Skip to content Have you ever seen this little jump that Elon Musk does?
Savvy social media users have figured out it’s because he’s trying to make an “X” with his body in the air. And his own X platform users actually mock him for doing it.
Now let’s compare that to Taylor Swift’s marketing. Dubbed “Swifties”, Taylor Swifts fans have so much devotion to her that some have called it the ‘Cult of Taylor Swift‘.
What you’re seeing here is the difference between being talked about and being trusted.
Elon Musk has massive name recognition (and massive controversy). While controversy can work for tech products or platforms, it’s marketing poison for real estate agents.
Taylor Swift, on the other hand, has created something far more valuable: devoted fans who analyze her every post, create Reddit threads about her content strategy, and obsess over albums that haven’t even dropped yet.
Most new real estate agents accidentally choose the Elon Musk approach to marketing.
They’re loud, quickly thrown together, and ultimately damaging to the trust-based relationships real estate requires.
But there’s a better way, and it’s hiding in plain sight with how Taylor Swift has built the most powerful personal brand in the world.
So in this article, we’re going to analyze what agents can learn from the Taylor Swift marketing strategy, and the essential real estate marketing strategies that can come from it.
Quick Links:
- Why Real Estate Requires the Taylor Swift Marketing Approach
- How Taylor Swift’s Marketing Strategy Works for Real Estate
- Why Multi-Touch Marketing Systems Work
- Social Media Content That Actually Converts
- Real Estate Agent Branding: How to Build Your “Swiftie” Following
- How to Market Like Taylor Swift in Real Estate
Why Real Estate Requires the Taylor Swift Marketing Approach
Real estate is built on trust. You need clients who genuinely like you, believe in your expertise, and want to refer their friends to you.
You need the Taylor Swift approach: devoted fans who hang on your every word, not polarized audiences who argue about whether you’re brilliant or crazy.
Josh Sarangal actually proved that this is possible without cold calling either.
Instead of chasing listings through controversial hot takes or desperate pleas, he started building a brand that made listings come to him. Today, he makes $75,000 per transaction and closes more than 11 deals a year using this approach.
The difference? Josh learned to market like Taylor Swift, not Elon Musk.
And Josh isn’t alone. James Shelby, a California agent who’s been building his brand since 2012, has grown to over 17,000 Instagram followers organically—no paid advertising.
Last year alone, he closed seven transactions just from YouTube, a platform he only started focusing on a few years ago.
Watch James’ podcast here:
Social media is a legitimate strategy to build a loyal fanbase. thousands of agents in the country are using it every day. Now lets talk about how to do it right, with the same strategy Taylor Swift uses to promote albums
How Taylor Swift’s Marketing Strategy Works for Real Estate
When Taylor Swift wanted to promote her 1989 album, she joined a platform she’d never used before and started dropping cryptic hints and Easter eggs.
In one music video, months before announcing her “Lover” album, she secretly revealed the album title via a neon sign in the background. Fans spent weeks analyzing every frame, creating theories, and building anticipation.
Here’s the marketing lesson: Teasers make your audience lean in and engage rather than just scrolling by.
Cindy Strait’s Direct Mail Success Story
Cindy Strait applied this principle perfectly. She was working three jobs just to make ends meet when she discovered this approach. Instead of desperately posting “I need listings!” on social media, she started creating content that made homeowners curious about their property values and market opportunities.
The result? Cindy went from working three jobs to getting 1-2 listings from sending just 20 targeted mailers per week, ultimately closing 92 transactions annually.
Why Multi-Touch Marketing Systems Work
Combining digital marketing with direct mail can increase conversion rates by up to 28% and boost response rates by as much as 63%. Most agents think marketing strategy means posting once about a listing and moving on.
The top 1% of agents understand that effective marketing means creating a system where potential clients encounter your brand multiple times before they even realize they need your services.
Combining digital marketing with direct mail can increase conversion rates by up to 28% and boost response rates by as much as 63%.
Most agents think marketing strategy means posting once about a listing and moving on. The top 1% of agents understand that effective marketing means creating a system where potential clients encounter your brand multiple times before they even realize they need your services.
This is exactly why Josh and Cindy succeeded where other agents failed. They created systems that built relationships over time.
Social Media Content That Actually Converts
James Shelby, a California agent with 17,000+ organic Instagram followers, discovered the secret: “You want to attract people through things that have nothing to do with real estate.” His strategy? A 70-30 split—70% lifestyle, motivational, and community content, with only 30% real estate posts.
Instead of posting “I’m an agent, give me a call” try creating interactive content:
- “I’m tracking home values in [Your Neighborhood] this month. Comment with your address and I’ll give you a personalized market update”
- “Vote: Should the Johnsons price their beautiful craftsman at $485K or $495K? I’ll share the results tomorrow”
- “Can you guess which local home just sold for $50K over asking? First person to guess gets a free market analysis”
Real Estate Agent Branding: How to Build Your “Swiftie” Following
Taylor Swift has millions of devoted “Swifties” who eagerly await her next move. As a real estate agent, you want to build your own following of people who see you as THE agent in your area. Here’s how:
Step 1: Choose Your Platform and Commit
Just like Taylor Swift strategically joined new platforms to expand her reach, pick 1-2 social media platforms where your ideal clients spend time and commit to showing up consistently. For most real estate agents, this means Facebook and Instagram, but don’t spread yourself too thin.
If you need a bit of help getting started, you might want to consider Brand Builder, our ‘content team in your pocket’. It makes getting consistent content on multiple platforms easy for any agent.
Step 2: Create Your Content Categories
Taylor Swift has distinct content themes that fans recognize. Just like Tayor, your content should fall into these categories:
- Market Updates (what’s happening in your area)
- Behind the Scenes (day in the life, listing prep, client meetings)
- Educational Content (home buying/selling tips, market explanations)
- Success Stories (client testimonials, closed transactions)
- Community Spotlights (local businesses, events, neighborhood features)
For more tips on how to build amazing content, check out our guide to creating content on Tik Tok.
Step 3: Build Your Email List
You need a way to stay connected with people between social media posts. Create a weekly newsletter with market insights, new listings, and helpful tips. Make it valuable enough that people look forward to receiving it.
For existing REDX customers, you can get local market insights built into every lead you prospect. To get local market insights built in with high intent seller leads, check out our data products at redx.com/products/
And yes, this is an important part of the process. Ricky Carruth considers email a core part of how he built a million dollar business in real estate.
Step 4: Treat Social Media Like a Business (Not a Hobby)
Carve out dedicated time for social media as a business activity. James is adamant about this:
“You’re gonna wanna implement a half hour, 45 minutes, an hour—depending on how much social media you want to do. But you have to implement that into your schedule, just like you would prospecting, just like you would follow up.”
Make sure you are focused on business development when you’re on social media. During your dedicated 30-45 minutes, you:
- Create and post content
- Respond to comments and DMs
- Engage with your community
- Plan your next day’s content
Then you close the app. As James warns,
“Social media can be a tool, but it can also be a huge distraction. If you’re spending multiple hours on there a day and you’re not really accomplishing much, that’s not helpful either.”
How to deal with negative comments.
However, here’s a quick caveat we need to make about what you do after closing the app. If you get started in social media, you’ll eventually run into a negative comment.
That’s good! Negative comments are actually a sign that your content strategy is working. James Shelby, who regularly gets hundreds of thousands of views on his posts, explains:
“The only time I’ve ever really encountered negative stuff is when you have one that really hits. When a post takes off, it’s being put in front of people that don’t follow you.”
More negative comments = more total eyeballs = more potential clients seeing your content.
James’s approach?
“Kill ’em with kindness. Unless the comment is really nasty and vulgar, if it’s just someone giving their two cents, I’ll always acknowledge it and thank them. I appreciate your viewpoint on it.”
When potential clients see how professionally you handle disagreement, they trust you more with their biggest financial decisions.
Step 6: Use the Right Tools to Scale Your Efforts
Here’s where most agents get stuck: they try to do everything manually and burn out within three months. This is exactly where REDX’s Ad Builder and Brand Builder tools become game-changers.
REDX Ad Builder allows agents like Josh to create targeted social media campaigns that reach potential sellers in specific neighborhoods without the guesswork.
Instead of posting randomly and hoping someone sees it, you’re putting your content directly in front of people who are most likely to need your services.
REDX Brand Builder helps agents create professional, consistent content that builds authority over time. Rather than spending hours trying to design posts that look amateur, you can create content that positions you as the expert in your market.
How to Market Like Taylor Swift in Real Estate
The difference between struggling agents and successful agents on social media isn’t talent, luck, or connections. It’s understanding that in today’s market, your personal brand is your most valuable asset.
The best part? You don’t need millions of followers to make this work. Cindy Strait built a six-figure real estate business by consistently reaching just 20 people per week with targeted, valuable content.
Josh Sarangal transformed his income by focusing on quality over quantity with $75,000 per transaction because he attracted the right clients who valued his expertise.
James Shelby proves the long-term power of this approach. After 12+ years of consistent brand building, he now closes deals from YouTube alone—seven transactions last year from a platform he only started focusing on recently. The foundation he built through years of strategic content creation now generates business across multiple channels.
The tools exist. The strategies are proven. The only question is: Are you ready to stop marketing like Elon Musk and start building a brand like Taylor Swift?
Your future sellers are out there right now, scrolling through social media and checking their mail. They’re not looking for another desperate agent begging for listings.
They’re looking for the professional who consistently shows up with valuable insights, who demonstrates expertise, and who makes them feel confident about their biggest financial decision.
That agent can be you. It just takes the right strategy and the right tools to make it happen.
Ready to get started? Get Ad Builder and Brand Builder to start marketing yourself like Taylor Swift, and stop chasing recognition like Elon Musk.
