Instagram and real estate is a relatively new combination, but with all the benefits the app presents, it's a no-brainer.

By Peter Ricci

Instagram, the free photo-sharing social network that allows users to snap photographs with their mobile devices and share them with fellow Instagram users, is the latest darling on the technological scene, and naturally, users are beginning to explore how its technology can be applied to other, interesting fields.

And as users experiment, we have begun to wonder, is Instagram and real estate a compatible pair?

Instagram and Real Estate – The New Frontier

The answer to that question, no doubt, is an emphatic YES, and we’ve got three reasons you should download Instagram as soon as you finish reading this article:

1. Exposure – Our first Instagram tip is to simply use it! Instagram’s growth, even in today’s tech age, has been sensational. It had 15 million users at the start of April, but by the end of the month, that number had grown to 50 million. Obviously, with such an enormous audience, it only makes sense as a real estate agent to get involved, especially with Instagram being free. And with Facebook having just coughed up a cool $1 billion for the app, only more users are expected to come.
2. Photography Genius – We’ve written about the value of great real estate photography before, and Instagram allows agents to take fast, free photographs and professionally edit them. Say you take an exterior photo of your newest listing using Instagram, but the photo seems to be missing something. Instagram has a number of free filters that automatically edit the image for you. For a sharper image, consider the Hudson filter; if you want something with a more exotic touch, maybe try Sierra, a filter that would make David Lean proud; or maybe you want a uniquely urban feel to the shot? consider Lo-fi; or finally, if the property is located in a green, leafy area, maybe use the aptly-named Walden filter. Using those filters, you’ll have great shots in a matter of minutes, and ones you can share with an enormous base of users.
3. Complementary Programs – Our final Instagram tip involves the many complementary features for Instagram that make it that much more valuable as a service. For instance, with “Photo Map,” you can note the location of your photos; so all those photos you just took for that property, with all those cool filters? They’ll show up on a Google map. Another program, Postagram, lets you take Instagram photos and feature them in nifty postcards. And another, Stickygram, lets you turn your photos into magnets; now how cool would that be, sending your newest, happiest homeowners a pack of magnets with photos of their new home, as one final sign of your appreciation?

Instagram is specific in what it allows users to do, yet its applications are broad enough that anyone can dive in and use the app for their own purposes. With everything we’ve highlighted in this post, only one question remains – why are you not using Instagram?!