[T]echnology: The Algorithm Wants the Real You
[E]ducation: Strange Bedfellows
[C]oaching: Spirit
[H]ow To: Utilize LinkedIn In 2026
[T]echnology: The Algorithm Wants the Real You
In a plot twist no one saw coming, Instagram just updated its algorithm to stop recommending content from aggregator accounts. You know the ones. Those pages with 2 million followers that just repost other people's photos and carousels all day. Starting now, if most of what you post in a 30 day window is other people's stuff, Instagram won't push your content into Explore or recommendations anymore. 👏👏
And the flip side? Original creators get more reach. More eyeballs. More recommendations. 👍
Think about that for a second.
In a world where everybody's worried about AI replacing everything... the biggest social platform on earth just said "nah, we want the real stuff."
We want YOUR listing photos. YOUR market updates. YOUR walkthrough videos. YOUR neighborhood guides. 😊
Instagram already did this with Reels back in 2024 and Meta said views and time spent on original Reels roughly doubled year over year in the second half of 2025. Doubled. So they expanded it to photos and carousels because it works.
Here's what you need to know... Instagram evaluates your account on a rolling 30 day basis. If most of what you post is original... you're good.
And "original" doesn't mean every single pixel has to be yours. How-to guides, photo series, visual stories... all of those count. Even content that uses third-party stuff is fine as long as you're adding real value on top of it.
So what does this mean for you? It means the agents who've been showing up... shooting their own photos... doing their own market commentary... writing their own captions... just got rewarded. The algorithm is literally paying you for being authentic. ✨
Sometimes AI doesn't win. Sometimes the real you does.
[E]ducation: Strange Bedfellows
So this happened Monday. ⬇️⬇️
Zillow and Realtor.com announced they're sharing pre-market listings across both platforms starting this summer. Zillow Preview listings will also appear on Realtor.com as "Realtor.com Preview" listings. No special login. No brokerage relationship required. Any buyer on either site can see them.
Read that again… the two biggest portals in the country just teamed up. Together they control roughly 75% of all real estate search traffic. Three out of four buyers looking at homes online are on one of these two sites.
That's not a partnership. That's a chokepoint. 😵
Now rewind to February. Compass struck a three-year deal with Rocket to syndicate their Coming Soon listings on Redfin. Private Exclusives are next. Their side reaches about 60 million monthly visitors. Coming Soon listings get priority display, and buyer inquiries go straight to the listing agent.
But they didn't stop there.
Two weeks ago MRED, the Chicago MLS, opened membership to any licensed agent in the country... with Compass as the anchor tenant.
Compass is feeding its entire national inventory into MRED's Private Listing Network and subsidizing the first 100,000 agents to join.
Nashville's Realtracs just did the same thing. And Reffkin said it out loud on this week's earnings call... he wants to build a national MLS to compete with local ones.
So here's where we are… two competing ecosystems forming right in front of us. 👊
Team 1: Zillow + Realtor.com. Open access. It's opt-in at the brokerage level... 60+ franchisors have already signed on and the list keeps growing. Preview listings get elevated placement in search results and email alerts. If a buyer connects through either portal and closes with a qualified partner agent, the listing agent may get a revenue share. No cost to agents or sellers.
Team 2: Compass + Redfin + their own MLS network. Listings display with no days on market, no price history, and no home value estimates. Compass calls those metrics "killers of value." Leads go to their agents. Rocket Mortgage gets baked into the experience. And now they're building the infrastructure underneath it to bypass local MLSs entirely.
Both sides are saying the same thing… "seller choice" and "transparency." But they mean very different things by it. ❌
Here's what matters to you.
The MLS used to be the only game in town for pre-market exposure. That's no longer true. Listings are now flowing through portal partnerships before they ever hit the MLS... and in some cases, they never do.
Your sellers are going to start hearing about this. They're going to ask you which path gives them the most exposure. They're going to wonder why their neighbor's house showed up on Zillow two weeks before it was "officially" listed.
You need to know the answer before they ask the question. 💬
The rules changed mid-game. Again.
[C]oaching: Spirit
Spirit Airlines ceased operations last week. The news says it was fuel costs from the war... that's not anywhere near the real reason they're gone. Gas prices didn't help and were part of the final straw... but that's not the catalyst. ⬇️⬇️
Spirit built their entire brand around one thing... being the cheapest option in the sky. No carry-on? Don't pay for one. Want water? 5 bucks.
Need your boarding pass printed? 7 bucks. It was literally a bus in the sky and they were proud of it. I remember being on flights where the attendant would say "and if you want good service, yeah you gotta pay extra for that too." That was Spirit. And that model kept them profitable for most of their 34-year run.
Then they broke it.
Around 2018, a new CEO decided Spirit needed to be more like Delta, United, and American. They stopped charging for carry-ons. Water and snacks were included. They added first class seating, upgraded planes, added wifi, built a brand new HQ in South Florida... the whole nine.
On paper, all good moves, right? Of course. But here's what actually happened...⬇️⬇️
The no-frills customers who built Spirit realized that for a few bucks more, they could just fly Delta. And once they experienced that level of service... going back to Spirit felt like a downgrade. The fares were nearly the same now. Spirit was no longer a no-brainer.
That's when market share started declining while the other guys were thriving. And after Covid, rising costs on newly leased planes, a brand new headquarters, and one jump in fuel prices... that was all it took. 34 years and 20,000 employees. Gone.
How does this translate to real estate? 🏡
Find a niche and go all in on it. And once you feel like you've done all you can... double down some more. Don't try to be everything to everyone. Know what you're for. Identify a segment you want to own and tailor everything to that segment... first time buyers, downsizing sellers, luxury, military relocations... whatever it is.
Pick a sector. Own it. And just when you think it's time to get cute... go own it some more.
[H]ow To: Utilize LinkedIn In 2026
I have been preaching on LinkedIn for a while now. Most agents focus only on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, but LinkedIn gives you access to professionals, investors, business owners, relocation clients, lenders, and high-income buyers. The EXACT people you want to get leads from. 💰 Unlike other social platforms, people on LinkedIn expect networking, referrals, and professional conversations. That makes it one of the best tools for building credibility and attracting clients.
How do you get started? ⬇️⬇️
Step 1: Update Your LinkedIn Profile 🧍
The first step in generating leads on LinkedIn is creating a strong professional profile. Your profile acts as an online first impression and should clearly communicate trust, expertise, and local market knowledge. Instead of using a simple headline such as “Realtor,” you should explain how you help clients and what market you specialize in. A headline like “Helping Families and Professionals Buy and Sell Homes in Dayton and Fairborn, Ohio” immediately tells potential clients what services are offered and where you work. A professional profile photo, branded banner image, and detailed “About” section also help build credibility.
Step 2: Build Your Network 👫
LinkedIn allows users to connect directly with professionals who may eventually need real estate services or know someone who does. You should focus on connecting with business owners, mortgage lenders, attorneys, HR professionals, military personnel, medical workers, and people relocating to the area. Sending personalized connection requests helps create a positive first impression and will increase your chances of someone replying back!
Step 3: Start Posting 📱
LinkedIn is based around education. Creating consistent and valuable content is another major factor in successful lead generation on LinkedIn. Many agents make the mistake of posting only home listings, which often receive little engagement. Instead, I would share educational and informative content that positions you as THE local expert. Market updates, home-buying tips, neighborhood guides, financing advice, and relocation information are all examples of content that attracts attention from potential buyers and sellers.
Storytelling is also highly effective. Sharing stories about helping clients overcome challenges or successfully relocate can build emotional connection and trust with an audience. When agents consistently provide useful information, they become recognized as knowledgeable professionals rather than just salespeople.
LinkedIn is such an undersaturated platform that it provides a powerful way to connect directly with potential clients in a professional setting.
Again, the best part is that I don’t see many real estate agents on this platform. Be one of the few who are.
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-Ty Morton + Abby G