Every week, there’s a new platform feature, a new app, a new ad product promising to put you in front of the right people. And every week, the temptation is to spend precious time figuring out which one deserves your attention.
But if you look past the product announcements and shiny new features, there’s a more useful question beneath it all: Are you showing up where intent actually forms, or just where transactions happen?
Home Depot is taking its shopper data off its own site
Orange Apron Media, Home Depot’s retail media network, is now integrated with Reddit and Pinterest — letting advertisers reach DIY consumers and pros while they’re still in research and inspiration mode, not just at the point of purchase. Through the Reddit integration, advertisers can activate campaigns directly through Home Depot’s self-service portal, targeting users who are actively asking questions and comparing options in project-focused communities.
The Pinterest partnership goes a step further: Non-endemic brands that don’t sell through Home Depot at all can tap into its first-party shopper data to reach users who are still in the planning phase. Geotargeted display ads and a new advertiser certification program round out what is shaping up to be a more complete off-site advertising ecosystem.
What this means for real estate professionals
Intent forms before the search bar. People are researching in community threads and saving ideas to mood boards long before they’re ready to act. Being present in those conversations, not just on listing platforms, is how you reach people early in the process.
Instagram is giving users more say over what they see in Explore
Instagram is expanding its “Your Algorithm” feature from Reels into Explore, letting users actively adjust which topics they want to see more or less of — instead of relying entirely on passive signals like watch time and engagement.
The move reinforces that Instagram is operating on one unified recommendation system across surfaces, and it reflects growing pressure on platforms to show users they have agency, even as AI-driven recommendations become more powerful.
In practice, though, most users don’t sustain manual adjustments over time. Engagement tends to drop when too much manual control is introduced, and the algorithm still does most of the work regardless..
What this means for real estate professionals
Discovery is less about who follows you and more about how the platform reads your content. Saves, shares and consistent topic focus matter more than follower count. Build around clear themes so the system knows where to place you.
LinkedIn is testing an AI comparison tool for Premium users
LinkedIn is piloting a feature called Crosscheck that lets Premium users submit a prompt and receive anonymized responses from multiple AI models — including tools from OpenAI and Google — side by side, then rate which performs better.
The feature is useful on its own, but the bigger play is positioning LinkedIn as a central layer for how professionals evaluate AI rather than going directly to individual platforms.
It also reflects where AI adoption actually stands: widespread, but with uneven productivity gains. Crosscheck leans into that gap by framing AI as something worth evaluating, not just using.
What this means for real estate professionals
Using AI isn’t the differentiator anymore. Knowing which tools actually improve your workflow and being willing to test and compare rather than defaulting to one are where the real advantage starts to emerge.
Powerade bets on storytelling to stand out at the World Cup
Backed by The Coca-Cola Company, Powerade’s “Power Your Legacy” campaign spans TV, social media, in-stadium activations and limited-edition products, all centered on one throughline: Performance is built long before the spotlight hits.
Rather than leaning on marquee athletes alone, the campaign pairs rising stars with everyday players and leans into a cinematic aesthetic, turning athletes into murals and sculptures to visualize legacy as something accumulated over time rather than captured in a single moment.
The strategy prioritizes sustained presence over event-specific spikes, with a heavy push across digital channels, creator partnerships and live experiences designed to keep the brand visible before, during and after the tournament.
What this means for real estate professionals
Big moments don’t carry marketing on their own anymore. The brands that stand out are the ones building a consistent narrative before the spotlight arrives. For agents, that means documenting the process, the prep, the search, the behind-the-scenes, not just the closing. The work is often more relatable and more memorable than the result.
Meta is testing a Snapchat-style standalone app
Meta is piloting a new app called Instants, a stripped-down, camera-first experience built around disappearing photos — open, snap, send, done. It’s built off a previous Instagram feature and closely mirrors what Snapchat has offered for years, which is not accidental.
Meta has a long track record of absorbing features that work elsewhere, from Stories to short-form video, and Instants appears to be a probe at younger users who are less interested in polished, curated feeds.
The timing is notable as Snapchat’s growth has slowed in some markets, creating an opening. But Meta’s standalone app attempts have a mixed history, and it’s unclear whether splitting this behavior out from Instagram will find an audience or eventually fold back into the main platform.
What this means for real estate professionals
Not every new feature or app is worth chasing. Platforms experiment constantly, especially when trying to capture younger audiences, and most experiments don’t stick. Focus on where your audience is already active and how they prefer to engage. Behavior matters more than format.
TL;DR (Too Long, Didn’t Read)
- Home Depot is pushing its retail media data into Reddit and Pinterest to reach consumers earlier in the decision-making process.
- Instagram is offering more algorithm controls, but most users will still rely on passive discovery.
- LinkedIn is turning AI into something to test and compare, not just adopt.
- Powerade is focusing on consistent storytelling to stand out during a crowded World Cup.
- Meta’s Instants app shows platforms are still chasing younger users, but not every new feature will stick.
Being first to adopt something new doesn’t always put you ahead. Often what matters more is being clear about where your audience is and what they actually need from you in that moment — whether that’s a thoughtful presence in community conversations, content that reflects a consistent theme or just the discipline to ignore a shiny new app that isn’t built for your audience yet.
None of this requires a big strategy overhaul. It usually just requires paying closer attention to what’s already working and doubling down there.
Each week on Trending, digital marketer Jessi Healey dives into what’s buzzing in social media and why it matters for real estate professionals. From viral trends to platform changes, she’ll break it all down so you know what’s worth your time — and what’s not.
