Social media for property developers: a practical guide

A development has several audiences at once: buyers and renters, investors, neighbours who live with the building work, local councillors and community groups, and the contractors and agents you work with. Each wants something different, so plan posts for each.

Buyers of new and off-plan homes are making one of the biggest purchases of their lives from images, plans and promises. Clear, regular progress posts help them trust that the home will be what they expect.

Two to four posts a week across your channels is enough. Each stage of the build gives you new material, from groundworks to keys.

• Monday: build progress, with a date and a plain caption of what changed.
• Wednesday: a buyer explainer, such as how reservation works or what a snagging inspection is.
• Friday: homes and interiors, such as a room from the show home with honest captions.
• Monthly: a local area post, such as schools, transport or a nearby park.
• When needed: a neighbour update about working hours, deliveries or road closures.

UK: the ASA says prices must relate to the product featured in an ad. Where an image shows upgrades, the price should be clearly prefixed with "from", with qualifying text such as "image includes optional upgrades at additional cost" that is equally prominent to the price and placed next to the image. If the cost of the upgrade is known, state it, for example "from £90,000, home shown £95,000". The ASA notes a 2012 ruling where "image from actual show home" was not enough, because the upgrades were not clearly shown to cost extra.

The New Homes Quality Code says developers must make sure all sales and marketing material, including photography, CGI and video, is not misleading, is clear, fair and in plain language, and keeps to advertising codes and laws. It also says developers must state in their marketing that they are on the New Homes Quality Board's register of registered developers and display the Code logo on their websites and in brochures.

If you post prices, the CMA says the total price should normally include unavoidable charges, and that hiding extra charges until later is illegal drip pricing. Add a short line about any service charge or ground rent where it applies.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules differ by country and change, so check with your regulator, professional body or a lawyer before you post claims, prices or anything about the people you work for.

1. Label every CGI as a CGI and every show home photo as including upgrades where it does.
2. Make sure each "from" price matches the home type pictured, or state the price of the home shown.
3. Check that views, gardens, parking and finishes in images match what the plot offers.
4. Date every progress photo and keep completion dates realistic.

Sources: ASA Advice Online: Property, new build and off plan homes, checked 15 October 2026; New Homes Quality Board: New Homes Quality Code, version 2 (March 2026, PDF), checked 15 October 2026; GOV.UK (CMA): Providing clear and accurate information about prices, summary, checked 15 October 2026

Launch posts are where pressure creeps in. The New Homes Quality Code says developers must not use high-pressure selling techniques, including suggesting other people are interested or that the price will soon rise if that is not true, or offering a financial incentive for an immediate decision. For time-bound events such as launch weekends, it says customers who attend must be given seven days to consider the purchase, with the incentive held open for them. It also says developers should treat all customers as situationally vulnerable.

• Only post "few plots left" or "prices rise soon" when it is true at the time of posting.
• Say clearly how long a launch incentive stays open for people who attend.
• Answer questions about service charges, warranties and completion dates in plain words.
• Never reply to a buyer's complaint in a way that pressures them, and move details to a private message.

Source: New Homes Quality Board: New Homes Quality Code, version 2 (March 2026, PDF), checked 15 October 2026

US federal law, at 42 U.S.C. 3604(c), makes it unlawful to make, print or publish any notice, statement or advertisement about the sale or rental of a dwelling that indicates a preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, colour, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. That includes social posts and ads, and the words and images you choose.

Paid housing ads on Facebook and Instagram must be declared in Meta's housing Special Ad Category. Meta says age, gender, postcode, exclusion targeting, lookalike audiences and some interests are limited or unavailable for advertisers based in the US and for ads shown to audiences in the US, Canada and certain European countries.

• Describe the home and the area, not the kind of person who should live there.
• Avoid phrases such as "perfect for young professionals" or "no children".
• Show a range of people in lifestyle images, or none at all.

Sources: Cornell LII: 42 U.S. Code 3604, discrimination in the sale or rental of housing, checked 15 October 2026; Meta Business Help Centre: About audiences for housing, employment or financial products and services campaigns, checked 15 October 2026

Plan each site's posts around its build stages, and keep neighbours in mind. The ASA advises taking care not to feature the recognisable property of members of the public without permission, though photos showing several properties or streets may be acceptable. Keep neighbouring homes, car registrations and residents out of close-up shots, and make sure site photos show safe working.

Disclosure: this guide is published by Zolyp, an AI social media manager. Zolyp plans a calendar around your content pillars, writes and designs each post, and schedules it to Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google Business, X, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Threads. You start in review-everything mode, so nothing goes live without your approval. You can add your own site photos and CGIs to any post, and Brand Brain can hold the wording you always use, such as your upgrade disclaimer. Zolyp does not check prices, images or claims against the ASA, the New Homes Quality Code or fair housing law, so check every post before you approve it. Everything in this guide works just as well done by hand.

• Week 1: photograph progress on each site and check every image for neighbours' homes.
• Week 2: write two buyer explainers and one area guide.
• Week 3: check every price and disclaimer, then post show home content.
• Week 4: reply to comments and reviews, post a neighbour update and plan next month.

Source: ASA Advice Online: Privacy, landmarks and property, checked 15 October 2026