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Social Media Updates You Need to Know for September 2025: Key Updates for Mortgage and Real Estate Pros

  Ashley Musick  ·  7 minute read

Social media never sits still — and if you’re in a regulated industry like mortgage, real estate, or financial services, staying ahead of every trend, update, and algorithm shift can feel like a full-time job.

That’s why every month, Team SocialCoach hosts a live strategy session to break it all down. We cover important platform updates, algorithm insights, and real content strategies that help you win on social.

Whether you're a loan officer, real estate agent, or marketer running your team's content, this post is your go-to summary of what matters most this month so you can stay ahead without the overwhelm.

👉 Want to skip straight to the source? 🎥 Watch the full session on YouTube here

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.01.00 PM🎥 Watch the full session on YouTube


Jump to What Matters Most:


📊 Platform Updates

🔍 Carousels vs Reels: Which Format Wins on Instagram?

Instagram dropped some major intel:
  • Reels = best for reach
  • Carousels = best for engagement

If your goal is to get in front of new audiences, Reels still dominate. But if you’re trying to deepen trust and keep your current audience engaged, carousels are your secret weapon.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.04.36 PM

🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

🧠  Pro Tip from the live session: Instagram gives carousel posts two chances in the algorithm. If a user doesn’t engage with the first image, Instagram often shows them the second — doubling your odds of grabbing their attention.

🎯 Our advice? Mix both into your strategy:

  • Post Reels to reach new people

  • Use carousels to educate, explain, or deepen connection with your current audience

🔗 Linked Reels: Your New Secret to Evergreen Reach

Big update from Instagram: You can now link Reels together into a series, like a YouTube playlist.

That means more control over how people view your content — and more views on your older Reels.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.02.35 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

💡 Try this:

  • Turn a multi-part topic into a linked video series (e.g., “Homebuying 101” or “How to Improve Your Credit Score in 60 Days”)

  • Link new Reels to older Reels to revive views without re-recording new content

🎥 This is especially powerful for FAQs, how-to’s, or tips that stay relevant long-term.

👀 Coming Soon: Collaborative Feed Posts

Instagram is testing a new feature that lets others submit photos or videos to your post (with your approval).

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.06.33 PM

🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

💡 Ideas for how to use this:

  • Ask clients to add their closing day photo to a carousel

  • Build a crowd-sourced post from your team or event attendees

  • Collect testimonials directly into one shared post

  • Highlight team wins or event recaps

This is a smart way to expand reach and showcase your community. Stay tuned — we’ll update you when it rolls out.

🚀 SocialCoach Updates: My Video Pages


Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.08.17 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

Use our My Video Page feature to:

  • Send personalized videos via text or email

  • Track views, engagement, and clicks

  • Share milestone updates without re-recording each time

🎯 Pro tip: For milestone video updates, don't say the client's name in the video. Then you can record once, reuse forever — without any of your clients being the wiser.

If you haven’t checked out SocialCoach yet, click here to see what else we handle for you.

🔍 Content Insights + Strategy Tips


🧭 Platform Priorities: Where to Focus Right Now

  • 💼  LinkedIn
    • Still the top platform for engagement thanks to its B2B and thought-leadership focus, especially for professional service providers. If you haven’t started posting consistently here — now’s the time.
  • 📉 Facebook
    • Struggles with reach unless you’re posting Reels or sharing community-specific content, but still performs well with engagement, especially in groups and on personal profiles
  • 🚫  TikTok and YouTube Shorts
    • Show strong watch time and repeat views. TikTok’s ban is still pending (now extended to 2026) — but it’s still a great place to post. Just make sure you're saving and cross-posting your content in case anything changes.
  • 📲 Instagram
    • Has the lowest average engagement rate — but is still winning for reach, especially with Reels and carousels. Start testing Linked Reels this month if you haven’t yet.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.01.00 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

📈 Longer Videos Perform Better

Despite the hype around short clips, TikTok’s algorithm now favors videos over 60 seconds long.

🔎 The sweet spot? 60–120 seconds.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.05.52 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

Why it works:

  • Increases watch time (also Instagram’s top metric!)

  • Gives you room to build authority and educate

  • Drives better engagement from serious viewers

🎯 Try testing one longer-form video each week and watch how your performance shifts.

⚖️ The Power of Posting Weekly

Buffer just released a study that shows posting even just 1x per week for 20 weeks can increase your engagement by 450% compared to inconsistent posting.

🔥 Even better: 3x/week (Mon, Wed, Fri) is the sweet spot for staying top-of-mind and boosting reach.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.06.05 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

🎯 Pro Tip: Use SocialCoach's scheduling tools to batch-record and automate your posts, so you never fall off the radar.

🤝 Try a Collab Post (At Least Once a Month)

Instagram Collab posts let you share a Reel or post with another creator or business — and publish it to both of your audiences.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.06.18 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube

📣 Great use cases:

  • Partner with an agent or LO for co-branded videos

  • Share event highlights, client wins, or open houses

📈 Whoever posts first gets the most reach, so let the account with the bigger following publish and tag the other.

📱 4 Trending Video Ideas to Try This Month

Video still dominates for reach and visibility — which is why we broke down four easy formats you can use to boost engagement and attract new clients right now:

1) "When a client tells me..."

🎯 Use this trending audio to react to bad advice, red flags, or common client mistakes

Watch an example video here.

How to film:
Record a 10-second clip pretending you're in conversation with a client or referral partner. When the audio hits “ugh!”, dramatically flinch or show visible disgust.

Text on screen:
Write out something a client or partner has said that made you want to react with “yikes.”

Ideas for real estate and mortgage pros:

  • “When a seller tells me they want to price their home based on their Zestimate”

  • “When a buyer wants to skip the home inspection to save money”


2) “Do I Really Have to…? You Do.”

🎯 Use this trending audio to reinforce what buyers and partners should be doing

Watch an example video here.

How to film:
Lip sync to the phrase “you do” with a fun, exaggerated response as if answering a FAQ.

Text on screen:
Add the question you’re responding to, like a common myth or client hesitation.

Ideas for real estate and mortgage pros:

  • “Do I really need to get pre-approved before I start visiting open houses?”

  • “Do I actually need to pay for the home inspection, or can I skip it?”

 3) “What the helly?”

🎯 Use this trending audio to call out buyer or seller mistakes in a quick, relatable format

Watch an example video here.

How to film:
Film short clips of you reacting to “What the helly?” with different physical actions — poking your head out of an office, reacting mid-call, or sipping coffee in disbelief.

Text on screen:
Start with “When I see buyers…” then list 2–3 common mistakes.

Ideas for real estate and mortgage pros:

  • “When I see buyers… skip pre-approval, charge new furniture before closing, and submit lowball offers”

  • “When I see sellers… ignore staging advice, overprice their home, and skip professional photos” 

4) Mental Breakdown

🎯 Use this trending audio to make your audience feel seen with this “from panic to peace” transition trend

Watch an example video here.

How to film:
Start dramatically pretending to cry or freak out. Then “receive a text” that calms you down.

Text on screen:
First screen: the stressful situation → Second screen: the solution you provide

Ideas for real estate and mortgage pros:

  • “When my buyer’s offer gets rejected… but then I find them something even better”

  • “When a client’s loan is about to fall through… until I step in and save the deal”

  • “When someone thinks they’ll never afford a home… then they reach out and we make a plan”


🚨 Want a more in-depth breakdown for mortgage and real estate pros?

Watch the full session on YouTube for an overview of each trend with examples of how to film and ideas for tailoring each trend to your niche.

Screenshot 2025-09-18 at 5.02.08 PM🎥 Watch this section on YouTube


TL:DR – Key Takeaways

So, what’s the takeaway from all these updates? In a nutshell:

  • Instagram Reels = Reach. Carousels = Engagement. Use both strategically to grow and deepen trust.

  • Linked Reels let you link videos together to increase views on older content — perfect for evergreen tips.

  • TikTok favors longer videos (60–120 seconds) with deeper watch time and better authority building.

  • LinkedIn is the top performing platform for engagement, especially for B2B content.

  • Consistency wins — even 1 post per week for 20 weeks can boost engagement by 450%.

📺  Watch the Full Strategy Session


🎥  Want all the insights from the full live session?
Watch the full September 2025 Social Media Strategy Session on YouTube here.

Want to catch up on previous months too?

📚 Browse our full blog archive at socialcoach.io/blog for even more content ideas, strategy tips, and compliance-approved advice.


👇 Don't miss the next live session


Make sure you don’t miss out on next month’s live session – register here to get the latest insights and updates before everyone else.

🔍 Common Questions About September's Strategy Tips

Q: Should I stop using TikTok because of the potential ban?
A: Nope! We recommend cross-posting to Instagram and YouTube Shorts, but TikTok is still a valuable place to post right now.

Q: What’s the best time to post Reels?
A: For mortgage and real estate pros, the sweet spot is usually weekdays between 8–11 a.m. (based on SocialCoach analytics). But consistency > timing.

Q: Do I need to be on LinkedIn if I’m not B2B?
A: Yes. LinkedIn is still a goldmine for credibility, professional referrals, and building your local reputation — especially for LOs and agents.

💡 Resources to Give You an Edge


✅  Want a done-for-you social media plan that actually works?
Learn more about SocialCoach for individuals and teams →

🎯  Ready to book more business with personalized video pages?
Try My Video Pages (MVP) ->

🎥  Want to save time and look polished on camera?
Explore our Video Catalyst service ->

🗓️  Need help staying consistent on social?
Join our free 4-week Social Media Boot Camp ->

💬  Prefer to talk it through?
Book a demo and see SocialCoach in action →


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