Social media has taken the real estate industry by storm, and buyers and sellers alike are pulling out all the stops when it comes to using various platforms to achieve their real estate dreams. Today, many are turning to Instagram to truly scope out the unique features they desire.

A picture-friendly website, Instagram has over 200 million active users. And on any given day, around 55 million photos are uploaded, resulting in approximately 86.4 million comments.

It’s no wonder that many real estate agents and home sellers are utilizing the site to not only better showcase a home, but to attract a larger pool of prospective buyers. Pictures have become one of our default modes of sorting and understanding the vast amounts of information we’re exposed to every day and sharing shots on Instagram helps to cut through some of the clutter.

House hunters can search Instagram for photos of houses in a specific area by entering search terms such as “homes for sale” and the city or community one is interested in buying into. Once they do, the number of photos that come up may be surprising.

And these photos aren’t your typical cookie-cutter shots of the exterior of the home or the kitchen or bedrooms. These are unique photos that showcase interesting aspects of the home and the property that you wouldn’t see unless you were in the house itself.

On a random day on Instagram, photos for houses for sale included a close-up of an ornate design on the kitchen cabinetry, pictures of 19th century doorknobs and a star-filled view of the sky taken from the master bedroom. It’s shots like these that tell a better story to entice prospective buyers to come visit the property. In addition, most photos also include links to shots of the rest of the house, so you can decide from the comfort of your own home whether it would be worth your while to visit.

While Instagram is devoted to sharing images, photos often include a brief description with additional details, oftentimes much different than what you would find on an MLS listing. As with any social media platform, those taking advantage of Instagram are providing a creative and fun avenue for you to explore.

If you’re looking to add a little fun to the house hunting process, sign on to Instagram. It may just be the social network that leads you to your new home.

For more information about using Instagram to find your dream home, contact our office today.