Most marketers try to outsmart the algorithm. But here’s the truth: you don’t need to game the system; you just need to train it. Every post you create, comment you leave and video you linger on is a signal. Social platforms like Meta and TikTok are constantly learning from your behaviour. The good news means you can teach them to work in your favour.
This guide aims to flip the script. Instead of fighting the social media algorithms, you'll learn how to work with them, to build reach, boost visibility and grow a more engaged local audience over time.
Meta vs. TikTok: Understanding the algorithm differences
While the core principles of algorithm training apply across all platforms, there are important differences between Meta’s ecosystem (Facebook and Instagram) and TikTok. Knowing how each platform “thinks” will help you tailor your content and engagement accordingly.
Meta (Facebook & Instagram)
Meta’s algorithm focuses on building relationships and keeping users on-platform longer. It prioritises:
- Meaningful interactions: Comments, shares and saves matter more than likes
- Prior engagement history: Your content is more likely to be shown to those who've engaged with you in the past
- Consistency and community building: Facebook groups, stories and post frequency affect visibility
- Cross-format performance: Meta boosts users who use multiple content types (reels, stories, lives, posts)
- Dwell time: The time someone spends reading your caption or watching your reel also impacts reach
What you should focus on:
- Story-based carousels, such as “How we sold this home in 5 days”
- Hyper-local reels with educational or personal angles
- Commenting meaningfully in local groups and community posts
- Saving and sharing tools to boost interaction
TikTok
TikTok’s algorithm is built to surface entertaining or interesting content to strangers, not just followers. It’s more interest-based than relationship-based.
TikTok prioritises:
- Watch time and replays: The longer someone watches (or rewatches), the better
- Early engagement velocity: How quickly people engage after posting matters
- Completion rate: Videos watched to the end get more attention from the algorithm
- Sound and trend alignment: Using trending sounds or formats helps, as does engaging with relevant TikTok challenges
- Captions and hashtags: TikTok uses these to categorise content, especially for non-followers
What you should focus on:
- Short, high-impact videos, such as walkthroughs, “day in the life” and client stories
- Hooking viewers in the first 2 seconds
- Using relevant sounds and local hashtags
- Posting regularly to give the algorithm more chances to learn what performs
Pro Tip: On Meta, your past relationships drive reach and exposure. On TikTok, your content’s performance does. Focus on building relationships on Meta and sparking curiosity or entertainment on TikTok.
How Meta and TikTok decide who sees your content
Social media platforms use hundreds of data points to decide which content gets shown, and to whom. These aren’t random choices, the algorithms are designed to prioritise content that keeps users engaged for longer. For real estate agents, that means your goal isn’t just posting, it’s also about sending the right signals.
The algorithm doesn’t respond to hashtags or clever captions alone. Instead, it looks for:
- Watch time: Whether it’s a Facebook reel, story or TikTok, the longer someone watches your video without skipping, the better it performs. Completion rates are especially critical on TikTok, while Meta also favours replays and dwell time on captions and carousels.
- Saves and shares: On both platforms, content that’s saved or shared is seen as valuable. It signals that your post has long-term relevance or is worth showing to others. Educational or insight-driven posts often perform well here; think “Top 3 tips for preparing your home for sale.”
- Meaningful engagement: Algorithms can tell the difference between a throwaway emoji and a thoughtful comment. A post that generates actual conversation is far more likely to get traction. This is especially true on Facebook and Instagram, where comment threads fuel visibility.
- Interaction history: Meta platforms rely heavily on who you’ve engaged with before. If someone often likes or comments on your posts, Meta assumes they want to keep seeing your content. TikTok, by contrast, is more focused on content behaviour than past relationships, but building a core following still helps.
- Consistency over bursts: A steady posting rhythm outperforms sporadic activity. Three posts a week consistently is better than flooding your feed one week and disappearing the next. The algorithm rewards reliability.
What this means for real estate agents
You’re not aiming for global virality. You’re building local relevance.
Every post, story or comment is a cue. The platforms are watching who you interact with, what topics your content focuses on and how your audience responds. If you consistently engage with local pages and share content about your area, the algorithm will start showing your posts to more people in that area.
This is how you train the algorithm, not to go viral, but to stay visible to the people who matter most: your local sellers and buyers.
Train the algorithm by teaching it who your ideal audience is
Most agents assume social media success depends on posting more often. But consistent engagement is just as important; if not more. A focused 10-minute routine done daily can significantly improve your visibility, because it trains the algorithm to associate your content with the people you want to reach.
Here’s what that routine looks like:
- Scroll with purpose: Engage with content from your ideal audience, think local residents, small businesses and local community groups and pages. The algorithm notices who you interact with and uses that to shape who sees your content.
- Comment like a human: Leave thoughtful, relevant comments. For example, if a local business posts a photo of their new shopfront, don’t just say “Looks great!” instead try something like, “Fantastic upgrade, looks like a great spot for a Saturday morning coffee!” This type of interaction signals genuine relevance.
- Reply to every comment on your posts: Even simple responses like “Thanks!” or answering a follow-up question doubles your engagement rate and makes your audience feel heard, which is something the algorithm will reward.
- Share to your stories with a comment: Resharing relevant content, like a local event or community update, keeps you visible in your audience’s Stories feed. Add a comment that personalises it, such as “Great news for [suburb] locals!” or “I’ll be heading here this weekend.”
Why it works
These daily actions do more than boost your profile. They tell the algorithm:
- Who you want to reach (based on whose content you engage with)
- What topics matter to your brand (based on the context of your interactions)
- That your content should be shown to people with similar interests
This small, consistent routine helps you build a stronger presence with exactly the people you're trying to attract, without having to post constantly.
What you do behind the scenes influences who sees your posts
What you do when you're not posting is just as important as what you share. Social platforms are constantly learning from your behaviour, not just what you publish but also what you watch, who you follow and the posts you pause on. All of this activity contributes to your account’s “profile.” If your downtime is filled with off-topic content like cat memes or viral fails, the algorithm starts associating your business account with those interests. That means your professional posts could end up being shown to the wrong audience or deprioritised entirely.
What the algorithm pays attention to
- What you watch: Even if you don’t like or comment on them, the algorithm notes which videos you pause on or replay.
- Who you follow: Following accounts outside your niche can skew how the platform categorises your content.
- What you search for: If you frequently search for entertainment or personal interests, it can affect how your business posts are positioned.
- What you interact with: Every like, comment and share shapes the algorithm’s understanding of your interests, even if it’s accidental.
How to realign your profile
If your account has gone off course, you can reset the signals the algorithm is receiving. Here’s how to get back on track:
- Unfollow or mute irrelevant accounts: Focus your follow list on relevant and local accounts, so the algorithm learns what matters to your business.
- Engage with local and industry-specific content: Spend time interacting with other real estate agents, community groups and pages, local events and creators based in your target suburbs.
- Post content that sends a clear signal: Create posts that speak directly to your target audience, such as local market updates, buyer tips or behind-the-scenes content from your listings. The more people in your ideal audience engage, the stronger your profile becomes.
Reviving a stale or unused account back to life
If you’ve been inconsistent with posting, you’re not alone. It’s common for social media performance to dip after a quiet spell. The good news is that you don’t need to delete your account or start from scratch. With a simple, focused approach, you can bring your profile back to life and get your content seen again.
Here’s how to reset your momentum in four simple steps.
1. Post consistently for the next 7 days
Choose content formats the algorithm currently prioritises, such as Reels, Stories and carousels. Even one high-quality post each day is enough to build momentum.
2. Engage before you post
Spend 10 minutes interacting with relevant local content before you publish. Like posts from nearby businesses, comment on community updates and interact with other agents or property pages. This activity warms up your profile and helps your next post reach the right people.
3. Use engagement magnets to spark interaction
These are simple formats that encourage quick responses from your audience:
- Run a local poll (for example, “Best fish and chips in [suburb]?”)
- Share a relatable real estate agent meme that taps into everyday frustrations
- Post a behind-the-scenes Story with a Q&A sticker to invite feedback or questions
4. Invite interaction through your captions
Don’t just inform. Ask. Try prompts like “Would you have guessed this price?” or “Have you ever had a buyer disappear mid-deal?” These kinds of comments encourage responses, which boosts reach.
Social platforms don’t punish inactivity forever. They respond to signals. If you send the right ones consistently for a short period of time, your visibility will begin to recover.
Most accounts don’t fail; they just fall quiet. By re-engaging with your audience and reminding the algorithm that your content is worth showing, you can regain momentum without starting over.
A simple trick to multiply engagement
If your content is only reaching a handful of people, chances are the algorithm doesn’t yet see it as “relevant”. The fastest way to change that is to create a feedback loop that shows your posts matter to your local audience. We call this the Relevance Loop.
This approach helps you turn one post into many impressions, simply by encouraging people to stay longer, engage more and come back again.
Here’s how to build your own Relevance Loop:
- Post about something hyper-local: Choose a topic that will instantly feel familiar or relevant to people in your area. For example: “The [suburb] 4-bed that sold in 3 days (and why it surprised everyone)”
- Use captions that spark curiosity or invite opinions: Your post needs a reason for people to pause. Try leading questions like: “Would you have guessed this price?” or “Is this the new normal for [suburb] properties?”
- Respond to every comment with additional insight: Keep the conversation going by offering value in your replies. If someone comments “That’s a great result”, you might say: “Thanks! We had three strong offers within 48 hours because of how we positioned it. The pricing strategy made a big difference”
- Watch for momentum and lean into it: If a post starts picking up traction, boost it slightly with extra comments, Story reshares or follow-up content. The more activities the thread receives, the more likely it is to be shown to others in the same area or with similar interests.
Why it works
Algorithms favour content that keeps users on the platform. If your post holds attention, sparks discussion and receives replies, it becomes “highly relevant” in the algorithm’s eyes. The platform then begins showing it to similar users, increasing your local reach.
This doesn’t just help one post perform better. It teaches the algorithm who your content is for and encourages it to promote future posts to the same audience.
Creating a Relevance Loop isn’t about chasing viral moments. It’s about using local knowledge, engaging presentation and real conversations to consistently show up in your audience’s feed. With the right structure, even simple updates, like a sold result or market tip, can drive meaningful engagement that keeps working long after you’ve hit publish.
Don’t try to beat the algorithm. Train it.
The social media algorithm isn’t your enemy. It’s your amplifier.
Everything you post, watch, comment on or engage with, teaches the platform how to categorise your business profile and who to show your content to. The more intentional you are with those actions, the more control you gain over your reach.
For real estate agents, this isn’t about chasing viral videos or trying to be the loudest voice. It’s about showing up consistently in front of the right local audience. When you engage strategically, create content that speaks directly to your patch and stay active in your community, you teach the platform that you are relevant, not just once, but always.
By applying the techniques in this guide, you’ll do more than get likes or views. You’ll build local recognition, reinforce trust with potential sellers and create a steady pipeline of people who already feel like they know you before they pick up the phone.
The algorithm isn’t something to beat. It’s something to guide and nurture.
Bonus: Your checklist to train the algorithm
Use this planner to build consistent visibility and teach the algorithm exactly who your content is for. These simple actions are designed to reinforce the signals you want Meta and TikTok to pick up on, local relevance, community interaction and content consistency.
Today:
A short burst of focused activity that shapes your visibility over time.
- Leave three meaningful comments on posts from local residents, businesses or community groups
- Reply to all new comments on your own posts
- Share one piece of relevant content to your Stories with a short, localised caption
- Watch and engage with three to five posts from people or businesses in your target area
This week:
Create a rhythm of content and engagement that supports your local presence.
- Post two to three times using a mix of Reels, Stories, carousels or photos
- Include at least one engagement magnet (such as a poll, meme, Q&A or question-based caption)
- Publish one ‘ signal’ post focused on your core audience, like a recent sale, suburb-specific insight or local property tip
- Unfollow or mute any accounts that aren’t aligned with your brand or audience
This month:
Step back, assess performance and refine your approach.
- Review your top-performing post, note what worked and plan to repeat or build on the format
- Check that your feed still reflects your expertise in your key areas or postcodes
- Engage with one or two new local creators, businesses or community influencers
- Try one trending format (on Reels or TikTok) and give it a local or agent-specific twist
Monthly review
Tick these off to ensure you’re still training the algorithm in the right direction.
- Am I consistently engaging with the right types of accounts?
- Is my content clearly relevant to local sellers or buyers?
- Have I tested a new content format this month?
- Is there anything I need to stop doing that sends mixed signals?
