Most real estate Reels in Dubai are listing tours set to music. They can work, but they all look alike and each one needs a permit. The Reels that build an agent’s name are often the ones with no unit in them at all.
Reels with no unit
The area walk. Phone held upright, walking from the metro to the park to the school gate in one community. Two lines of on screen text: the area and who it suits. A quiet voiceover on what families ask about it. No unit, no price.
The explainer to camera. One question in under a minute. What service charges cover in Downtown. What happens at a tenancy renewal. How to check a broker in Dubai REST. Start with the question as a text hook and burn in captions.
The handover. Keys in hand at the door, with the client’s written consent. Wait until the transfer is registered if it was a sale.
Reels with a unit
A tour of a specific property is an advert. It needs the Trakheesi permit number and the Madmoun QR code, with the brokerage name and details that match the permit. Put the code on screen long enough to scan, in a corner where the app’s buttons will not cover it. The permit number in the caption.
Reels or photos?
Across 13 Dubai brokerage accounts in the 90 days to 13 October 2026, single photos drew more likes and comments per follower than Reels. That counts likes and comments, not reach, which public numbers do not show. Reels are shown to people who do not follow you, which is how most new buyers find an agent. Use photos for listings and Reels for the area and the agent.
Making them hold
- Open on the most interesting frame, not your logo.
- Keep most Reels between 20 and 45 seconds.
- Shoot vertically and keep text away from the top and bottom edges.
- Record your voice with a small microphone. Bad sound loses viewers faster than average video.
Instagram’s trial Reels let you test a new style on non followers first. Post the same vertical file to YouTube Shorts with the buyer’s question as the title, where it can be found through search for months.
What never goes in a Reel
Yields and price forecasts. A client’s face or deal without written consent. Developer renders without a marketing agreement. The same rules apply to video as to every other advert.