Real estate social media glossary
Resaltalo Team · Reviewed on November 1, 2026
The words used most when posting listings on social media, explained in one line each. Useful to brief a designer, read an Instagram insight or pick the right format.
Formats
- Reel: short vertical video (9:16) on Instagram and Facebook; the format that gives a listing the most reach today.
- Story: vertical photo or video that lasts 24 hours; good for quick news like an open house or a price drop.
- Carousel: post with several images people swipe through; ideal to show a property room by room.
- Flyer: image with the main photo, price and key details; used in the feed, in messaging groups and in print.
- Card: simple image with a short message (for example “Sold” or “New price”), with the agent’s brand.
- Property sheet: web page or PDF with every photo and detail, to send to a prospect.
- Short: short vertical YouTube video, the equivalent of a reel.
Design
- Aspect ratio: proportion between width and height: 9:16 is full vertical, 4:5 is feed vertical, 16:9 is landscape.
- Safe zone: center area of a reel or story where the app does not cover anything with buttons or text.
- Cover: image shown before a video plays or a carousel opens; it decides whether people open it.
- Watermark: semi-transparent logo or text over a piece so it is not used without permission.
Metrics
- Reach: number of different people who saw a post.
- Impressions: number of times a post was shown, counting repeats.
- Engagement: likes, comments, saves and shares added together.
- Retention: how much of a video people watch before leaving; in a reel, the first seconds decide almost everything.
- Inquiry: a message from someone interested in the property; the metric that really matters.
Real estate
- Listing: a property published on a portal or a website.
- Real estate portal: website where agents and owners list properties for sale or rent.
- Exclusive listing: agreement under which a single agent or agency markets the property.
- Valuation: estimate of a property’s value based on similar ones nearby.
- Call to action: line that says what to do after seeing the piece, like “Message me to book a visit”.