What 800,000 Facebook Views in 2025 Taught Us About Real Estate Marketing

In this year-end marketing deep dive, Chris Cochran, Director of Marketing for Harcourts Auctions, takes over the show to break down the real numbers behind what actually worked in 2025. From YouTube performance shifts to Facebook’s new advertising algorithm, Chris unpacks the platforms, trends, and behaviors shaping how real estate professionals should be thinking about attention in 2026.He reveals how long-form content quietly overtook reels, why podcast audio streams dipped while YouTube surged, and the surprising reason Facebook delivered nearly 8x more impressions than Instagram despite having fewer followers. Whether you're growing a personal brand, building a listing funnel, or trying to understand where consumers actually spend time, this report exposes the truth behind modern real estate marketing.Chris also breaks down Harcourts Auctions’ best-performing ad structures of the year — including Meta’s overhaul of the ads manager — and how their cost per lead dropped from $85 to $16 using a simplified campaign structure. Finally, he walks through the rising dominance of texting and cold calling as email deliverability collapses, and why agents should rethink their 2026 outreach plans before Q1 hits.⏱️ Timestamps & Key Topics:[00:00] Why Chris is hosting today & what this episode covers[00:35] YouTube growth: watch time up, views down, what it means[01:54] Subscriber gains & YouTube becoming the #1 podcast platform[03:35] Facebook performance: views explode, interactions drop[04:59] Instagram analytics: high engagement, low reach[06:56] Podcast audio vs. YouTube: the platform shift[10:38] Meta Ads overhaul: the new 2026 structure explained[13:03] Dropping cost per lead from $85 → $16[17:01] Why text messaging is outperforming email outreach[19:45] Cold calling, 2026 marketing predictions & next steps🔗 Related Resources:For more info on Harcourts Auctions, our non-distressed auction platform, visit: https://www.harcourtsauctions.comConnect with Ben Brady and the Harcourts Auctions team:Facebook: www.facebook.com/BenbradyharcourtsLinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ben-brady-0b223517Instagram: www.instagram.com/harcourtsauctionsFacebook: www.facebook.com/HarcourtsAuctions#RealEstateMarketing #HarcourtsAuctions #RealEstateLeads #MetaAds #FacebookAds #InstagramMarketing #YouTubeForRealEstate #RealEstatePodcast #RealEstateAgents #ListingStrategies #DigitalMarketing2026 #RealEstateContent #AgentGrowth #RealEstateTips #RethinkRealEstate