The Top Five Biz Dev Media Pieces of 2025
We have the privilege of producing marketing for more than 400 agents and we see an incredible range of creative work every week. Here are a few pieces from this year that stood out.
I pulled together five of the strongest business development projects our Media Team created or contributed to in 2025. They’re not ranked, just selected because they showcase fresh ideas, strong execution, and the kind of work that can inspire your 2026 plans. As you move through the list, think about how these examples might translate into your own business. Each piece offers a quick look at what our Media Team is producing right now and a reminder to use the resources available to you.
1. Social Media Collabs with Hyper Local Accounts
Some of the biggest hyperlocal Instagram accounts in our region offer sponsored collab posts, and agents saw tremendous results using them this year. Washingtonian Magazine, The MoCo Show, and others can put your message or listing in front of tens of thousands of local viewers.
For a few hundred dollars, several collabs reached more than 40,000 views, outperforming what the same spend would generate through a standard social media ad. The reach is hyperlocal, the audience is engaged, and your own account benefits through visibility and new followers. It is a major stage we tapped into in 2025 and a smart option for high-impact listings or announcements.
2. Show the Sweat Postcards
Direct mail still delivers, and just-sold cards remain one of the most reliable ways to build credibility in a neighborhood. This year, custom “Show the Sweat” cards added a new layer by highlighting the actual work behind a sale. Staging decisions, pricing strategy, prep, and targeted outreach all help illustrate the value you bring.
The shift has been powerful, and the examples created this year show how elevated direct mail can be when it focuses on the story behind the result.
3. Coffee and Contracts Social Templates
Because we maintain a Coffee and Contracts subscription, we are able to share their weekly templates directly with you. Each set comes branded for RLAH and delivered in the RLAH This Week with simple instructions for personalization.
Coffee and Contracts understands what works on social platforms, so you are starting with content built for engagement instead of starting from scratch. BTW, we also do this with content from Keeping Current Matters. These subscriptions have helped many agents stay consistent online with polished, low-effort posts throughout the year.
4. The 2025 Design Trends Book
Our annual Design Trends Book distills insights from top designers and major publications into a beautifully printed, magazine-style guide. It is a high-quality piece that agents use at open houses, listing appointments, or as a simple leave behind with a business card.
It elevates your brand and signals that you are paying attention not only to housing, but to the design conversations shaping buyer preferences. It is one of our most popular pieces for good reason.
5. Monthly Market Slides and Customizable Template
Each month, we dig deep into local market data and package the most relevant trends into ready to share slides. Local stats are our obsession, and we are confident no brokerage understands this region more thoroughly. These reports give you an easy way to demonstrate that expertise.
The slides attract real conversations because people care about what is happening in their market. Post them on social, add them to your newsletter, rewrite them into a personal email, or customize the full report with your branding. Agents have used all of these approaches with great success, and the ready-to-use format makes it simple to stay consistent.
We hope these examples spark ideas for your own business development in 2026. Even if you haven’t been consistent with marketing…the Media Team has! And they learn what’s working from serving a large sample of top-performing agents. Lean on that expertise whenever you need it, and they’ll make execution easier than you think.
Reach out to Heath at heath@rlahre.com for help, or submit an order form through RLAHverse so we can start building your marketing now, ahead of the spring market.
