interest and timely conversations.
What this means for real estate professionals
The connections are becoming clear. When a big event, interest rate change, or local news is announced, create content that clearly names the topic so your audience can “dial in.” The more accurately you match your posts to what people actively want to see, the more likely they are to stay in your customized feed.
Angry Orchard turns breakups into brand moments
Angry Orchard found a way to capitalize on Valentine’s Day anxiety with its “Ex-Change” program, asking consumers to ship belongings left behind by their ex-husbands to the brand in exchange for hard cider. The kit, which comes with a pre-paid shipping label, sold out quickly after going viral on Instagram, with the post racking up tens of thousands of likes and shares.
Hook wasn’t just a free product. It was an emotional connection. By structuring campaigns around shared, slightly awkward cultural moments, like the confusion after a breakup or the frustration of Valentine’s Day, the brand gave people a participatory outlet.
Users aren’t just looking at ads. They were joking, tagging friends and asking if “emotional damage” would qualify them for a return.
The promotion also focused on sustainability, with a pledge to donate or recycle all items received. It added a layer of value without dulling the humor.
What this means for real estate professionals
Effective campaigns often start with a relatable truth. Consider the life transitions your clients go through: breakups, downsizing, fresh starts, empty nests. Rather than just promoting your list, consider ways to create content that recognizes emotional chapters. When your marketing reflects real human moments, your audience is more engaged and more likely to invite others into the conversation with you.
Valentine’s Day gets a cultural remix
Valentine’s Day marketing is no longer just about roses and romance. In 2026, brands are treating the holiday as a flexible cultural canvas: a love story, breakup therapy, budget reality check. From the latest Candy Heart slogan about splitting rent, to cheese “bouquets,” engagement ring claw machines, and Pet First promotions, marketers looked at what relationships look like now.
Traditional brands like Sweethearts and Brach’s modernized their messaging with humor and affordability in mind, while brands like DoorDash and Instacart reimagined Valentine’s Day around convenience and low-risk gifting.
Unexpected players also tapped into post-breakup humor and cultural irony, including J.C. Penney with its Ex-Change jewelry line and Natural Light with its tongue-in-cheek lingerie-style lawnmower covers.
The through line was not sentimental. It was a specificity. The brand recognized that Valentine’s Day now means different things to different audiences: couples, singles, friends, pet owners, budget-conscious renters, and those willing to opt out. They met consumers where they were, rather than imposing one narrative.
What this means for real estate professionals
Seasonal moments only work if we recognize their complexity. Valentine’s Day isn’t just a day for couples to buy their dream home. It could be a roommate renewing a lease, a newly single client downsizing, a family nesting, or friends purchasing their first property together. Connection-building agents reflect real life rather than a postcard version and encourage the audience to see themselves in the conversation.
TL;DR (too long to read)
Super Bowl halftime was a cultural moment that unfolded social-first, proving that active listening and thoughtful participation are more valuable than hot takes. TikTok’s new local feed confirms that hyperlocal, location-based content is becoming central to discovery. Threads’ Dear Algo feature signals that viewers can now explicitly adjust their feed, raising the bar for timely, clearly framed posts. Angry Orchard’s viral breakup campaign shows that emotional relevance and participation are better than direct product promotion. Valentine’s Day marketing is fragmented, rewarding brands that reflect the complexity of reality rather than pushing a single, polished narrative.
Platforms come with specificities. The audience wants to participate. Cultural moments are becoming stress tests of how well brands understand the people they serve.
This isn’t about reacting to every headline or turning your feed into a commentary channel. It’s about discipline. Listen before you speak. Name the moment clearly. Connect content to place, timing, and real human transitions.
In a fragmented digital ecosystem, attention is ephemeral. It gives you relevance. The experts who stand out are not the ones who post the most. They’re the ones who show up with context, clarity, and a true reading of what their audience is experiencing in real time.
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. Find her on Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, or Bluesky.
