Social Media Trends to Watch in 2026 + 2025 Strategy Recap for Loan Officers & Real Estate Pros

As we wrapped 2025, the social media landscape made one thing crystal clear: the same old playbook won’t cut it in 2026.

In this final Social Media State of the Union session of the year, we broke down:

• What’s changed in 2025 (and what’s still working)

• What to prioritize in your 2026 strategy

• 6 video trends that are already making noise

Whether you’re building a brand, leading a marketing team, or trying to grow your client pipeline without burning out — this month’s session was your shortcut to smarter social.

🎥 Watch the full replay on YouTube here →

Jump to:

🚨 2025 Social Media Recap: What Changed & What Worked | ✅ What to Prioritize in 2026 | 🚀 What’s New from SocialCoach in 2025 | 🎥 Easy Video Trends to Try This Month | 📚 Free Resources + FAQs

🎥 Watch the full session on YouTube

🚨 2025 Social Media Recap: What Changed & What Worked

📈 2025 Recap: Platform Updates Worth Noting From This Past Year

• LinkedIn now tracks comment impressions (even if viewed twice!) — which means your replies = reach.

• TikTok long-form is here to stay: Videos over 60 seconds got 43.2% more reach and 63.8% more watch time
  

  • 🆕 Trial Reels (shown only to non-followers — hello new reach!)

  • 💬 Retention, Saves, DMs over likes and commentsInstagram now favors:

🤳 What Worked in 2025 (That You Should Keep Doing)

• Short-form vertical video = 2.5x more engagement than long-form

• Educational, save-worthy content (FAQs, checklists, how-tos) dominated

• Reels brought the reach, but carousels got 12% more engagement than Reels

• Posting consistently (1x/week for 20+ weeks) = 450% more engagement than sporadic posting

• More posts = faster growth:

  • 3–5x/week on IG = doubled follower growth

  • 6–10x/week on LinkedIn = 5K+ impressions per post

🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

✅ What to Prioritize in 2026 (And What to Avoid)

🔥 Lean Into:

• Hybrid strategy: Short-form video for reach + carousels for retention

• Keyword-focused content that answers real buyer questions (think SEO + AEO + GEO)

• Repurposing smart: Turn one idea into multiple formats (video + blog + carousel)

• Evergreen, value-driven posts instead of random viral chases

• Consistency > virality every single time

⚠️ Avoid:

• “Post and ghost” content: One-off photos aren’t cutting it

• Relying only on short-form: You still need long-form and evergreen for lasting traction and SEO

• Guessing what works: Track saves, shares, watch time, and leads — not just likes

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🚀 What’s New from SocialCoach in 2025

We didn’t just keep up with this year’s social media shifts — we built the tools to help you lead the way.

Here are the biggest upgrades we made this year to help you scale visibility, manage teams more efficiently, and generate more results from your content:

🧭 Segmented Library by Region & Branch

Admins can now segment the content library by team, branch, or region — so your users only see what’s most relevant to them. Whether you’re running a national enterprise or a hyperlocal branch, everyone gets content that fits their audience and compliance guidelines.

🎞️ Enterprise Video Credit Management

We launched a flexible system that lets corporate teams manage and allocate editing credits across users — making it easy to invest in high-quality content without complicating your budget or workflows.

🏢 Expanded into New Verticals

In 2025, we officially expanded SocialCoach to support insurance, financial planning, and other regulated industries beyond mortgage and real estate — with customized content, tools, and compliance support.

📅 Visual Posting Calendar

Our redesigned calendar view makes it easier than ever to plan, schedule, and manage your content across multiple platforms and users. See what’s posting when, make changes on the fly, and stay consistent — without the chaos.

📽️ My Video Page (MVP)

This was a major game-changer in 2025. MVP turns any video you record into a personalized, shareable landing page with:

✅ Custom CTAs
✅ Engagement tracking (views, clicks, and more)
✅ Built-in compliance scanning

Perfect for milestone check-ins, client updates, or evergreen educational content.

🎨 MVP Themes

Make your video pages match your brand. Choose from professionally designed themes that elevate the look and feel of your content while keeping it on-brand and high-converting.

🧑‍💼 Player Cards

We introduced Player Cards to spotlight your top performers with personalized, sharable snapshots of their social results — helping admins recognize wins and users build their personal brand with real data.

🔌 SocialCoach API

For our enterprise partners with complex systems or existing tech stacks, the new SocialCoach API enables easy integration with your CRM, compliance platform, or data reporting tools — bringing even more power and customization to your social strategy.

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🎥 Trending Videos to Try This Month

Need content ideas to finish strong or kick off 2026? These six trends are simple, strategic, and built to connect.

🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

👉 Want all of these trends with filming instructions, audio links, and examples?

📥 Grab the free trend guide here

 

🎁 Spending too much time editing your own videos?
Let SocialCoach handle it for you — captions, clean cuts, and auto-posting included. See how it works here.

1) 2025 Recap Reel

🎯 Use this trend to highlight your biggest wins, milestones, or standout moments from the year — and show your audience what mattered most.

🎥 Splice together quick clips or photos from work events, closings, community involvement, or personal wins (or for Video Catalyst users, simply upload your photos and videos to the SocialCoach app and we'll do it for you)

📝 On-screen text: “And with that, the 2025 season comes to an end…”

🎥 View an example video

💡 Example ideas:

• You at the closing table with clients
• Walkthroughs, events, or local highlights
• Holiday milestones or family wins

🎧 Audio: Use this trending sound

📌 Pro tip: Use the caption to write a “thank you” message and tag clients, teammates, or referral partners you’re grateful for.

2) “In Your 20s…” Advice Trend

🎯 Use this trend to deliver important advice you wish every client in their 20s or 30s knew — especially around real estate and finances.

🎥 Film a short clip of you walking, moving around, or just being casual.

📝 On-screen text: “In your 20s, someone will tell you to [insert advice]... It’s important you [listen/ignore/do it]... because [insert reason].”

🎥 View an example video

💡 Example ideas:

• “In your 20s, someone will tell you it is possible to buy a home without 20% down. It’s important that you listen.”

• “Your LO will tell you NOT to finance a new car before closing. It’s important you listen.” 

🎧 Audio: Use this trending audio

📌 Pro tip: Use a highly personal example you learned the hard way, something you wish more clients knew, or a common realistic client example to make it even more engaging.

3) “Dear Algorithm” Trend

🎯 Use this to attract your ideal client by calling out who you want to work with and what challenge you’re ready to solve.

🎥 Show a clip of you working, walking into a showing, or at your desk.

📝 On-screen text: “Dear algorithm, send me the [niche buyer] who [struggle] and is ready to [solution].”

🎥 View an example video

📝 Text on screen:

• Start small: “There’s still time to buy a home before 2026.”

• Kick to full screen: “Talk to a loan officer who can help you build a plan.”

💡 Example ideas:

• “Dear algorithm, send me all the millennials who feel priced out of their market but don't know there about creative loan options.”
• “Dear algorithm: Send me the first-time buyers who are sick of their rent increasing every year.”

🎧 Audio: Use any trending audio

📌 Pro tip: Save this for a Reel or TikTok and pair it with a clear CTA like “DM READY if that’s you.”

4) What I Would "Eat" as a Loan Officer/Agent

🎯 A fun, lighthearted trend to share best practices or opinions by “eating” the ones you like — and spitting out the ones you don’t.

🎥 Use the trending sound and pretend to eat the text on-screen. At the end, dramatically “spit out” the one you disagree with.

📝 On-screen text: “What _[ex. financial advice]__ I would eat as a [loan officer/agent]”

🎥 View an example video

💡 Example text:

• • “Financial advice I would eat as a loan officer: Get pre-approved first, use auto-draft for payments, build equity before upgrades.”

    • Advice I’d spit out: Wait for the perfect market

🎧 Audio: “Nom nom nom spit” trending audio

📌 Pro tip: Add a caption that invites viewers to comment with what they would eat or spit out.

Bonus! “If Anyone Is Holiday Shopping for Me…” Trend

🎯 Use this timely trend to highlight the type of clients you love working with — in a playful, seasonal way that boosts visibility and relatability.

🎥 Record a 10-second clip of yourself doing something simple: walking into a showing, spinning in your office chair, answering a client call, etc.

📝 On-screen text: “If anyone is holiday shopping for me, I’m a size [insert ideal client type]”

🎥 View an example video

💡 Example ideas:

• “If anyone is holiday shopping for me, I’m a size ‘first-time buyer who doesn’t think they qualify — but actually does.’”

• “Size: renter who’s tired of paying someone else’s mortgage.”

• “Size: move-up buyer ready for more space in 2026.”

🎧 Audio: “If anyone is holiday shopping for me…” or any trending holiday music

📌 Pro tip: This trend is great for showing personality while still attracting your niche audience. Pair with a fun caption and use holiday hashtags to increase seasonal discoverability.

👉 Want all of these trends with filming instructions, audio links, and examples?

📥 Grab the free trend guide here

 

🎁 Spending too much time editing your own videos?
Let SocialCoach handle it for you — captions, clean cuts, and auto-posting included. See how it works here.

🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

🎬 Need Help Getting Started with 2026 Content?

👉 Download our FREE guides from this month's session so you stop staring at a blank screen and actually stay consistent with posting this year:

📤 12 Social Media Content Ideas to Win in 2026
📤 2026 Social Media Content Calendar Template

SocialCoach gives you everything you need to stay consistent and convert more clients with content that works.

✨ Weekly video scripts (designed for real estate and mortgage content)
✨ Auto-editing, captions, and thumbnails
✨ Auto-posting across platforms
✨ Keyword training & strategy in Boot Camp
✨ MVP video pages with view + click tracking

👉 Learn more about SocialCoach