#realestate: Qld’s leading real estate agents turning to TikTok to sell homes and find buyers
Goodbye to the days of real estate advertising, there’s a new way property experts are connecting with people. Take a lighthearted look at Qld’s leading real estate personalities who are using TikTok and changing the real estate game.
Lifestyle
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According to Rate My Agent, there were more than 10,000 active real estate agents working in Queensland in the last 12 months.
With so much competition in the market, real estate personalities are finding new ways to reach potential buyers and sellers.
And TikTok is the latest trend these leading Queensland property experts are using.
Social media platform TikTok specialises in short-form video content through videos around 10 seconds to one minute long, suggested to you based on your watching behaviours in an algorithmic feed called the ‘For You Page’ or ‘FYP’.
Queensland real estate agents, buyers agents and interior designers are all tapping into this market, finding new ways to connect with audiences by making fun, eye-catching, lighthearted, and informative videos about their properties.
Whether it’s house tours, market explainers, Q&As, daily vlogs or even simply taking the mickey out of themselves, these Qld real estate personalities are leading the way on the platform with thousands of followers to their names.
Hear why they took the leap to join the ever-growing TikTok community and how its changed their real estate business.
Andrew Cumming – Place, Kangaroo Point
@brisbaneagent
A lead agent at Place Real Estate in Kangaroo Point, Andrew Cumming is one of the most followed Queensland real estate agents on TikTok, with just over 44,000 followers.
Known better by his handle @brisbaneagent, Mr Cumming is leading the Brisbane real estate world on the platform, showcasing some of the city’s most luxurious and expensive homes across Newstead, Fortitude Valley and Teneriffe.
Mr Cumming said he joined TikTok after seeing an opportunity to be the only Brisbane agent to use the video sharing platform to its “full potential”.
“While other platforms like Instagram were saturated with basic real estate content, my content on TikTok was attracting insane levels of engagement,” Mr Cumming said.
“The luxury real estate walk-through videos that we do are very popular. People love seeing the jaw-dropping real estate in Brisbane, and sharing the videos with their friends and family.”
Sharing a mix of day-in-the-life vlogs and suburb comparison clips, it’s Mr Cumming’s luxury Brisbane home tours that get the most views from his audiences, exploring the inside of Brisbane’s finest houses.
He’s found that more people are reaching out to him after discovering him from his TikTok videos.
“I generate anywhere from 50 to a 1000 times more exposure for a property that an agent without the same digital reach would,” Mr Cumming said.
“As a result, there are definitely more buyers clicking and inquiring on our listings.
“I’ve also had multiple sellers reach out via TikTok, with the most recent being a huge family home owned by two doctors in Brisbane’s South Side suburb, Carindale.”
Mr Cumming said the response to his TikTok videos had been mostly positive.
“There’s always going to be someone with an opinion, but my focus is on creating mass exposure for the property,” Mr Cumming said.
“It’s content that is short and shareable, which means the cognisance created among the younger consumers gets passed onto their parents who may be potential buyers.”
With 1.3 million likes across all his videos, the 25-year-old agent believes that social media is changing how real estate professionals engage with their clientele.
“Traditionally, an agent might reach 5000 people a month, whereas I’m averaging a reach of 750,000 people a month,” said Mr Cumming.
“Social media has enabled passive selling, instead of relying on a buyer to search out the property, I’m putting it in front of them and thousands of other people on their For You Page.”
In the past 12 months, Mr Cumming has sold 18 properties with a median sold price of $640k as a lead agent.
He collaborates and works closely with two of Brisbane’s top performing real estate agents, Heath Williams and Sarah Hackett.
Susanna Tolo – Coastal Hampton Style, Sunshine Coast
@coastalhamptonstyle
Passionate about home design and decor, Susanna Tolo is a real estate personality, influencer and presenter who has made a name for herself via her account Coastal Hampton Style, where she shows off the best in Queensland real estate and home decor.
With 88,000 followers on TikTok, Ms Tolo started her property-showcasing career in 2016, when she started sharing photos of coastal and Hampton-inspired homes on Instagram – an account that now boasts more than 300,000 followers.
Ms Tolo said that she noticed that audiences seemed to enjoy watching videos of home renovations that focused on design.
“My Instagram page, @coastalhamptonstyle, really took off when I started taking my followers on full tours of beautiful homes. They just wanted more and more,” Ms Tolo said.
“I started to work with local and interstate agents and builders that wanted to showcase their high-end homes and designs to an engaged audience. I am advised that my followers have purchased a number of properties that I showcased on my page.
“As Tik Tok started to grow in popularity, I created a @coastalhamptonstyle TikTok page with the aim of sharing short versions of my home tours to a new audience. In 12 months, my TikTok page grew to 88,000 followers.”
Known for her informative, relatable and visually appealing home tour videos, Ms Tolo said a large part of the community watching her videos were in the process of building, renovating or buying a home themselves and watched her videos for inspiration.
“I try to vary my tours to cater for a variety of styles and budgets, as not everyone can afford a multimillion dollar home,” Ms Tolo said.
“Due to audience requests, I have now started touring yachts, with my most recent tour being an $8.8 million, four bed, two-living area Horizon Yacht.
“I love what I do, and truly enjoy connecting with people from all over the world who are interested in stunning homes, home design and decor … I now travel Australia wide showcasing best of properties, designs and decor.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, Ms Tolo works with agents to help them gain traction for their sales campaigns, as well as builders who want to showcase their latest builds, with a heightened focus on Queensland’s unique homes and style.
“Queensland is home to some of the most beautiful and unique homes in Australia,” Ms Tolo said.
“For me, the iconic Queenslander homes are so unique and come in many variations, from traditional, to coastal, to cottage and even Hamptons inspired. In Queensland we are all about that indoor-outdoor feel.
“Queenslander homes are known for their high ceilings, wide verandas, and timber construction – these homes perfectly match the warm and sunny climate of Queensland.”
An expert on home decor and design trends, Ms Tolo believes there are four main trends that are here to stay: sustainable materials, natural and light colours, bold patterns and texture.
Ryan Trama – Ray White, Marsden
@ryantramaproperty
A professional sales agent at Ray White Marsden, Park Ridge local Ryan Trama is a growing TikTok personality in Queensland real estate, with more than 1000 followers and nearly 19,000 likes across his videos.
Ranked Park Ridge’s number one real estate agent on realestate.com and RateMyAgent, Ryan Trama decided to start making TikTok videos after recognising its vast reach and the engagement potential of the platform’s younger audience.
“I saw an opportunity to showcase properties in a dynamic and engaging way that aligns with modern trends.” Mr Trama said.
“By leveraging TikTok‘s short-form video format, I aimed to capture viewers’ attention quickly and provide a unique perspective on the properties I represent.
“The first property tour video that I posted to TikTok has been viewed over 300,000 times!”
Previously working in education, Mr Trama shares videos on his TikTok that give viewers an inside look into the homes he currently has on the market, showing the little details you wouldn’t see on a typical real estate listing.
Mr Trama describes the response to his TikTok content as “overwhelmingly positive”, and points out he has sold and listed four properties solely through his social media.
“I signed up a new listing in Park Ridge over the weekend, and the owner was in stitches watching the creative way we advertised a new listing through video marketing,” Mr Trama said.
“Additionally, I’ve introduced myself to new buyers at open homes, who have said, “We know you! We’ve seen you on TikTok!
“The integration of various social media platforms into my real estate business has led to an uptick in inquiries from potential buyers and sellers – buyers can easily share the property ads with others and comment, tagging their friends and family.”
In the future, Mr Trama plans to continue diversifying his content and explore the potential of the TikTok platform, noting that social media is transforming the way properties are marketed and how buyers are engaging with agencies.
“Social media, including platforms like TikTok, is revolutionising the real estate industry,” he said.
“ … As a real estate agent, immediacy is my currency, and these platforms allow me to interact immediately and effectively with past, current and future clients.”
In the past 12 months, Mr Trama has sold 48 properties as a lead agent, with a median sold price of $650k.
He was also recognised as Rate My Agent’s 2023 Agent of the Year in Park Ridge earlier this year.
Matt Srama – The Srama Group, Palm Beach
@matt_srama
A former professional NRL player turned Gold Coast entrepreneur, Matt Srama is the founder and director of The Srama Group, a buyer’s agency company based in Palm Beach.
Previously a hooker for the Gold Coast Titans, Mr Srama now runs his own agency, specialising in providing services to both owner occupied and investor clients, with a heightened focus on using social media to expand his business.
With more than 8000 followers on Instagram, Mr Srama recently signed up to TikTok after seeing a shift to the newer platform.
“I actually organically grew on Instagram first – Instagram’s been my main platform and I’ve just seen more and more attention going to TikTok, so what I did was start repurposing what I was already doing and just putting it on a different platform,” Mr Srama said.
“I’m sensing attention is the new commodity in the world – that‘s my favourite belief at the moment and wherever people’s attention is: if you own a business, I feel you should be there.
“That’s basically the nutshell of it: it’s a platform that’s of value and you know there’s attention on it, so I’m there.”
Producing an assortment of videos, ranging from insider knowledge of the Gold Coast property market, investment strategy and explainers on basic real estate lingo for his 2000 TikTok followers, Mr Srama said that he’s looking to continue growing his presence on the platform to “the homebuyers of tomorrow”.
“People underestimate the demographics [of TikTok users], of not only current buyers but even older generations as well …” Mr Srama said.
“One thing I always believe from a demographic point of view: every demographic has a network, so if you become a thought leader in front of whoever it is, that’s a bonus.
“I’ve had referrals from daughters and sons referring their parents to me [from TikTok], so again, I think if you have a business, you should be trying to hit as many avenues as you can.”
Previously working as a real estate agent before hitting his stride as a buyers agent, Mr Srama says one of the most important qualities a buyers agent needs is runs on the board in terms of buying property.
“That’s number one, because one thing I’m seeing on TikTok and some platforms … is it can make people [who are] not as experienced seem like they are great,” Mr Srama said.
“ … if you don't have runs on the board doing that for yourself, it’s very very hard to give advice to other parties who are going to pay you money to do it.”
“The key ones [qualities of a buyer’s agent] are market knowledge, experience in the negotiation and being able to relate to people’s situation.”
Mr Srama believes that the most important part about real estate and social media is focusing on the client.
“I think too many people in the real estate industry make themselves the hero,” he said.
“Come on an angle where you’re not the hero: make your client the hero.”
Recognised as a Young Entrepreneur OTY Finalist in 2022, Mr Srama has recently assisted in home purchases in Palm Beach, Currumbin, Varsity Lakes and Miami.
He also hosts the podcast ‘The Property Prequel’, telling real stories behind home purchases.
Sammy Pretsel – Coronis, Lutwyche
@sammypretsel_realestate
A people-person who’s not afraid to take life too seriously, Sammy Pretsel is a talent acquisition officer at Coronis in Lutwyche, with a TikTok account that focuses on all the fun of working in the real estate industry.
Creating more comedic and lighthearted video content, Ms Pretsel has racked up nearly 2000 followers for her video content which she films at the Coronis office alongside her co-workers.
Ms Pretsel said she was prompted to make the account after she saw an untapped space for real estate-based video content on the TikTok platform.
“Not every client is attracted to the same thing. I could see a whole new demographic of clients who would be interested in this type of content,” she said.
“I honestly don’t know how many clients I have gained from it. It’s probably worth tracking what methods clients found me from … but it’s not something I’ve done up to this point.”
Posting videos about the little everyday experiences of office life, Ms Pretsel says her co-workers love to get involved in her TikTok content.
“Some people are reluctant given the way things can go “viral” but for me it's not about perfection, it’s about getting a message out or having a laugh,” she said.
“There are a few certain people I can count on when I need a cameo who don’t mind the camera that’s for sure!”
Ms Pretsel believes that not using social media to maximise your business is an opportunity missed, and emphasises that the most important factor to think about when working in real estate is the people.
“It's actually not about houses … it’s a people business, putting people first, being authentic, honest and trustworthy,” she said.
“Life is short. Aim to be one per cent better each day, … laugh and don't take life too seriously. People connect with real people.”
Ms Pretsel recently won three awards at the Coronis Annual Awards in 2022, including Property Investment Agent Newcomer of the Year and additional accolades for total managements closed and gross revenue produced.
Glenn Ball – First National Action Realty, Ipswich
@living_it_now
Principal and owner at First National Action Realty in Ipswich, Glenn Ball, is a true Ipswich local with nearly two decades of real estate experience.
Having lived in Ipswich his whole life, Mr Ball’s passion for his hometown shines through on his TikTok account, where he boasts nearly 5000 followers for his comedic and educational videos showing off the latest homes he has listed for sale.
Wanting to reach a different demographic than traditional social media platforms such as Facebook, Mr Ball joined TikTok to ‘join in on the fun’.
“I saw that the app was gaining momentum and was targeted toward a different demographic than the traditional Facebook crowd which peaked my interest,” Mr Ball said.
“I personally liked the lighthearted feel of mixing videos with music and I also appreciated the comedic value of some of the content,
“To my surprise after recently posting short property videos, I began fielding strong, genuine inquiries from potential buyers …
“I have had feedback from potential and past sellers that they have seen my videos on TikTok and have seen a different side of my personality which they found funny and could relate to, so for me this has been a good marketing tool.”
Uploading a mix of property tours and lighthearted clips, Mr Ball said he’s received positive feedback from his potential and past sellers about his TikTok videos, and while his relatable and funny videos are well-liked, it's his real estate videos that perform best.
“My short real estate videos have outperformed most of my other videos especially when I list a price for the property featured on the video,” Mr Ball said.
“It seems everyone has an opinion on price, some good and some not so good and basically due to the algorithms of these sites and apps the more comments you can get will equal more exposure for the videos posted.
“Quick, short videos of 60 seconds or less are the most viewed, don’t bore your audience and always post a video that has closed captions, so viewers can view and understand a video even with the sound off.”
Working in the real estate industry since 2005, Mr Ball believes that a great agent in 2023 needs to have a strong marketing strategy, particularly on social media.
“A successful real estate agent will always need to be a strong negotiator regardless, but in 2023, the strongest agents are the ones who are strong marketers and are utilising all marketing avenues including traditional real estate sites and in particular social media,” Mr Ball said.
“If an agent is not using videos as way of showcasing and promoting their properties they are missing a massive sector of the potential buyer pool.
“By promoting properties on these sites for free and allowing friends of friends to share and tag each other we are able to promote our properties quickly and more effectively than ever before.”
In March 2023, Mr Ball was named as one of Queensland’s top 100 real estate agents in the Annual REA Excellence Awards.
He has sold 74 properties in the last 12 months with a median sold price of $517k.
Cory Boyd – Ray White, Marsden
@loganrealestate
An agent at Ray White, Marsden and the Rate My Agent Suburb Winner for Crestmead in 2021 and 2022, Cory Boyd has worked as a real estate agent for seven years and has gained just over 4000 followers on his TikTok account @loganrealestate.
With a background in philanthropy and the Australian Army, Mr Boyd has lived in Logan for 28 years and shares his love for his hometown and his job as a real estate agent on his TikTok, sharing hyperlocal content such as guessing the names of suburbs in Logan and creating comedic videos about real estate agent tropes.
Mr Boyd said that he made his TikTok account to create fun and quirky videos that people could relate to.
“I wanted to bring and showcase the lighthearted side of real estate,” Mr Boyd said.
“I’ve had a few clients reach out after finding my page. I find that having informative yet humorous TikTok content is what encourages people to reach out.
“Humour is a winner. Mixing information with entertainment definitely helps in creating memorable content.”
Making funny videos relatable to real estate agents, people in the property market and the general public, Mr Boyd says that relatability and social media presence are both vital to be an agent in 2023.
“In 2023, successful agents need both relatability and versatility, you need to be able to adapt to new market trends and changes – You can‘t just be a one-trick pony!” Mr Boyd said.
“Social media has revolutionised real estate, making information more accessible.
“It helps agents creatively showcase properties and build personal brands in a cost effective way.”
Mr Boyd has sold 38 properties as lead agent in the last 12 months, with a median sold price of $555k.
Remy Durieux – Remy’s Real Estate, Carina
@remydurieux
Passionate about social media and its potential, Remy Durieux is the director of boutique real estate agency Remy’s Real Estate in Brisbane’s southern suburbs, selling properties in and around Carina and Camp Hill.
Boasting more than 3500 followers on TikTok, Mr Durieux shares well-produced videos on his profile, dealing with topics including budget, market analysis, and candid chats about the real estate market and industry.
He’s also a big fan of some funny and lighthearted content, recently posting a home tour filmed in the style of the video game ‘Sims’.
Unsure about the platform at first, Mr Durieux signed up to TikTok just over a year ago and has seen his account grow since, with one video racking up nearly one million views.
“It’s just a different way of advertising … people love video, it’s more personal, it’s a more immersive experience, and I think TikTok is just perfect for that,” Mr Durieux said.
“I’ve had people ringing me … and they say “Oh, you’re actually the guy from the video on TikTok!” – it’s happened three times in the past two months.
“People are just slowly starting to get to know it [TikTok] and understand it, and there’s not many agents that are using it for their property videos.”
Working in the real estate industry for six years, Mr Durieux believes that the sooner agents get on social media, the better, having had buyers and sellers find him through his TikTok page.
“TikTok may not be working for five to 10 per cent of the reach and capabilities that Instagram offers in terms of advertising and property advertising right now, but it will change. That’s how it works,” Mr Durieux said.
“My theory is that if I got in a year ago, I will always be a year ahead at least.
“You know, TikTok is free. Instagram is free … the use of video is still nowhere near where it should be in 2023 and if they’re [agents] using video, they should be on the most powerful platforms in the world, which at the moment, are Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and YouTube.”
With 51,000 likes across all his videos, Mr Durieux’s goal is to one day sell property directly through social media, but for now, he aims to continue producing entertaining and educational content about South Brisbane property.
“I look very closely at the US – they are just a step ahead of us here, they’re trying things, and the things that are working very well there will work here,” Mr Durieux said.
“People are appreciating the different agent: a bit of humour, a bit of trend, just not your everyday salesperson.
“I think for me, we’re just going to get crazier and crazier [with our TikToks]”
Establishing his own boutique agency in September 2020, Mr Durieux has sold 66 properties in the last 12 months, with a median sold price of $828k.
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