“Others are all doing the same thing, so I’m doing something different,” said Babs De Lay, a top 5 percent broker who recently began growing a large following on social media.
Babs De Lay has been a top real estate broker around Salt Lake City for nearly three decades, but you wouldn’t necessarily know it from their content. The other week, they posted on TikTok about where to get free water in town.
In the video, De Lay sticks a plastic cup under an artesian well in the city’s Central City neighborhood, fills it partway and takes a drink.
“Underneath here is a huge aquifer,” they say. “The pioneers, when they came to Salt Lake, watered their oxen down here. It’s an important aquifer for this part of town, and the trees around here grow really tall because of this aquifer.”
De Lay doesn’t talk about real estate. De Lay doesn’t mention they’re the principal broker of Urban Homes & Estates in Salt Lake City. Aside from De Lay’s Realtor hat, there’s little evidence they’re involved in real estate at all.
The video has been seen hundreds of thousands of times across the five social media platforms De Lay started leaning into about a year ago.
It’s part of a modern marketing strategy that highlights De Lay’s brand as an urbanite who’s interested in the history, unique culture and geography of their city.
“I’m not doing, ‘Hi, here’s how to buy a house. Hi, use me as a Realtor,’” De Lay said. “Nine million other people are doing that. It’s boring. Why would I want to do what they’re doing?”
De Lay has long built their brand as an urban dweller specializing in city real estate.
@thebabsdelay Do you know that Salt Lake City has an Artesian Well where you can get FREE WATER?! It’s cold and delicious and it runs year round at 800 S & 500 E. This aquifer is quite the gift, and the surrounding trees think so too! 🌳💧 #utahrealestate #utahhomes #utahrealtor #utah #realestate #saltlakecity #saltlakecity #realtor #utahhistory #saltlakehistory #historytok #utahliving #historytiktok #utahhomeforsale #realestateagent #historybuff #localutah #historytime #historyfacts #historymatters #architechture #architecture_hunter #architecture_lovers #architectlife
In another recent video, De Lay stands outside of a cathedral in Salt Lake City and explains the architectural and historical details of the building itself. Again, there’s no mention of real estate. No calls to action to ask De Lay about the market or neighborhood. There’s a brief screenshot of De Lay’s business information. Otherwise, it’s realty-free.
Since ramping up their social media strategy, De Lay has grown a following of tens of thousands of people. And those views are translating to deals.
“I get a client probably at least once if not twice a week wanting to use me to sell or buy,” said De Lay, who has spent 25 years as a top 5 percent sales professional among the Salt Lake Board of Realtors’ membership.
De Lay has long written a column for the alternative weekly in Utah’s capital city and advertises in other alternative media throughout the valley as well. Just last night, De Lay had a meeting to discuss advertising in a new spot.
Still, the recent success across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn and NextDoor has opened up a new frontier for attracting potential clients.
“Advertising can be really inexpensive,” De Lay said, “but social media, if you do it yourself, is free.”
@thebabsdelay Did you know Utah’s oldest commercial building is right here in SLC? The Isaac Chase Mill (1847-1852) is packed with pioneer stories, including feeding the community during tough times! It’s also home to an incredible museum these days that I highly reccomend. Check it out! Located inside Tracy Aviary at Liberty Park! SaltLakeCity PioneerHistory HistoricPlaces UtahFacts utahrealestate utahhomes utahrealtor utah realestate saltlakecity realtor utahhistory saltlakehistory historytok utahliving historytiktok utahhomeforsale realestateagent historybuff localutah historytime historyfacts historymatters architechture architecture_hunter architecture_lovers architectlife
♬ original sound – Babs De Lay | Utah REALTOR® – Babs De Lay | Utah REALTOR®
De Lay isn’t exactly doing their social media solo, but it isn’t much of a lift. De Lay estimated they spent a few hours every 10 days shooting 30- to 60-second videos, releasing a new one to their growing audience once every few days. De Lay’s videographer and editor work for their web designer and come with the package.
The way De Lay sees it, every buyer is already starting their journey online.
“They’re not necessarily looking at my website, which is just a small bean in the large pile of groceries,” De Lay said. “Having social media out there where people are actually looking is probably the most effective thing you can do these days for marketing.”
De Lay comes up with most of the ideas for content, but viewers will also reach out with requests and new topics. And it doesn’t hurt that De Lay has a heart for their niche market.
“I have a passion about what I sell and where I live,” De Lay said, “I think that’s what comes out.”
Babs De Lay takeaways
- You don’t have to post on every platform every day. De Lay posts every few days.
- De Lay batches video content by recording for a few hours every 10 days.
- While you might still advertise elsewhere, social media is free and should be part of your plan.
- Authenticity matters. Be real, and lean into your niche to attract warm leads who already “know,” like and trust you.
