# Real estate social media glossary

> What a reel, story, carousel, card, safe zone or aspect ratio is. The words used when posting listings on social media, explained in one line each.

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”.


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Original page: https://resaltalo.com/en/real-estate-marketing-glossary · Updated: 2026-11-01 · Resaltalo Team (https://resaltalo.com/en/team)