Getty Images; Tyler Le/BI
Merek Greene gives plenty of home tours IRL. But when the 24-year-old luxury real estate agent decided to post a virtual tour of one of his properties on TikTok this July, he gave the video a silly, topical spin.Casting himself as a "Love Island" contestant who has just received a text about a listing, Greene describes the San Diego apartment as a new bombshell who "won't stay single for long.""He's stunning, move-in ready, and turning heads," Greene says. "Let's see if this is your perfect match." The video ends with a callout to schedule a private showing.A former theater kid and an agent with Compass in San Diego, Greene posts property tours, snippets of his daily life, dance videos, and real estate comedy sketches to his more than 19,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok. As part of a generation that grew up online, he knows that social media is a powerful tool for his career — not just for translating listings into sales, but for building his brand and reputation to attract the attention of future clients.But unlike the average agent posting self-serious slideshows of glossy listing photos, Greene is part of a cohort of Gen Z real estate agents making a name for themselves online with humor. The real estate content creators are here, and, to the chagrin of their more traditional elders, they're landing clients and making sales one joke and dance video at a time.For Greene, having a presence on social media is a way to be more relatable to prospective clients."People may think of a Realtor as an old guy in a suit — not necessarily energetic or fun," Greene told me. He wants his followers and potential clients to see that he's a real human being — one who also "just sold a $2.1 million home.""I'm building exposure," he said, comparing each video he makes to holding an open house. "I've gotten many referrals just by staying top of mind from posting. I think that's the biggest power of building your brand on social media and showing your authentic self."It's paying off: Since 2022, he has closed more than $22 million in real estate deals.
