Podcast Summary: The Millionaire Real Estate Agent | The MREA Podcast

Episode 113: The Instagram System Behind 250 Home Sales a Year with Elio Alanis
Date: December 15, 2025
Host: Jason Abrams
Guest: Elio Alanis

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the extraordinary Instagram-based real estate business model developed by Elio Alanis, a 24-year-old Houston agent who sells 250 homes a year—entirely through Instagram, specializing in new construction and first-time buyers. Host Jason Abrams unpacks Elio’s step-by-step system, from content creation and lead generation to operations and team management. This episode is packed with tactical advice, inspiration, and proof that social media can be a completely free, scalable lead-gen engine for agents.

Elio Alanis’ Story: From Restaurant Roots to Real Estate Rocket

[02:05–06:33]

• Family Background: Elio’s parents immigrated to the U.S., started in the restaurant industry, and became small business owners. He grew up working in and around the family’s Mexican restaurants, learning entrepreneurial values and hands-on marketing.
• Choosing Real Estate: After deciding against college and the family business, his father famously told him, “If you can sell tacos as a little kid here, then you can sell homes.”

  “That was my slogan. I believe in what he said, and after high school, I got licensed and sold my very first home at 18.” – Elio, [04:45]

• Pandemic Challenge: Started in early 2020; quickly had to pivot when COVID hit. With most properties locked down, he focused entirely on new construction—accessible homes where he could film consistently.

The Instagram System: Step-by-Step Breakdown

1. Focus on Promoting Incentives, Not Just Listings

[09:04–10:22]

• Elio specializes in new construction incentives, not just home features.
• Every month he scouts which builders offer the best deals (e.g., interest rate buydowns, closing costs paid, free appliances).
• Key quote:

  “Every month, [builders] change their promotions. So now, I’m doing that, but with houses... We’re showing people where the sales are at.” – Elio, [09:52]

• Lead Magnet: Instead of just showing homes, Elio advertises hot builder incentives to attract buyer interest.

2. Consistent, High-Frequency Content Creation

[11:17–12:13]

• Instagram Stories: 8–10 stories per day, featuring deals, incentives, homes, and always his direct phone number.

  “I put my number on every single thing I post on social media, even a family picture. I want them to contact me.” – Elio, [11:54]

• Feed/Reels: Minimum 1–3 times per day in the feed.
• Stories are for time-sensitive “promotions,” reels add long-term value and personal connection.

3. Relationship Building with Builders

[12:35–13:23]

• Elio or his team collects builder info, visits local communities, and gets on group text lists with sales reps for latest promotions.
• Key insight: Builders are happy to share promotions; it helps move inventory and both sides benefit.

4. Lead Capture & Conversion

[13:23–21:31]

• Never Give All the Details Upfront: Elio does not post specific addresses, prompting viewers to ask for more info—turning curiosity into leads.
• Messaging: All DMs, comments, or texts asking about deals are considered leads.
• Conversion Strategy:
  • Obtain the prospect’s phone number through 1-on-1 DMs (“Send me your number so I can send you a list of these homes”).
  • First phone call: 5-7 minutes to gather info on work, credit, and finances. He explains the car-buying analogy for pre-approval.
  • Once pre-approved, credit-passed leads are handed off to “second agents” (showing agents) on his team.
• Lead Volume:

  “I will get about 25 to 30 inquiries a day through my social media.” – Elio, [18:32]

• Half typically convert to pre-approval applications.

5. Team Structure & Operations

[23:35–24:24]

• Elio’s team includes buyer/second agents, who show properties and service clients after qualifying.
• Agents start with a 90-day trial at 15% commission, moving to a 60/40 split afterward (Elio keeps 60% if he generated the lead).
• An assistant helps manage incoming Instagram leads for speed and volume.

The Content Formula: Stories vs. Reels

Stories (8–10/day):

• Temporary (24 hours), feature promotions and incentives.
• Use a mix of images and selfie videos; always include a call-to-action and phone number.
• Focused on solving first-time buyer pain points: credit approval, lease buyout, little/no down payment.
• Elio’s advice:

  “I promote that if you go through this builder, we can buy out your lease... The leads will come in.” – Elio, [17:17]

Reels/Feed (1–3/day):

• Longer-lasting; feature closings (for credibility), education, personal content (family, lifestyle, “two orange Lamborghinis”).
• Builds personal brand—Elio’s orange Lamborghini motif is a unique “talk trigger.”
• Keeps the human and local connection visible.

Branding, Bilingual Advantage, and Scaling Insights

[15:45–16:04, 25:08–26:26]

• Elio leverages personal branding (orange Lamborghinis, lifestyle) for recognition.
• Bilingual outreach (Spanish/English) broadens market reach—his team supports more Spanish-language content.
• On expansion: Primarily Instagram and Facebook, but plans to grow into YouTube and TikTok.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Simplicity:

  “The best things in life are the most simple, yet everything naturally wants to become more complicated. Gary Keller teaches me that.” – Jason, [17:46]

• On Volume:

  “How many days do you wake up and have 25 to 30 people asking you a question about real estate? If the answer is, I’ve never had a day like that, you need to go run this model.” – Jason, [28:03]

• On Mindset:

  “Leadership is teaching people how to think so that they do the things they need to do when they need to do them, so that ultimately they get the things they want when they want to have them.” – Gary Keller via Jason, [30:20]

Key Timestamps

• Elio’s origin story: [02:05–06:33]
• Instagram system overview begins: [09:04]
• Stories vs. reels explained: [14:04–16:04]
• Lead volume and response system: [18:13–23:07]
• Team structure and compensation: [23:35–24:24]
• Branding & scaling discussion: [25:05–26:18]
• Closing insights & motivation: [28:03–30:20]

Reality-Check: What Can Go Wrong?

[26:43–27:03]

• Wrong audience or lack of clarity on target market.
• Not consistently posting or promoting unrelated/unattractive content.
• Failing to specialize or solve specific buyer pain points.

Final Takeaways

• Elio’s model is grounded in relentless consistency, transparency, and putting the client’s needs (incentives, affordability) front and center.
• Instagram, when used intentionally, can be a free, high-volume lead source—if agents show up daily and deliver authentic value.
• Anyone can run this system—no paid ads needed, just hustle, builder relationships, and purposeful content focused on “what’s in it for the buyer.”

Find Elio on Instagram: @leo_realtor
Find Jason Abrams: @therealjasonabrams

“This is something anybody can go run tomorrow and have incredible success.” – Jason Abrams, [27:33]