Stories feel hard. We get it! You open the camera, freeze, and think “what am I even supposed to say?” So you close it, tell yourself you’ll do it later, and the cycle continues.

Well, Chelsea actually did a 27-day Instagram Stories experiment and is sharing her findings in today’s episode! We’re talking about what worked and what didn’t. Plus, the importance of showing up imperfectly but consistently and how that creates more connections, conversations, and trust than any perfectly curated post ever could.

Chelsea’s 27-Day Instagram Stories Experiment

Chelsea committed to talking to her camera on Instagram stories every single day for 30 days because she came across something called the 100-hour rule:

If you spend just 18 minutes a day doing something, after a full year, you’ll have spent 100 hours on i,t and you’ll outperform 95% of people in that area. This can be anything — writing, speaking, face-to-cam content, reels…

Quickly, Chelsea noticed how it became a habit. She got ready every day because she knew she’d be on camera, and she even started repurposing those face-to-cam stories into reels.

By day 27, she felt more connected to her followers. Conversations were happening in her DMs. She was going deeper instead of wider, digging into real talking points instead of surface-level content.

During this experiment, we also launched the second cohort of Camp Modern Agent. At the time of recording, 592 people had signed up. Chelsea didn’t do a ton of promotion because most of it happened through Stories. She’d drip it in organically over two weeks, even while she was on vacation for eight days.

That’s the power of stories. When you nurture the people who are already there and show up as a human, not a marketing machine, you’re going to see results.

If you want to get better at speaking to clients, at handling objections, at talking about real estate in a way that feels natural, your stories are the practice ground. You’re pre-gaming for every listing appointment and buyer consultation.

Moreover, every time you show up on stories, you’re testing out talking points and learning what people respond to. You’re getting comfortable with your voice. And when it comes time to sit across from a client, you’re not scrambling for words because you’ve already said them a hundred times.

Why the Gap Between Idea and Execution Is Killing Your Authenticity

Chelsea found this post from Brock Johnson that we think needs to be required reading for every agent on Instagram. He said the average Instagram creator spends eight hours per week planning and editing content, and it’s killing authenticity.

We spend hours planning, scripting, researching, writing with ChatGPT, editing, and overthinking. And then we wonder why our content feels stiff.

We all say we crave authenticity from others, but then we filter ourselves. We say we want real, human content, and then we spend three hours making a Canva graphic.

According to the study Brock referenced, the number one reason people unfollow creators is because they seem fake or inauthentic. And 86% of users said they feel some creators are less authentic now than in the past.

The problem is there’s too long of a gap between idea and execution.

You have this genius idea for a post. You think, “I should share this on Instagram.” And then you overly curate it. You overly perfect it. You throw it into Canva and add a bunch of graphics. By the time you post it, it doesn’t feel authentic anymore.

If you could shrink the time between your idea and hitting “post,” that’s where authenticity lives.

Chelsea experienced this firsthand during her 27-day challenge. Every day when she got on stories, she didn’t have a script. She just pressed record and talked!

How Can You Make Your Stories More Interesting? Hobbies!

Raise your hand if you’ve ever thought, “I’m just really boring. I have nothing to share on my stories.”

We hear this all the time. And we’d argue that that’s probably not true. But let’s pretend for a second that you’re right…

Then, just do something fun!

Seriously. All work and no play makes you a really dull follow. We don’t want you to be a dull follow. We know you have something incredible to offer, but you’ve got to add a little something fun to your life.

And we’re talking simple. Picking up a coffee at a local coffee shop instead of making it at home. Sharing your mug of the day. Painting your nails a fun color. Something that brings you a little bit of joy.

Kayla recently picked up watercolor painting. It’s been on her “want to try” list for years, but she finally did it. She went to Hobby Lobby, spent about 20 bucks on supplies, and started painting with her girls for maybe 30 minutes a day.

The paintings are not really impressive at this point, but they don’t have to be. The point is that she’s having fun, and her DMs have been blowing up because people are like, “I’ve always wanted to try that!” or “Do you follow this account? She’s really good at watercolor.”

That’s the point. Conversations!

If you believe that conversions happen after conversations, what are you going to do throughout your day to increase those conversations? You want to sell more real estate? Find a little hobby.

According to an Everygirl article Chelsea referenced, dedicating time to a hobby can boost your self-esteem, improve your mental and physical health, and even expand your social life by connecting you with people who share your interests. Which is exactly how you have conversations.

Some hobbies you can start at home: learn calligraphy, work out online, practice meditation, learn how to cook, pick up needlework, learn an instrument, paint, make your own soap or candles, grow your plant collection, practice applying makeup… It can really be anything.

Chelsea decided this year she’s picking one cookbook recipe to make every week. She has all these beautiful cookbooks that just sit there looking pretty and never get opened. But there are so many good recipes in there. And when she’s cooking, she can romanticize it by making herself a yummy drink or turning on some good music or a show.

The point isn’t to become a hobby influencer. The point is to document what you do and share it in your stories. Let people see that you’re a real human who does things outside of real estate.

What to Actually Put in Your Stories

So what should you actually be putting in your stories? Let’s break it down.

Local Content

This is huge. When you’re going to local places (whether it’s somewhere new or your regular go-to spot) document it. If you get coffee at the same place every Friday, share it. Make it a series. “Friday coffee date.” The repetition becomes memorable, and people start connecting you with that place.

Or flip it: share every time you and your husband try a new place for date night. You can make it like a little review.

And if you forget to take pictures, get on your stories when you get home and say, “I didn’t take any pictures, but here’s where we went. Here’s what I had.” Stop giving yourself roadblocks on purpose. You don’t need to document every entree like a food influencer. You’re just a real estate agent sharing your life locally.

Real Estate Content

Anytime you can offer a home equity analysis or a home buyer search, do it in your stories. If you’re doing a report for somebody, hop on and say, “This is what I’m working on today,” or “I can’t wait to deliver the news that this house is worth 20 grand more than she thought.”

Or just say, “Hey, I have time this week to do five home equity analyses. If you’re curious what your home is worth, drop your email here.”

Same with home buyer searches. Kayla did this when she first got her license. She created searches for different scenarios — someone who wants a pool in Columbia City, someone who just wants a specific school district — and told people, “If you’re curious about homes in this area, I’ll add you to the list. You’ll just get an email from me.”

Within the first six months, she had 25 people on home searches. And some of those led to sales in her first year or two of real estate.

You don’t have to have a client to talk about real estate.

Another idea: everyone wants to know what their neighbor’s house sells for. You could offer a list where people get an email the second something happens in their neighborhood. It’s a way to stay in front of them and connect.

Lead Magnets and Email Content

If you have a lead magnet or an email list, talk about it in your stories. If you know your email goes out on Friday, start teasing it on Wednesday. Talk about what it’s going to be about. Offer people a way to sign up.

Don’t just make one post about your local guide and call it done. Drip it throughout your content all the time. Throw it around like confetti. Make it so that anywhere people turn, they see something about that lead magnet and think, “If I don’t get that, I’m missing out.”

Chelsea did this with Camp Modern Agent. She didn’t make one big announcement post. She talked about it in her stories constantly for a couple of weeks. She dripped it in. She made it feel organic. And 592 people signed up.

There’s no one big grand announcement for anything. You talk about it before, during, and after.

Hobbies and Fun Stuff

Share your hobbies. We already went over this!

Document, Don’t Create

Instead of sitting down and trying to craft content out of thin air, document the things you’re already doing. That iced coffee on the way to your showing? Snap a pic. The back patio view from your new listing? Grab a 10-second video.

Set a daily alarm on your phone. When it goes off, take one photo and one quick video of whatever you’re doing. It’s that simple.

We say this all the time, but it bears repeating: Documenting makes your content uncopyable. No one else has your exact life, your family, your favorite spots, or your client stories.

How Stories Build Trust Better Than Any Post Ever Could

When people keep seeing you, when you’re reliable, when you’re there, when you’re being yourself — they start to trust you. And they’re not going to refer you if they don’t trust you. They’re not going to hire you if they don’t trust you.

Your stories aren’t just for visibility but for connection. The point is showing people who you are so they feel like they know you.

Think about the show Friends. They go to the same coffee shop every episode. Does that seem boring? Kind of. But it’s the consistency that makes you want to see more. You’re not waiting for some crazy bomb to go off or a huge wedding every episode. You’re just watching people live their lives, and it feels good!

That’s what your Stories should feel like. Not groundbreaking or earth-shattering. It’s you living your life and sharing your day, talking about real estate in a way that feels like a Facetime call with a friend.

When you show up like that, people remember you.

Chelsea mentioned that someone tagged her yesterday thanking her for the dill pickle chicken salad recipe idea. She only mentioned it twice — once in her stories, once on the podcast. But someone remembered.

That’s the leaky faucet effect. You’re constantly dripping. Little bits here and there. And eventually the bucket fills up with conversations, and that’s when the clients and referrals happen.

Stories nurture your audience better than any piece of content you could put out there. We want to grow, of course, but what’s the point of getting more if the people in front of you don’t care?

One Camp Modern Agent member said she felt silly showing up because she only had 700 followers. But instead of thinking like that here’s a good reframe: 700 people decided they’re interested enough in what you have to say that they clicked follow. So serve them well and give them the content they asked for.

So stop taking yourself so seriously, quit overthinking, and just show up. You got this!

This episode was edited by Adrienne Cruz.