Is anyone using social media to generate broker leads? What's actually working?

Shawn, I've been doing LinkedIn content for 18 months. Here's my honest data: - 2,400 followers (mostly investors and other brokers) - About 3-4 inbound inquiries per month from LinkedIn - Closed 7 deals directly attributed to LinkedIn in 18 months - Average deal size from LinkedIn: $380k Is it my best ROI channel? No. But it compounds over time and builds credibility. I'd say it's worth 2-3 hours per week if you're consistent.

LinkedIn yes. TikTok no. Know your audience.

i've been posting on instagram for 6 months and got exactly 0 deals from it lol. maybe i'm doing it wrong but i'm done wasting time on it

LinkedIn is the only social platform worth your time in this business. Period. And even then, it's a long game.

ok so linkedin it is. thanks everyone. gonna start posting 3x a week and see what happens

@Shawn — consistency is everything. 3x/week is good. Focus on educational content (explain bridge loans, DSCR, etc.) not promotional. Investors respond to people who teach them things.

Look, LinkedIn can work, but it's not a magic bullet, especially for hard money. We're not selling lifestyle. We're selling speed and solutions for complex deals. I've found direct outreach and referral networks far more effective than hoping a post goes viral. My best leads come from commercial brokers, title reps, and other lenders who can't close a deal fast enough or have a borrower with credit issues. Focus on building those relationships. A quick phone call explaining how we can fund a $500k fix-and-flip in 7-10 days, or a $2M commercial bridge on a tight timeline, that's what gets attention. Posting educational content is fine, but don't mistake likes for leads. Real deals come from real conversations, not just scrolling.

Honestly, for hard money, social media isn't our primary lead gen. We're not selling lifestyle, we're solving problems fast. My best leads come from real estate attorneys, title companies, and other brokers who hit a brick wall with conventional lenders. They know when a deal needs speed and flexibility over rate. For example, a client just needed $1.2M on a commercial property with a 3-day close because their conventional lender fell through. No time for Instagram DMs there. We closed it, 10% interest, 2 points. The attorney who referred him got a piece of the action and now sends us 2-3 deals a month. That's where the real ROI is for us – building those direct referral networks. Focus on being the go-to solution for those 'impossible' deals.

This is a great question, and I've spent a fair bit of time analyzing this for Russo Mortgage Advisors. For CRE, multifamily, and bridge, social media *can* be effective, but it requires a very specific strategy, and it’s not a direct sales channel in the way it might be for consumer goods. We've seen the most traction on LinkedIn, not for direct lead gen from cold posts, but for establishing authority and nurturing existing relationships. I share case studies – for example, how we structured a 75% LTC bridge loan for a distressed multifamily acquisition, or a complex ground-up construction deal with 80% LTC. These posts get engagement from other brokers, developers, and even some equity partners who then reach out directly or refer clients. Our data shows that about 15% of our new client inquiries over the last 12 months had some prior engagement with our LinkedIn content. It's not a cold lead generator, but a powerful trust-builder and referral amplifier. Instagram and TikTok are less effective for our niche; the ROI just isn't there compared to the time investment. Focus on LinkedIn for thought leadership and relationship building.

This is a great question, and frankly, it's a mixed bag for us at Reeves Capital. For hard money and bridge, direct social media lead gen for brokers isn't our strongest channel. We've tried Instagram ads targeting 'real estate investors' and 'brokers' – spent about $5k over 3 months, saw a decent click-through rate, but the quality of the broker leads was low. Mostly newer agents or those without a strong pipeline of distressed assets or value-add projects that fit our criteria (e.g., 65% LTV on a fix-and-flip, or 70% LTC on ground-up construction). Our sweet spot is experienced brokers who understand our 12-14% rates and 2-3 points aren't for every deal. We get our best broker referrals from direct outreach to commercial mortgage brokers, real estate attorneys, and even other lenders who can't fund a deal for whatever reason. LinkedIn can be good for networking with these types, but it's more about building relationships than direct lead capture. Focus on where the *right* brokers are already looking for solutions, not just where everyone else is posting.

Miles Underwood, Underwood Lending here. On social for lead gen, I'm with Leon and Cynthia. For hard money, it's not our primary driver. Our deals are asset-based, often time-sensitive, and usually come from relationships. Think real estate agents, other brokers who can't close, or contractors needing fast capital for a flip. We're talking 7-10 day closes, not 30-60. You won't find a developer needing $2M for a ground-up build scrolling TikTok for a lender. Our best leads come from direct referrals from title companies, attorneys, and other lenders who know we can close when they can't. We've seen a 3-5% conversion rate from direct referrals, versus less than 0.5% from any social media ad spend. Focus on building those direct networks; that's where the real deals are for hard money.

Good question. For residential bridge, fix & flip, and DSCR, I've had mixed results. LinkedIn is where I've seen the most traction, especially for DSCR investors. I've connected with out-of-state investors who found me through posts about specific DSCR scenarios, like a 1.15 DSCR deal in a tertiary market. I've closed two DSCR loans this year directly from LinkedIn connections, totaling about $900k. Instagram is tougher. I get a lot of tire-kickers or people just starting out. I've used it more for brand building and showing off closed deals, which might lead to referrals down the line, but not direct leads. For fix & flip, my best leads still come from real estate agents and title companies who see me as a reliable funding source. Social media can supplement, but it's not replacing those direct relationships for me yet. Are others seeing better conversion rates on Instagram for residential loans?

This is a super timely thread. I'm Dwayne Payne from Payne Capital Partners, still pretty new to this, about 2 years in. I've been dabbling with LinkedIn and Instagram, and honestly, it's been a grind. I spent a good chunk of time trying to build an Instagram presence for fix-and-flip leads, posting project updates and market insights. I probably put in 5-10 hours a week for a few months. The direct lead conversion? Zero. Not a single deal came directly from an Instagram DM or profile link. LinkedIn has been a bit better, but still not a floodgate. I connected with a few out-of-state investors for DSCR loans, and one actually closed a $450k deal with us last month. That was a direct message connection. So, 1 deal out of maybe 50 targeted connections. It feels like it's more about building credibility and being discoverable than active lead gen. Are others seeing similar ratios? I'm curious if I'm just not doing it right, or if it's really this slow burn.