No Filter: Your Personal Opinions On Social Media Can Get You Fired

Cancel culture isn’t new; it’s been around since before the #MeToo movement started making headlines in the early 2000s. Cancel Culture 2.0, or changing the culture counter-clockwise against DEI and other inclusive initiatives, is louder, faster in action and more unforgiving (cancelled without hesitation) than ever.

Today’s version of public shaming doesn’t just stop at a heated comment thread; it can cost you your job.

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Jimmy Kimmel’s suspension and then limited redemption over his comments after Charlie Kirk’s death, along with several others across all industries, celebrity status and even universities signal that cancel culture is changing once more, and many point out that it’s come full circle.

For real estate professionals who rely on the trust of the public and the protections of fair housing, the stakes are high, as legal and financial penalties are also a potential pitfall.

Whether you agree or not, the professional path forward is clear: Keep your social media feeds focused on real estate, not rhetoric.

Cancel culture is more aggressive than ever

Trying to “punish” a brand or an individual for a statement, viewpoint or action has become commonplace in our culture over the past decade. What’s different now is the speed and intensity of the backlash.

A single screenshot can spread faster than any carefully crafted marketing campaign. That little post can follow you for the rest of your digital existence from now into whatever infinity AI void waits for us, aka “the future.”

The Las Vegas Realtors organization took action when one of its members made comments about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.  

Mark Sivek was set to be an incoming director for the LVR board of directors next year. LVR officials say that public comments he made are against its policy and the Code of Ethics for its Realtors. Additional action will be taken through existing processes.

This is the most recent example of why you should keep your political opinions offline, but I’ve seen others in my local market that have not made national headlines.

Attention sells

The first continuing education class I wrote for real estate agents in 2012 was about staying professional on social media, and now, 13 years later, I’m reasonably confident that I could use the same slide deck. 

Realtors are conditioned via marketing tactics to live in the public eye on social media. Dance, make a Reel, create a satire, go wild, go exclusive-luxury, do it for the clout and the views, so that you can win the game of top agent.

Intelligent agents need to pause and ask themselves a question: What’s more important to you: Your opinion and beliefs, or selling homes to the broadest audience possible, who is willing to work with you and pay your commissions?

Neutrality online is no longer optional — it’s the baseline for staying employable and compliant.

Stay out of the fray: HALT before you post

The best defense is still the simplest: Stay out of it. Professional agents protect their reputations by avoiding hot-button issues altogether. That doesn’t mean disappearing from digital spaces; it means being intentional.

Before you hit publish, run through the HALT test: Are you hungry, angry, lonely or tired? If so, it’s probably not the time to draft content. Emotional posts are rarely professional posts.

Instead, center your digital presence on what you know best — real estate. 

• Market updates
• Your listings
• Local views
• Local parks
• Neighborhood spotlights
• Client success stories
• Behind the scenes of your workday
• Dogs, or animals
• Food 
• Charity work
• Homeowner tips
• Fun or playful pop culture moments, like TSwift’s engagement or celebrating your favorite sports team’s win

All of these simple things can showcase your personality and build trust without putting your career at risk. The truth is, your clients don’t hire you for your political takes. 

They hire you for your market expertise and your ability to close real estate deals, and if you’re a great agent, likely your clients are unaware of what you do in your personal time or who you voted for. 

Pandemic lessons: The good, the bad and the ugly

If you need a reminder of how messy things can get, look back at the pandemic. Five years later, many professionals have conveniently forgotten just how politically charged and divided our industry has become online.

One of my all-time favorite instructors and real estate marketing experts, Valerie Garcia, hosted a presentation on the best and worst marketing practices that were happening during this extra-inflammatory time with consumers.

Posts that were offensive, insensitive or outright discriminatory were shared widely, damaging reputations and costing some agents their jobs.

As Garcia pointed out in her excellent seminar on the “good, bad and ugly” of COVID-19 marketing, those digital missteps became a permanent time capsule of what not to do.

The National Association of Realtors even rolled out changes to the Code of Ethics in response. Article 10-5 now holds Realtors accountable for discriminatory or harassing speech, an unprecedented move that underscored just how high the professional standard has become.  

Ten-dash-five has been under scrutiny since its creation during the pandemic in 2020. In its most recent revision on June 5, it was further refined to provide more precise definitions of harassment and a more in-depth investigation of complaints.  

Keep it about real estate

The temptation to share your unfiltered opinion online is real. Just don’t be surprised if something goes sideways. Marketing campaigns are almost like a time capsule. They can reflect a moment, a temperature or a message that may or may not age well, or even be relevant, the next week or decades later.

Cancel Culture 2.0 is here, and it’s more controversial than before. If you want to keep your career safe, serve the widest audience possible, and stay compliant with both your brokerage and fair housing standards, the answer is simple: Keep it about real estate, and your doodle dog, and you will likely have smooth sailing.

Rachael Hite is a senior housing counselor, writer, and thought leader in real estate and aging. Follow her work on Instagram and LinkedIn.