Commercial Realtors® Leverage Social Media

For many Realtors®, social media plays a vital role in establishing their brand, marketing their listings and networking with various types of connections. However, leveraging social media isn’t just for Realtors® in the residential sector – more commercial Realtors® are also using it to their advantage. 

Here are two Pennsylvania commercial real estate agents using their influence online to further their businesses. 

Heather Kreiger, CCIM on LinkedIn 

Heather Kreiger shares how she uses LinkedIn to her professional advantage as a commercial agent. She has previously served as president of the Realtors® Association of York & Adams Counties, president of the Lancaster County Association of Realtors®’ Commercial and Industrial Council and president of CCIM PA/NJ/DE. 

Why did she choose LinkedIn? 

“For commercial real estate, LinkedIn is where the right people are already gathered, like owners, occupiers, investors, brokers and other decision makers,” she says. “It made sense to show up where my clients and peers were already spending their time.”  

Kreiger has been on LinkedIn for over 15 years, but notes that for the past five, she’s been more intentional about using it as a professional tool rather than just a digital resume.  

“The way I see it, LinkedIn is like standing at the 50-yard line in a football stadium full of a captive, relevant audience and having the microphone,” she envisions. “When I share market insights, research or commentary, I’m not shouting into the void. I am speaking directly to the people who can actually use that information.” 

“LinkedIn has had a direct, tangible impact on my career. The reason I am in my current role is because of the visibility I built there. It got the attention of the right people at my current company and opened the door to an opportunity that may not have appeared through traditional channels.” 

Kreiger credits the platform with helping her connect with various people across different landscapes, as well as with building a personal and recognizable brand. She currently has just under 6,000 LinkedIn followers, and she’s been named a Commercial Real Estate Influencer by CREi for four consecutive years – an honor that has helped broaden her visibility and led to more opportunities and relationships. 

What’s one tip Kreiger would share with her fellow commercial real estate agents online? 

“If I had to boil it down to one thing: consistency beats intensity,” she says. “You don’t need to post every day or become a full-time content creator. You do need to be clear about what you want to be known for, the personal brand you are trying to build, and then show up regularly with content that supports that.” 

“You could post once per week and still be surprised by the impact, especially in commercial real estate, where many professionals still aren’t using social media strategically. The key is to treat it like a long-term business development strategy, not a one-month experiment.” 

She also reminds agents that every platform is different, and all of them reward different types of content and behavior. It’s important to understand how your platform of choice works and how its algorithm surfaces content.  

“Be real. Be you,” Kreiger says. “Your audience will respond to your authentic personality.” 

Dominic Janidas, CCIM on Instagram 

Dominic Janidas, CCIM, a past president of the Realtors® Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh and another past president of CCIM PA/NJ/DE, echoes the importance of authenticity, but his social media of choice is Instagram. 

“It wasn’t so much of a decision as it was just a ‘norm’ for me as a millennial,” Janidas says of his professional social media presence. “We got so used to posting everything about our lives 24/7 that it just became part of our culture and everyday life. So, when I stepped into full-time real estate practice almost 12 years ago, I simply introduced real estate more and more into my daily social media routine.” 

“I found that being the most genuine version of myself – while also proving to be a professional and an authority in my chosen career – went a lot further because it showed I had a life outside of my profession, but I was also out there grinding.” 

Although he doesn’t have thousands and thousands of followers, Janidas believes that staying as genuine as possible is the key to success.  

“With there being lots of real estate agents in the field, how many market updates can one potential client hear from a million other agents all saying the same thing?” he poses. “You can easily get lost in the noise and saturation very quickly. We can all post about how many closings we have had, or why we are the best at what we do, but it’s the difference between marketing and public relations: telling people you are great to work with versus showing them.” 

“In my opinion, what’s helped me stand out and earn clients through platforms like Instagram is that I have a non-robotic approach to my content. I don’t only post about real estate, but I also post about other things in my life – spin class and fitness, going to concerts, spending time with friends and family, etc. The beautiful thing about social media is you can control the content that people see. If you are a more private person and don’t want to post your family life, no problem! Maybe post about your hobbies instead.” 

Janidas credits this online strategy with helping him earn and keep long-lasting relationships in the industry, adding, “It’s just me being a person living in the world, who is also a commercial real estate broker.” 

What’s his advice to other commercial Realtors®? 

“Just be yourself. You can be a commercial real estate professional and a relatable person at the same time. Your content can reflect real estate news, market updates and your successes in the industry, while also posting about your family, what you had for lunch at your new favorite restaurant and if you hit a new PR at the gym.” 

“Don’t try too hard to be anything other than yourself,” Janidas says. “I have had great success at gaining new commercial and investment clients through social media with this very approach, and you can too.”