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Curaytor
ISSUE 021 · AUGUST 27, 2026
YOUR WEEKLY MARKETING PULSE
CURAYTOR’S
AGENT
HOUR
AUGUST 27, 2026
3-minute read • Real estate marketing intel
Welcome to Curaytor’s Agent Hour. Every week, we bring you one marketing idea to use, one social post we liked, and the social media and real estate updates that matter to your business.
■ FROM US
Write an email someone can answer in five seconds
When was the last time someone replied to one of your database emails?
If it’s been a while, look at the question you’re asking. “Let us know if we can help” sounds friendly. It also asks the reader to decide what they need, how to explain it, and whether they should reply at all.
Choose one group in your database and ask a question you can act on. For buyers who pressed pause, try: “Are you still looking, or should we pause your search for now?” For homeowners, ask: “Would it be helpful if we sent you an updated home value?”
Their answer tells you what to do next and gives you a natural reason to keep the conversation going.
■ COOL INSTAGRAM POST WE SAW
Ray Little’s introduction carousel on Instagram
@rayltor on Instagram
Ray Little’s introduction carousel starts with, “Yes, I’m taller than you expected.” That line was enough to make us swipe.
We won’t give away everything he shares, but the final slide is just as good: “17 years in, and I still answer my own phone.”
If your introduction post is overdue, see how Ray made his personal, memorable, and easy to keep reading.
See Ray’s post
■ WHAT’S NEW IN SOCIAL
01
Meta is testing comment-to-DM automation for Instagram ads
Meta is testing a new “Reply to Keywords” option for Instagram ads. Advertisers can choose up to five words or phrases, and when someone includes one in a comment, Instagram sends them a private message.
That message can include a link, phone number, or email address. An agent could ask people to comment “GUIDE” for a relocation guide, “LIST” for available homes, or “OPEN HOUSE” for event details.
Because the feature is still being tested, you may not see it in every account. The previews so far are limited to Instagram ads, and each keyword appears to receive the same message. Before you publish, make sure the automated reply delivers exactly what the ad promised.
Sources: Jon Loomer and Social Media Today, August 25
02
Instagram can make the first draft of your Reel
Instagram’s new First Draft feature takes the video clips you select, trims pauses, chooses sections, and puts them together in an editable Reel.
Once the draft is ready, you can rearrange the clips, change the cuts, or undo any of Instagram’s choices before you publish.
Try it after a listing tour, neighborhood visit, open house, or any day when you’ve collected plenty of footage. From there, review the opening, check every property detail, add your text, and give people a clear next step.
Source: Instagram via Social Media Today, August 25
03
META
Meta may give advertisers less control over placements
Some advertisers are being notified that Meta plans to remove the option to exclude individual ad placements and platforms. Meta’s automated system would decide whether an ad appears in Feed, Stories, Reels, or another available placement.
If that happens, an ad created for the Feed may also need to work in a vertical Story or Reel. Important text could be cropped, and a video that relies on sound may be difficult to understand.
Meta hasn’t announced when the change will take effect. For now, preview every placement before you publish, keep important text away from the edges, and make sure your message is clear with the sound off.
Source: Meta via Social Media Today, August 20
■ BY THE NUMBERS
14%
Fourteen percent of U.S. home-purchase agreements were canceled in July. That’s the highest share since November 2023 and a slight increase from 13.7% in June.
The longer view adds some context. Redfin reports that cancellations have stayed between 13% and 14% for the past four years.
Still, a deal can come apart when an inspection uncovers a problem, an appraisal comes in low, financing changes, or a seller and buyer can’t agree on concessions. Prepare clients for those conversations early, confirm financing before important deadlines, and discuss backup offers before anyone needs one.
Source: Redfin, August 21
60.1%
During the second quarter of 2026, 60.1% of online listing views from shoppers in the 100 largest metros went to homes outside their own metro. That’s up from 59.1% last year and 48.2% in 2019.
These are listing views rather than completed purchases, but they show how often buyers are exploring other cities.
If you work with relocation buyers, help them get to know your area before they visit. Along with listings, share neighborhood guides, commute information, cost-of-living comparisons, and detailed video tours that answer the questions someone can’t learn from the property photos.
Source: Realtor.com, August 25
1.14
MILLION
Active U.S. listings reached 1.14 million during the week ending August 22. That’s 4% higher than last year and the highest level since December 2019.
Inventory is still below pre-pandemic levels nationally, although 16 of the 50 largest metros now have more homes available than they did before the pandemic.
Use the national number to open the conversation, then show people what’s happening locally. Inventory, days on market, price reductions, and buyer competition will explain whether people in your area have more choices, more negotiating room, or both.
Source: Realtor.com, August 27
■ WORTH KNOWING
MARKETING PLAN
Start the week knowing what you’re marketing
How much time did you spend this week deciding what to post, email, or promote?
Curaytor’s Marketing Plan gives you a clear place to start, with timely campaigns, social graphics, email copy, video scripts, and creative assets ready to use.
Start with the plan, then add your listings, local knowledge, client stories, and point of view. You’ll know what you’re marketing each week and have the materials to get it published.
If you’d like help putting a weekly marketing plan in place, reach out to us.
Ask us about the Marketing Plan
PASS IT ON
Know an agent who’d find this useful?
If an agent came to mind while you were reading, send this their way. Agent Hour goes out every Thursday, and they can subscribe below.
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