Estate agents on Instagram: turn reel and post enquiries into booked viewings
Property reels travel. A walk-through of a Victorian terrace or a new-build flat with a view can reach thousands of people who would never have opened a property portal that day, and some of them message you: is it still available, what's the price, can I view on Saturday, is there a chain, would the landlord accept a dog. Your negotiators are out on viewings and valuations, and a DM that waits until the evening often goes to another agent's listing. An AI agent can answer from the listing details you give it, ask the questions you ask every buyer or tenant, and book viewings into the slots you set. Offers, negotiation, valuations and anything about a sale already agreed stay with a person. This playbook shows how to set that up.
Why Instagram enquiries are different from portal leads
A portal enquiry comes from someone who is already searching, with a budget and an area in mind. An Instagram enquiry often comes from someone who saw a reel, liked the kitchen and has not yet worked out whether they can buy, or whether they need to sell first. Some are serious buyers. Some are curious neighbours. Some are future vendors who want to know what their own home might be worth.
That makes the first reply more important, not less. A quick, friendly answer with the facts, followed by two or three gentle questions, separates the buyers ready to view from the people who are just looking, and turns the future vendors into valuation appointments. The agent does that consistently, at any hour, so your negotiators spend their time with the right people.
The questions to ask before a viewing
For a sale, ask the agent to find out whether the buyer has a property to sell and where they are in that process, whether they have spoken to a mortgage adviser, and when they would like to move. For a let, ask about the move-in date, how many people would live there, and whether there are pets. Keep it to the questions you would ask on the phone, one or two at a time, and in a friendly voice.
Tell the agent to treat everyone the same way. It asks every enquirer the same questions and never turns people away or treats them differently because of who they are. Where the landlord or seller has a rule, such as no pets, it states the rule from the listing and lets a negotiator handle anything beyond that.
What customers ask on Instagram
- Is the house in your last reel still available?
- What's the asking price and is it chain-free?
- Can I view on Saturday morning?
- What are the council tax band and the EPC rating?
- Would the landlord accept a small dog?
- How much do you think my flat would sell for? It's on the same street.
- Has it had any offers?
An example conversation
This illustration shows a buyer who messaged after a property reel. Names, prices and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Sam | Hi! Loved the reel of the terrace on Elm Road. Is it still available and is there a chain? |
| AI agent | Hi Sam, I'm the agency's AI agent and the team reads every chat. Yes, 12 Elm Road is still available at £325,000. The sellers have found their next home, so there is a chain above them. Do you have a property to sell yourself? |
| Sam | No, first-time buyer. I've got a mortgage in principle. |
| AI agent | That's great. We have viewings on Saturday at 10:15am or 11:45am, both with Lauren. Which would you like? |
| Sam | 10:15. Also, would they take £310k? |
| AI agent | I've booked you for 10:15am on Saturday. Lauren will be happy to talk about offers after the viewing, and I've passed your question to her so she knows. |
| Lauren | Hi Sam, Lauren here. See you Saturday at 10:15. Bring any questions about the house and we can talk through next steps afterwards. |
What the agent answers
- Whether a property is still available, from your current listings.
- Asking price or rent, bedrooms, council tax band, EPC rating and tenure, from the listing.
- Asking your standard questions for buyers or tenants.
- Booking viewings into the slots each negotiator sets.
- Sending the listing link, floor plan and brochure you have already published.
- Booking valuation appointments for people who want to sell or let.
What it always hands to you
- Every offer and every question about what the seller would accept.
- Valuations, including "what's my house worth?" questions.
- Questions about other offers, the seller's situation or anything not in the listing.
- Anything about a sale or let already agreed, including delays and surveys.
- Deposits, holding fees and referencing.
- Complaints, and messages from solicitors, surveyors or other agents.
Let reels and comments start the conversation
Comments under a property reel are often "price?" or "where is this?". Spaces can reply to Instagram comments and, when Instagram allows it, send the commenter a private reply in DMs, so the agent can answer "sent you the details" in public and share the listing in private. It does not cold-message people who liked or saved a reel. Instagram limits messages to people who have not written to you, and an interested buyer usually comments or messages first.
The Instagram limits that matter here
| Limit | Spaces limit per Instagram account |
|---|---|
| Messages | Up to 150 a day |
| Gap between messages | At least 15 seconds |
| New conversations you start | 10 an hour, 100 a day |
Instagram only lets you message someone who has not replied inside its messaging window, so replies in existing chats work best.
Set it up in an afternoon
- Write an agency note: current listings with key facts, viewing slots, the questions you ask buyers and tenants, valuation slots, and what always goes to a negotiator. There is an example below.
- Connect the agency's Instagram account in Spaces. You sign in to Instagram through a secure link and approve the connection. Turn on two-step verification on the account first.
- Connect your AI agent using the steps on our agents page. Chat apps such as Claude or ChatGPT reply when you ask them in a chat, so for replies as messages arrive use an always-on agent such as Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw or Hermes. Give it the agency note. Spaces does not connect to property software or portals, but your agent can read your listings through its own tools if you set that up. Otherwise, update the listings in the note when they change.
- Mark sold-subject-to-contract and let-agreed properties clearly in the note, so the agent never offers a viewing on one by mistake.
- Agree who picks up handed-over chats, especially offers and valuations, and how fast.
- Ask your AI agent to hold replies as drafts for the first week, and nothing goes out until you approve it. Once the answers read the way you would write them, switch drafts off for the everyday questions.
- Check message requests as well as the main inbox, because many first-time enquirers' DMs land there.
A sample agency note
Keep listings short and current. Here is the shape of a note, with example details.
AGENCY: Parkside Homes, sales and lettings. Office open Mon to Sat.
FOR SALE:
- 12 Elm Road: 3 bed terrace, £325,000, freehold, EPC D, council tax B.
Chain above. Viewings with Lauren: Sat 10:15am, 11:45am.
- Flat 4, 9 Mill Court: 2 bed, £210,000, leasehold, EPC C. SSTC, no viewings.
TO LET:
- 3 Brook Lane: 2 bed house, £1,150 a month, available 1 Feb.
Landlord: no pets. Viewings with Sunil: Thu 5pm, Sat 1pm.
BUYER QUESTIONS: property to sell? mortgage in principle? when to move?
TENANT QUESTIONS: move-in date, how many people, pets?
Ask everyone the same questions. Treat everyone the same.
VALUATIONS: book with Lauren, Tue and Fri afternoons. Never give a figure.
NEVER: discuss offers, the seller's situation, other buyers or anything
not in the listing. Hand all of these to the negotiator.Future vendors: from "what's mine worth?" to a valuation
Some of the most valuable DMs are not about your listing at all. A neighbour watches the reel of the house on their street and asks what their own home might fetch. The agent should never guess a figure, because a guess from a reel can upset a future client and set the wrong expectation. Instead, it thanks them, says that a valuation depends on things only a visit can show, and books one.
Give it a simple line, such as "Every home is different inside, so Lauren would love to come and see yours. Valuations are free and take about 30 minutes. Would Tuesday or Friday afternoon suit?" Then the negotiator takes it from there.
A second example: a rental enquiry with a pet
Lettings enquiries often turn on one detail. Names and details are examples.
| Who | Message |
|---|---|
| Megan | Hi, is the house on Brook Lane still available? We have a small cat. |
| AI agent | Hi Megan. 3 Brook Lane is available from 1 February at £1,150 a month. The landlord has said no pets for this property, I'm sorry. I've passed your message to Sunil in lettings in case anything changes, and he can tell you about other homes we have coming up that do accept pets. |
| Sunil | Hi Megan, Sunil here. We have a pet-friendly two-bed coming on next week. Shall I send it to you first? |
The agent stated the landlord's rule from the listing, did not argue or make exceptions, and handed over so a person could offer an alternative.
Common mistakes estate agents make
- Leaving sold or let-agreed properties in the note, so the agent books viewings on them.
- Letting it discuss offers, other buyers or "what the seller would take".
- Letting it guess a valuation from a reel or photos.
- DMing everyone who liked a reel. Answer the people who comment or message.
- Asking different enquirers different questions. Use the same questions for everyone.
Who you message
In short
For an independent estate or letting agent, an AI agent on Instagram answers listing facts, asks your standard questions and books viewings and valuations from the DMs your reels bring in. Offers, valuations, other buyers and anything after a sale is agreed stay with a negotiator.
Keep the listings current, ask everyone the same questions and check message requests. Spaces paces every message and keeps the account inside safe limits, but no tool can promise Instagram will never restrict an account, so keep the agent to people who message you first.
Pricing
FAQ
Can the agent book viewings?
Yes, into the slots each negotiator sets in the note. It offers a couple of times and books the one the enquirer picks. If your agent can reach your property software through its own tools, it can read live diaries instead.
Will it tell people about offers?
No. Questions about offers, other buyers and what the seller would accept always go to a negotiator. The agent says the negotiator will talk about offers and passes the message on.
Can it give a valuation?
No. It explains that a valuation needs a visit and books one with a negotiator. A figure guessed from a reel can set the wrong expectation.
How does it qualify buyers?
It asks the same few questions you would ask on the phone, such as whether they have a property to sell and whether they have a mortgage in principle. It asks everyone the same questions and never turns people away because of who they are.
Does it reply to comments on reels?
Spaces can reply to Instagram comments and, when Instagram allows it, send the commenter a private reply in DMs. A short public reply with the details in a DM keeps the conversation going.
Can it message people who saved a listing?
Instagram limits messages to people who have not written to you, and cold messages put the account at risk. Let the agent answer the people who comment or message, which is where serious buyers usually start.
Does it work for lettings too?
Yes. Give it rent, availability dates and the landlord's rules for each property, and the tenant questions you ask. Holding fees, referencing and deposits stay with a person.
Can negotiators still reply from the app?
Yes. When a negotiator replies in a chat, the agent stays out of it until the chat is handed back.