Social media is changing faster than ever. Audiences are searching for things differently, trust is becoming harder to earn and the way we measure success is no longer solely based on likes and views.

Sophie, BR’s Senior Digital & Content Executive recently attended Social Day’s Social Media Marketing Festival. Three themes consistently appeared across the sessions, and they could shape how brands approach their social media strategies in 2026. For property businesses, where trust, reputation and long decision-making cycles are central to success, these shifts could be particularly significant.

  • Measure impact over vanity metrics
  • Search is evolving beyond traditional SEO
  • Trust wins attention

Success on social is shifting from vanity metrics to meaningful impact

The way businesses and creators define success on social media is changing. Rather than focusing on views and likes, there is now greater emphasis on meaningful impact such as reaching the right target audience and understanding how they engage with content.

Metrics such as saves, shares and engagement from the right audience are becoming more valuable than simply chasing large view counts. Looking beyond the surface-level and analysing who is interacting with your content can provide more in-depth insights into audience behaviours, helping brands and creators create more relatable content.

A video with 100,000 views sounds impressive, but if it reaches the wrong audience or doesn’t drive meaningful action, was it actually successful?

Those working across the built environment could see meaningful action translate as a prospective buyer saving a development update, a landlord sharing market insight, or an investor engaging with thought leadership content. These actions often will provide a stronger indicator of intent than views alone.

As marketers and social media experts adapt to the shifts in measuring success, it’s important social media strategies begin with clear objectives. Outlining goals early on and aligning them with metrics that are tailored to the business or campaign can help ensure content delivers real impact.

Traditional metricsMeaningful metrics
LikesSaves
ViewsShares
FollowersAudience relevance
ReachActions taken

Search behaviour is shifting – SEO is changing with it

Search is no longer a single platform journey. People aren’t relying solely on traditional search engines, instead they are discovering content through other channels, including TikTok and Reddit.

The change is reshaping how brands think about SEO and discoverability. Several speakers highlighted that Reddit was the number one cited platform across AI search engines, with LinkedIn coming in second. This highlights the importance of creating content that is relatable, valuable and searchable. PR is also a critical part of the mix, with earned media and expert-led content providing authoritative, third-party validation that AI search tools and LLMs favour when looking for information.

Keywords are still important, but they should be integrated naturally into conversations rather than simply inserted into content. People are wanting real conversations with natural language to feel that human element, so marketers should consider how content answers questions that their audiences are actively searching for.

For example, a traditional search could include using Google to find the “best place to live in London as a first-time buyer” vs using an AI tool like ChatGPT is more conversational and context-driven, which could look like “I am a first-time buyer and am looking to find a one-bedroom apartment in London that is within a price bracket of £800 – £1,200 and has great transport links”.

People increasingly want real-time answers from individuals and communities rather than perfectly optimised webpages. Businesses need to be considering this shift and thinking beyond Google, focusing on content that is authentic and discoverable across several platforms.

This has significant implications for the property sector. Buyers, tenants and investors are increasingly researching locations, developments and market trends through social platforms, online communities and AI-powered search tools. Businesses that create helpful, expert-led content will be better positioned to appear in these new discovery journeys.

Trust and community are the competitive edge

Trust is becoming social media’s strongest currency, shaping the future of social media. Audiences want authentic experiences and are turning towards people and communities they can relate to rather than polished brand messaging.

Reddit particularly stands out when thinking about online communities, with conversations becoming powerful sources of information. People increasingly trust others’ experiences and opinions they can relate to over content that feels too polished or branded, which is why earned media is crucial for businesses.

This change reinforces the growing importance of personal voices. Speakers emphasised how people are more likely to trust what an individual says about a company rather than what a company says about itself. As marketers and PRs, it’s essential we encourage employee generated content and creator partnerships to help create stronger and more meaningful conversations.  

It is clear that building trust is no longer an addition within content, but rather a core driver for visibility and engagement.

In property, trust can be the deciding factor between competing brands. Whether someone is choosing a developer, estate agent, consultancy or build-to-rent operator, authentic recommendations, employee voices and third-party validation often carry more weight than traditional advertising messages.

How does this relate to the property industry?

Though these themes extend far beyond one industry, they feel relevant for property, where decisions are often built on trust, research and relationships.

From attracting buyers to promoting new developments, generating leads for estate agencies or positioning property consultancies as experts, success increasingly depends on being visible where audiences are searching for information and building credibility through authentic content.

Whether it’s a buyer, tenant or investor you are trying to target, they are actively looking for authentic insights and valuable content that will help with their decision making, rather than relying on traditional search methods.

As social media continues to evolve, property brands have an opportunity to move beyond simply generating awareness. By creating content that answers audience questions, showcases expertise and builds trust, businesses can attract more qualified engagement and strengthen their reputation across increasingly diverse search and social channels.

If you are interested in growing your social media services in 2026 in the property PR space and beyond, please contact Hollie Moore via hollie@building-relations.co.uk.