🚀 Key Takeaways
- Thanksgiving is the best holiday for authentic engagement.
- Focus on 'Gratitude' and 'Community' rather than sales.
- The 'Pie Giveaway' is a classic lead magnet for a reason.
- Share personal traditions to humanize your brand.
Holiday Post Types: Engagement vs. Effort
| Post Type | Effort Level | Engagement Potential |
|---|---|---|
| Generic 'Happy Thanksgiving' Graphic | Low | Low (Ignored) |
| Personal Family Photo | Medium | High (Likes & Comments) |
| Local Charity Spotlight | Medium | High (Shares & Saves) |
| Client Pie Giveaway Event | High | Massive (Leads & Referrals) |
📑 Table of Contents
Should Real Estate Agents Post on Thanksgiving?
Yes - Thanksgiving posts humanize your brand and maintain visibility during high-engagement holiday weeks. Posts should be 80% gratitude/community, 20% subtle business to avoid appearing salesy during family-focused time.
Breakdown:
- Gratitude post: Thank clients and community (highest engagement)
- Team appreciation: Behind-the-scenes, staff highlights
- Community support: Local charity work, food drives
- Market insight: "Grateful for strong market" with stats
- Soft CTA: "Grateful to help you find home" (non-salesy)
ROI: Thanksgiving posts get 2-3x higher engagement than regular posts due to emotional resonance. Agents posting holiday content see 45% higher brand recall in December/January.
📊 Source: Hootsuite Holiday Marketing Report, 2024
- 1. The Market Myth-Buster Reel
- 2. The "Shop Local" Lead Magnet
- 3. The Actionable "Hosting Tips" Video
- 4. The Sincere Thanksgiving Day Greeting
- 5. The High-Engagement "Community Debate"
- Here are my 4 quick tips to make it work:
- Hashtag Strategy for Thanksgiving Content
- Hashtag Strategy for Thanksgiving Content
- Related reading
Get 30+ Free Real Estate Templates
Jumpstart your next 60 days of social content, email follow-up, and listing prep. Download the free bundle below.
Related: A Real Estate Agent's Playbook for Building Real Relationships on Social Media
November arrives and the instinct is to slow down. But while your competitors go silent, the smartest agents use Thanksgiving as a strategic season to nurture their network and build a powerful pipeline for Q1.
Don't guess what to post. Here are the five strategic posts you should have in your content calendar this month to build trust, generate leads, and stay top-of-mind. Each one is designed for maximum impact and can be created in minutes with our new Thanksgiving Collection.
1. The Market Myth-Buster Reel
When to Post: Early November
Why It Works: This post immediately establishes your authority. You're not just a salesperson; you're a market strategist. By confidently debunking the myth that the holidays are a "bad time to sell," you attract the most serious and motivated clients who are ready to act.
Your Tool: The Market Myth-Buster Reel. This template breaks down the core advantages of the holiday market—lower inventory and more motivated buyers—in a quick, shareable video that positions you as the expert.
Example Script You Can Use:
"Myth: The holidays are a bad time to sell. Truth: November and December sellers have a HUGE advantage. Less competition means more eyeballs on your listing. Plus, holiday buyers are SERIOUS—they're not just browsing. If you've been waiting for the 'right time,' this is it. Let's talk strategy."
How to Customize This Post:
- Add your local market data—how many listings are active now vs. September?
- Share a recent success story of a holiday sale to prove the point
- Use your own voice—if you're more data-driven, lead with stats; if you're storytelling-focused, share a client testimonial
Example Script You Can Use:
"Myth: The holidays are a bad time to sell. Truth: November and December sellers have a HUGE advantage. Less competition means more eyeballs on your listing. Plus, holiday buyers are SERIOUS—they're not just browsing. If you've been waiting for the 'right time,' this is it. Let's talk strategy."
How to Customize This Post:
- Add your local market data—how many listings are active now vs. September?
- Share a recent success story of a holiday sale to prove the point
- Use your own voice—if you're more data-driven, lead with stats; if you're storytelling-focused, share a client testimonial
2. The "Shop Local" Lead Magnet
When to Post: Mid-November
Why It Works: This is how you generate leads without being salesy. By creating a valuable guide to a local favorite—like the best bakeries for Thanksgiving pies—you become a community insider. Offering the full guide in exchange for a DM is a simple, effective way to start conversations and build your list.
Your Tool: The Thanksgiving Pie Guide Carousel. It's a proven lead magnet that provides genuine value, supports other local businesses, and generates massive goodwill.
Example Script You Can Use:
"Thanksgiving prep starts NOW. I just put together the ultimate guide to [Your City]'s best bakeries for pies this season—from classic pumpkin to show-stopping pecan. Want the full list with addresses and insider tips? Just comment PIE or send me a DM and I'll get it to you!"
Why This Lead Magnet Works So Well:
According to Instagram engagement data, carousel posts with local guides see 3-5x more saves than standard posts. When someone saves your content, the algorithm shows them more of your posts in the future. Plus, DMing for the guide moves the relationship off social media and into your CRM, where you control the conversation.
How to Customize This Post:
- Swap pies for anything seasonal: best turkey farms, florists for centerpieces, wine shops, etc.
- Partner with one of the featured businesses—they'll often share your post, multiplying your reach
- Create a simple PDF guide in Canva (10 minutes) to send via DM
Example Script You Can Use:
"Thanksgiving prep starts NOW. I just put together the ultimate guide to [Your City]'s best bakeries for pies this season—from classic pumpkin to show-stopping pecan. Want the full list with addresses and insider tips? Just comment PIE or send me a DM and I'll get it to you!"
Why This Lead Magnet Works So Well:
According to Instagram engagement data, carousel posts with local guides see 3-5x more saves than standard posts. When someone saves your content, the algorithm shows them more of your posts in the future. Plus, DMing for the guide moves the relationship off social media and into your CRM, where you control the conversation.
How to Customize This Post:
- Swap pies for anything seasonal: best turkey farms, florists for centerpieces, wine shops, etc.
- Partner with one of the featured businesses—they'll often share your post, multiplying your reach
- Create a simple PDF guide in Canva (10 minutes) to send via DM
3. The Actionable "Hosting Tips" Video
When to Post: The week of Thanksgiving
Why It Works: This content gets SAVED. As your audience prepares to host guests, a Reel with simple, actionable tips on making their home guest-ready is incredibly valuable. It positions you as a helpful resource for all things home, not just transactions.
Your Tool: The Guest-Ready Tips Reel. Share 3-4 easy hacks for hosting. This is a quick win that keeps your brand top-of-mind in a helpful, non-intrusive way.
Example Script You Can Use:
"Hosting family this Thanksgiving? Here are 3 quick tricks to make your home guest-ready in 20 minutes: 1) Light a seasonal candle 30 minutes before guests arrive 2) Put fresh hand towels in every bathroom 3) Clear ALL countertops in the kitchen. Your home will feel 10x more welcoming. Try it!"
Why This Content Gets Saved:
Posts that solve immediate, practical problems get saved at 4x the rate of promotional content. When your followers save this Reel, they're signaling to Instagram that your content is valuable—which means your future posts get more reach. You're training the algorithm to favor you.
How to Customize This Post:
- Film a quick walk-through of your own home showing these tips in action
- Add a fourth tip specific to your climate (fireplace prep, patio setup, etc.)
- End with "What's your #1 hosting hack?" to drive comments
Example Script You Can Use:
"Hosting family this Thanksgiving? Here are 3 quick tricks to make your home guest-ready in 20 minutes: 1) Light a seasonal candle 30 minutes before guests arrive 2) Put fresh hand towels in every bathroom 3) Clear ALL countertops in the kitchen. Your home will feel 10x more welcoming. Try it!"
Why This Content Gets Saved:
Posts that solve immediate, practical problems get saved at 4x the rate of promotional content. When your followers save this Reel, they're signaling to Instagram that your content is valuable—which means your future posts get more reach. You're training the algorithm to favor you.
How to Customize This Post:
- Film a quick walk-through of your own home showing these tips in action
- Add a fourth tip specific to your climate (fireplace prep, patio setup, etc.)
- End with "What's your #1 hosting hack?" to drive comments
4. The Sincere Thanksgiving Day Greeting
When to Post: Thanksgiving Day
Why It Works: Today, all business talk stops. A simple, elegant, and heartfelt message of gratitude is the most powerful marketing you can do. It's a non-transactional touchpoint that builds a genuine personal connection with your entire sphere.
Your Tool: The Elegant Thanksgiving Day Greeting Posts. These templates are designed to be clean and sincere, conveying a simple message of thanks without any hint of a sales pitch.
Example Script You Can Use:
"Grateful for you today. Wishing you and yours a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with good food, great company, and all the warmth of home. 🧡"
Why Simplicity Wins on Thanksgiving:
On Thanksgiving Day, social media feeds are flooded with gratitude posts. The agents who try too hard—with over-designed graphics or veiled CTAs—actually damage their brand. The most effective Thanksgiving posts are the simplest. A clean design, a heartfelt message, and nothing else. Your followers will remember how you made them feel, not what you sold.
Example Script You Can Use:
"Grateful for you today. Wishing you and yours a beautiful Thanksgiving filled with good food, great company, and all the warmth of home. 🧡"
Why Simplicity Wins on Thanksgiving:
On Thanksgiving Day, social media feeds are flooded with gratitude posts. The agents who try too hard—with over-designed graphics or veiled CTAs—actually damage their brand. The most effective Thanksgiving posts are the simplest. A clean design, a heartfelt message, and nothing else. Your followers will remember how you made them feel, not what you sold.
5. The High-Engagement "Community Debate"
When to Post: Thanksgiving Weekend
Why It Works: After the holiday, people are relaxing and scrolling. A fun, low-stakes debate is the perfect way to spark a flood of comments and engagement. Everyone has an opinion on pumpkin vs. apple pie or canned vs. homemade cranberry sauce.
Your Tool: The Great Thanksgiving Debate Reels. These animated templates are designed to be bright, fun, and eye-catching, making it easy for your followers to jump into the conversation.
Example Debate Ideas:
- "The Great Thanksgiving Debate: Pumpkin pie or apple pie? Comment your vote below! 🥧"
- "Settle this: Canned cranberry sauce or homemade? I need to know where you stand."
- "Turkey carved in the kitchen or at the table? Let's hear your family tradition!"
Why Debate Posts Drive Massive Engagement:
Instagram's algorithm prioritizes posts with high comment velocity—the speed at which comments arrive in the first hour. Debate posts trigger instant opinions because they're low-stakes, fun, and tap into personal traditions. A single debate post can generate 50-100+ comments, which tells Instagram your content is interesting and pushes it to more feeds.
How to Customize This Post:
- Poll your own audience—ask on Stories what debate they want to see
- Reply to EVERY comment in the first hour to keep the conversation going
- Repost the funniest responses to your Stories (with permission) to show appreciation and keep engagement high
Example Debate Ideas:
- "The Great Thanksgiving Debate: Pumpkin pie or apple pie? Comment your vote below! 🥧"
- "Settle this: Canned cranberry sauce or homemade? I need to know where you stand."
- "Turkey carved in the kitchen or at the table? Let's hear your family tradition!"
Why Debate Posts Drive Massive Engagement:
Instagram's algorithm prioritizes posts with high comment velocity—the speed at which comments arrive in the first hour. Debate posts trigger instant opinions because they're low-stakes, fun, and tap into personal traditions. A single debate post can generate 50-100+ comments, which tells Instagram your content is interesting and pushes it to more feeds.
How to Customize This Post:
- Poll your own audience—ask on Stories what debate they want to see
- Reply to EVERY comment in the first hour to keep the conversation going
- Repost the funniest responses to your Stories (with permission) to show appreciation and keep engagement high
Here are my 4 quick tips to make it work:
- Plan Your Pillars. Your content should rotate between demonstrating Expertise, celebrating Community, providing Value, and showing Gratitude. This list gives you a template for each.
- Batch Your Content. Use our templates to create your entire month of Thanksgiving content in a single afternoon. This saves you dozens of hours and ensures you stay consistent.
- Engage Authentically. The template is the start. Personalize the captions with your own voice. When people comment on your "debate" post, reply and have fun with it. The goal is to start conversations.
- Use Hashtags Strategically. Combine local hashtags (#YourCityRealEstate) with seasonal ones (#ThanksgivingReal Estate, #HolidayHomeTips) to maximize reach. Save your best-performing hashtag sets and reuse them.
- Provide a Clear Call to Action. Guide your audience. A simple "DM me for the full guide" or "What's your favorite?" encourages the interaction that builds relationships.
Hashtag Strategy for Thanksgiving Content
The right hashtags can double your reach. For Thanksgiving content, use a mix of three categories:
- Local hashtags: #YourCityRealEstate, #YourCityHomes, #YourCityAgents (these connect you with nearby prospects)
- Seasonal hashtags: #ThanksgivingRealEstate, #HolidayHomeTips, #FallHomeMarket, #NovemberListings (these tap into seasonal search trends)
- Evergreen real estate hashtags: #RealEstateAgent, #RealtorLife, #HomeForSale, #RealEstateTips (these maintain your general visibility)
Pro tip: Test your hashtags by searching them on Instagram. If they have 50K-500K posts, they're in the sweet spot—popular enough to get traction, but not so saturated that your post disappears instantly.
Hashtag Strategy for Thanksgiving Content
The right hashtags can double your reach. For Thanksgiving content, use a mix of three categories:
- Local hashtags: #YourCityRealEstate, #YourCityHomes, #YourCityAgents (these connect you with nearby prospects)
- Seasonal hashtags: #ThanksgivingRealEstate, #HolidayHomeTips, #FallHomeMarket, #NovemberListings (these tap into seasonal search trends)
- Evergreen real estate hashtags: #RealEstateAgent, #RealtorLife, #HomeForSale, #RealEstateTips (these maintain your general visibility)
Frequently Asked Questions
Should real estate agents post on Thanksgiving Day?
Yes, but keep it simple and heartfelt. Thanksgiving posts should be 80% gratitude, 20% business—focus on thanking clients, community, and team rather than promoting listings. Post early morning (before family events) with a warm message and family photo or community image. Thanksgiving posts get 2-3x higher engagement than regular posts due to emotional resonance.
What types of Thanksgiving content work best for real estate agents?
Top performers: 1) Gratitude posts thanking clients and community (highest engagement), 2) Team appreciation highlighting staff and partners, 3) Community support showcasing charity work or food drives, 4) Market gratitude ('Grateful for strong market' with stats), 5) Soft CTAs like 'Grateful to help you find home.' Avoid hard sales—this is relationship-building time.
How can real estate agents stay professional while posting holiday content?
Balance authenticity with professionalism: 1) Keep personal photos tasteful (family photos without alcohol or controversial elements), 2) Tie gratitude to your business (thank clients without being salesy), 3) Use branded templates to maintain visual consistency, 4) Avoid political or religious content, 5) Include subtle business context ('Grateful for 42 families helped this year') without hard CTAs.
When should real estate agents schedule Thanksgiving posts?
Post timeline: 1) Week before Thanksgiving: Market update + gratitude teaser, 2) Monday-Wednesday: Community support/charity content, 3) Thanksgiving morning (8-10am): Main gratitude post, 4) Black Friday: Lighthearted 'shopping for homes' content, 5) Weekend: Market recap or year-end reflection. Spread 5 posts across the week—don't go silent for 7 days.
Can real estate agents promote listings during Thanksgiving week?
Lightly—but don't lead with sales. If posting a listing, frame it with gratitude: 'Grateful to represent this beautiful home' or 'Thankful for another family finding their dream home.' Keep promotional content to 1-2 posts max during Thanksgiving week. Focus on relationship-building—you'll convert goodwill into January/February listings.
What's the ROI of Thanksgiving social media posts for real estate agents?
Thanksgiving posts deliver long-term ROI through brand recall and emotional connection. Agents posting holiday content see 45% higher brand recall in December/January when spring buyers start searching. These posts also boost engagement rates (2-3x higher likes/comments), which improves algorithm performance for future posts. It's relationship investment, not immediate lead generation.
Should real estate agents include family photos in Thanksgiving posts?
Yes—authentic family photos humanize your brand and build trust. Best practices: 1) Keep photos professional (good lighting, nice backgrounds), 2) Avoid controversial elements (alcohol, political items), 3) Get family consent before posting, 4) Balance family posts with client/community content, 5) Use branded templates to maintain business context. Family photos in holiday posts get 40% higher engagement.
How do real estate agents make Thanksgiving posts stand out?
Differentiate with specificity: Instead of generic 'Happy Thanksgiving,' share specific gratitude: '42 families helped find homes,' 'Grateful for our 5-star team,' '$2,500 raised for local food bank.' Use video (30-second gratitude Reel), add client testimonials, or create carousel posts with team photos. Specificity beats generic—and generates 3x more engagement.
Pro tip: Test your hashtags by searching them on Instagram. If they have 50K-500K posts, they're in the sweet spot—popular enough to get traction, but not so saturated that your post disappears instantly.
This Thanksgiving, you can go quiet and hope for a busy spring, or you can execute a plan that guarantees you start the new year with a pipeline of warm, trusting clients.