At RealtyAds, we’ve heard it before: “Decision-makers in commercial real estate don’t use social media.” It’s a sentiment rooted in the industry’s old-guard mindset, where deals were sealed over handshakes and phone calls rather than likes and shares. But the data tells a different story—one that’s critical for brokers, property owners, and decision-makers to understand in today’s fast-evolving digital landscape. Social media isn’t just for millennials or consumer brands; it’s a powerful tool for the C-suite, and its adoption among business leaders is growing rapidly. Here’s how decision-makers are engaging these channels, the latest trends in adoption, and what’s on the horizon—insights that position RealtyAds as your go-to expert for reaching this audience effectively and cost-efficiently.
Decision-Makers Are Already on Social Media—And They’re Active
Let’s start with the numbers. According to a recent study by JPMorgan Chase and The Quartz Global Executives Study, a staggering 88% of decision-makers use social media. 80% of decision makers use social media for professional purposes, with 75-85% accessing it via desktop and around 60-70% leveraging mobile devices or tablets. This isn’t passive scrolling; these leaders are engaging with platforms like LinkedIn (78%), X (65%), and others such as Facebook (60%) and Instagram (35%) to inform their strategies and connect with their networks. What’s more, 82% of senior decision-makers are open to receiving content from brands—meaning they’re not just present, they’re receptive.
For commercial real estate, this is a game-changer. Brokers and decision-makers aren’t just hiding behind email inboxes or waiting for the next industry conference. They’re on LinkedIn reading thought leadership posts, on X tracking market trends, and even on Instagram exploring visual showcases of properties. RealtyAds has seen firsthand how these platforms drive engagement, delivering targeted messaging to the right people at a fraction of the cost of traditional channels.
Ongoing Growth in Adoption: The C-Suite Embraces Digital Landscape
The growth in social media adoption among decision-makers isn’t a fluke—it’s a trend with momentum. Over the past few years, business leaders have increasingly turned to these platforms to stay ahead in a competitive world. While exact year-over-year figures vary, the broader digital shift is undeniable: global social media usage has surged, with over 5 billion users worldwide as of early 2025, and executives are no exception. For the C-suite, this isn’t about jumping on a bandwagon; it’s about necessity. In an industry like commercial real estate, where relationships and timely information are king, social media offers unparalleled access to both.
Take LinkedIn, for example. With over 1.1 billion members and 65 million decision-makers, it’s become the go-to hub for professional networking and insights. Recent data shows a 40% year-over-year increase in engagement on the platform, with executives using it not just for connections but for raising brand awareness, marketing products, and fostering customer loyalty. This aligns with what we’ve observed at RealtyAds: our clients’ efforts on LinkedIn consistently reach high-intent audiences—think property owners, brokers, and real estate decision-makers—driving measurable results like inquiries and deal accelerations.
Beyond LinkedIn, platforms like X and even Instagram are seeing upticks in executive usage. X’s real-time nature makes it ideal for tracking market shifts (65% of decision-makers are active there), while Instagram’s visual appeal is catching on for showcasing properties and building brand identity (35% adoption). The message is clear: decision-makers aren’t just present—they’re leaning into these tools strategically.
Forward-Looking Trends: What’s Next for Social Media and the C-Suite
Looking ahead, the role of social media in commercial real estate is only set to grow. Here are the trends we’re watching—and leveraging—at RealtyAds:
1. LinkedIn as a Powerhouse for B2B Engagement
LinkedIn isn’t slowing down. With features like multi-image posts driving the highest engagement rates with decision-makers and native document sharing for whitepapers or market reports, it’s evolving into a one-stop shop for thought leadership and sales enablement. For commercial real estate, this means brokers and decision-makers will increasingly turn to LinkedIn for industry insights and deal-making opportunities. RealtyAds is already capitalizing on this, placing AI-native advertisements that position our clients as market leaders directly in front of these audiences.
2. Social Commerce and Real-Time Engagement
Social media is shifting from a branding tool to a transactional one. While still nascent in commercial real estate, the broader trend of social commerce—projected to hit $1.2 trillion globally by 2025—suggests decision-makers will expect more seamless interactions online. X’s real-time conversations and LinkedIn’s community-building features will play a bigger role in facilitating quick responses and relationship-building, areas where RealtyAds excels in connecting clients with their targets.
3. AI-Driven Personalization
Artificial intelligence is transforming how content reaches decision-makers. From predictive analytics to tailored ad targeting, AI is making social media more efficient and effective. For RealtyAds, this means delivering hyper-relevant advertisements for a specific property type served to brokers in a precise geographic market—maximizing ROI for our clients.
Why This Matters for Commercial Real Estate—and RealtyAds
The old guard might cling to skepticism, but the reality is undeniable: decision-makers in commercial real estate are not only on social media—they’re using it to shape their businesses. Whether it’s raising brand awareness, marketing properties, or building customer loyalty, these channels are proving indispensable. At RealtyAds, we’ve built our platform to meet this shift head-on, offering the most effective, cost-efficient way to engage brokers and decision-makers where they’re already active.
So, the next time a prospect asks, “Are decision-makers even using these channels?” point them here. The data backs us up, the trends support us, and our results speak for themselves. RealtyAds isn’t just keeping pace with the market—we’re leading it, helping our clients transact smarter in a digital-first world. Ready to see how we can drive your next deal? Let’s connect—on social media, of course.
Resources
- 80% of decision-makers use social media for professional purposes
- 75-85% accessing it via desktop
- 60-70% leveraging mobile devices or tablets
- 78% [of decision-makers engage with] LinkedIn, Edelman Future of Corporate Communications 2022 Report
- 65% [of decision-makers engage with] X, Edelman Future of Corporate Communications 2022 Report
- 60% [of decision-makers engage with] Facebook, Edelman Future of Corporate Communications 2022 Report
- 35% [of decision-makers engage with] Instagram, Edelman Future of Corporate Communications 2022 Report
- 82% of senior decision-makers are open to receiving content from brands, LinkedIn B2B Marketing Benchmark
- Over 5 billion users worldwide as of early 2025, DataReportal Digital 2025 Global Overview
- 40% year-over-year increase in engagement on the platform [LinkedIn]
- Social commerce projected to hit $1.2 trillion globally by 2025