When I first heard Josh Ries speak on Jimmy Burgess’ YouTube Channel, he said something that stuck with me: “You don’t need a big budget to build a powerful pipeline; you just need to get strategic.”
That line hit hard. And what followed in our conversation was honestly one of the most eye-opening chats I’ve had this year.
In our recent interview, Ries and I dive deep into how agents are using organic social, especially TikTok, to lower their lead costs, build their personal brands, and finally stop depending on platforms like Zillow and Realtor.com to grow their business.
Here are the biggest takeaways from our talk:
1. TikTok isn’t just dance videos anymore; it’s a search engine
Before getting into real estate, Ries worked in internet marketing, so he had a good sense of how digital trends work. But like a lot of us, he assumed real estate needed a different approach. Turns out, it doesn’t.
He discovered that TikTok is now one of the top places buyers are searching things like:
- How to buy a house with no money down
- First-time homebuyer programs
- Homebuyer grants
The agents who are creating videos around those topics? They’re getting found — and they’re closing deals because of it.
2. Organic content = real ROI
Back in 2018, Ries and his wife were doing solid business, but they were barely profitable. Their average cost per lead? Over $2,000.
When they made the switch to organic video content, that number dropped by almost 80 percent. Fewer leads but way better ones.
“We were finally in control,” he said. “We weren’t at the mercy of Zillow anymore.”
3. One video can turn into 20+ posts
Ries isn’t just making content; he’s building systems. Here’s how he does it:
- Use TikTok’s Creator Search Insights to find trending search terms
- Plug those into ChatGPT to generate a script
- Record one long-form YouTube video
- Chop it up into short clips for TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube Shorts
With just his phone, ChatGPT and a captions app, he was creating 20+ posts a day, for under a buck. No team. No expensive setup.
4. Don’t chase views. Create value
We’ve all posted something and felt defeated when it gets fewer than 100 views. Ries gets it.
But he shared this: “One of my videos only got 87 views, and it landed me a $3 million buyer. Another caught Jimmy Burgess’ eye and led to all of this.”
Think about it: If 87 people came to hear you speak in person, you’d be thrilled. So stop worrying about the numbers. Start focusing on delivering value. The right people will see it when it counts.
5. Start messy, get better
Here’s the part I loved most: Ries admitted his first videos were rough.
“Bad lighting, bad sound, sloppy editing … and that first one still got 1,700 views.”
The message? You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start. Post consistently. Learn as you go. Improve along the way.
And if you think cold-calling 1,700 people in five minutes is easier, go for it. If not … hit record.
Bottom line
You don’t need more money; you need a smarter strategy.
Ries now runs Real Estate Lead Gen Academy, where he shares all the templates, tools and content strategies that helped him go from burnout to building a scalable, sustainable business.
So if you’re still buying leads and wondering why your margins are shrinking, this might be the shift you’ve been waiting for. Social media isn’t optional anymore. It’s your ticket to freedom and control.
Watch our full interview above, and follow Ries on TikTok @realestatebrokerjosh.
