Hooking young homebuyers: why practitioners are turning to organic social media

To catch the eye of millennial and Gen Z homebuyers, you may have to look past the front yard show-house signs and head straight to their feeds. That’s the word from property practitioners in Prop Data’s latest poll. The largest share (35%) revealed that organic social media marketing is now their primary strategy for attracting younger buyers. 

Static property listings and roadside billboards alone just aren't cutting it for a generation that does everything online. So instead, real estate businesses are increasingly posting updates, photos, stories, or videos on social media platforms to grab attention, build trust, and ultimately open the door to a sale. 

Organic social media is #winning over young buyers    

According to industry leaders, platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube are no longer simply centred around entertainment. Instead, they play a key part in the process for younger buyers looking to make major life decisions. 

Tim Greeff, CEO of Greeff Christie's International Real Estate, explains that “younger buyers spend a significant amount of their time researching, discovering brands, and gathering information on these platforms.” Because these platforms are woven into their daily lives, they allow practitioners to showcase listings and build credibility "in a way that feels authentic, accessible, and human.” 





According to Andre Kleynhans, Principal of EZI Properties, this digital-first approach “allows property practitioners to build authenticity and trust over time rather than relying purely on traditional advertising methods.” The payoff is huge because, as he points out, “buyers often connect with the practitioner before they even enquire about the property itself.” 

Crucially, this online relationship-building starts long before a buyer is actively looking for a house. By putting out regular content, real estate professionals are planting seeds for future business and creating interest where it didn't exist before. 







Philip Myburgh, Principal and CEO of Plett Realty and Knysna Realty, highlights this powerful difference between social media and standard listing sites. “Social media allows practitioners to inspire confidence, educate buyers and create demand long before a purchaser is actively searching for a property,” he notes. “Property portals capture existing demand, whereas social media has the ability to create it.” 

Myburgh has seen this power firsthand. At Plett Village Estate, his team completely sold out the initial launch phase within roughly two and a half months without using traditional property portals. “The majority of our exposure was generated through targeted social media campaigns, video content and consistent engagement with prospective buyers online,” he says. 

How to make it work, one post at a time  

This kind of real-world success does not happen by accident, nor does it come from simply treating social platforms like a digital billboard. To truly connect with the next generation of buyers, property practitioners have to shift their mindset from making a hard sales pitch to building a helpful, consistent presence online. 

• Prioritise education over promotion: According to Greeff, practitioners should aim to offer value first. “Create content that educates, informs, and inspires rather than simply promoting listings,” he says. “This is because younger buyers are actively searching for practical guidance around affordability, financing, market trends, neighbourhoods, and the home-buying process."
  
  
• Lean heavily into video content: Visual storytelling is essential for grabbing attention on a busy feed. Myburgh highlights that “video content, development updates and behind-the-scenes insights tend to perform particularly well because they create familiarity and trust.” This helps you position your brand as a go-to resource long before a buyer is ready to transact.  
  
  
• Keep your content varied and relatable: Moving away from purely posting recently sold or ‘just listed’ properties keeps your audience interested over the long term. Kleynhans recommends mixing up a feed with “short video clips, market tips, financing advice, neighbourhood highlights, renovation ideas, and 'behind the scenes' content,” which naturally perform much better with younger, tech-savvy audiences.
   
• Commit to long-term consistency: Building an online community requires patience, especially since Myburgh notes younger demographics often research for “months, sometimes years, before making a purchase.” Greeff encourages practitioners to “regularly share valuable content, respond to enquiries, and engage with their audience”, as they will stand the best chance at building lasting relationships.   
  
  
• Be approachable and interactive: Real engagement happens in the conversations you have after you post. Kleynhans points out that property practitioners who actively “position themselves as approachable experts and engage directly through comments, stories and live content generally build stronger relationships and get better lead conversions.”