Mumbai main ghar? Dila Dunga! How city real estate content creators are changing the way you search for the perfect home

Rutuja Teli was always fond of watching a show about the world's most extraordinary homes. Interestingly, like many other people, the Covid-19 pandemic inspired her to start something of her own. Collaborating with a close friend, who has since become her partner, the Mumbaikar began her real estate journey. She explains, "We embarked on a journey to create a real estate YouTube channel and we posted our first video in September 2020. We leveraged the expertise of local brokers who had access to such properties and helped them sell their inventory faster." It was her major focus till August 2022, which is when they started making real estate property reels on Instagram.

At a time when content creators are king, the market is booming not only for food and travel content creators but even real estate, which seems to have caught on to the trend in the last year. Even as many people want to get to know about food hotspots and hidden destinations, they are also interested in real estate. While only one or two videos or accounts may go viral, there are a lot more out there. As this writer explored, he found a lot more accounts of real estate brokers trying to sell properties uniquely. They are followed by people who are not only interested in buying properties but also in keeping up with the latest trends and prices, especially in Mumbai, where the prices of houses are premium and are always skyrocketing. The trend is being fuelled by some traditional real estate brokers jumping on the bandwagon as they realise the power of reels for business. On the other hand, it is inspiring many others to start something only because they love houses and Teli is one of them. At the same time, she is also someone who wants to bridge the gap between the realtor and the buyer.

Making space for real estate
It is no wonder that she made the shift to reels. She explains, "After comparing the response, it intrigued us to create content specifically for Instagram compared to YouTube as the viewership grew at a rapid pace which also contributed to the growth of our business." Social media platforms are being preferred by both buyers and sellers over traditional real estate portals due to the quick response mechanism. With people reaching out on comments and direct messages (DMs), it only makes it easier for both the buyer and the broker.

It is a stark difference from when she was personally house hunting less than a decade ago.

She shares, "In 2015, when I started my homebuying journey with my family, I noticed a lack of professional, well-educated, and service-oriented consultants in the market." Teli decided to fill this vacuum by offering valuable guidance supported by thorough research and analysis. "With the industry's recognition and regulation by RERA, the entry barrier has lowered, allowing young individuals like myself to pursue a career in real estate. My passion for assisting people in finding their dream homes is what led me to become a real estate agent," she adds.

Being a real estate broker only in South Mumbai, Teli says the demand for buying and renting is more or less equal. However, she makes an interesting observation. "A lot more people are willing to buy apartments instead of renting as renting good apartments in Mumbai has its own set of challenges," she adds. In the process, Teli has learned how people often don't realise the importance of a consultant. The Mumbai broker explains, "While buying a property, there is a long list of pros and cons which differ from person to person. Due to a handful of negative encounters, the reputation of real estate consultants/agents/brokers has taken a hit." However, she sees the bright side and is using social media to showcase properties in Mumbai.

At a time when food and travel content is popular, where does real estate content find its place? She shares, "Just like how food and travel content made its way into people's hearts, I think real estate is also taking up that space and entertaining viewers as it is refreshing to watch some extraordinary homes that most of us have only seen from the outside." Teli understands the emotions about houses and Mumbai. It is also why she believes, "The high rises of Mumbai have a very strong effect on everyone whether you are a Mumbaikar or not, after all, it's the city of dreams. These apartments are one of a kind in the world and the different views from different sky rises across the city help to romanticise Mumbai in new ways."

Carrying forward a legacy
Elsewhere, being a real estate broker has always been more than just selling properties for Ravi Kewalramani. It is because he is a second-generation broker who is carrying forward his father's legacy. Like Teli, he has seen a significant increase in real estate-based content on social media. "More and more people are finding out that people are interested in homes of all types. There are memes of various real estate agents too," he adds.

It is also why Kewalramani decided to bring a fresh outlook to the business. Switching to social media seriously was also about survival, which inspired him to do more. He explains, "I have had a YouTube channel since 2014. However, I wasn't active on it for a long period. During Covid, there was widespread panic in the real estate industry. It was worse for real estate agents. People weren't able to come and see properties." This made Mumbaikar think out of the box and decide to take properties to the clients. That's when he returned to YouTube with educational videos and to showcase properties.

With videos on YouTube, Kewalramani took to Instagram in December 2021, and that has helped him generate curiosity among people about properties in Mumbai.
He explains, "It has helped me to express myself as a creative individual. It is also effective to educate the audience on real estate, which has been largely a close-knit community. My reels are like windows to the real industry, and whoever is interested can peek into it."

Apart from the curiosity and educational aspect, the Mumbai-based real estate broker says there is more to it. "There is also an entertainment angle, an aspirational side as well as an awe-inspiring feeling to a lot of the audience and the viewers. People are forthcoming and give open feedback on every property. It is a great way to get genuine feedback from people across boundaries," he adds.

While Kewalramani believes the real estate industry is not always booming, YouTube and Instagram have changed his business in more than one way. He explains, "There has been increased awareness about the real estate industry. Genuine buyers who have never dared to purchase a property have come forward to work exclusively with us." The Mumbaikar sells properties between Colaba to Borivali, Karjat, Lonavala, Alibaug, Goa and Dubai too. Over time, he has sold Rs 25 lakh studio apartment to a Rs 300 crore sea-touching private villa. With social media here, it will only get bigger and better.