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*Why a YouTube Channel Can Undermine Your Local Real Estate Practice**

    When I launched my YouTube channel in 2017, I imagined it would be the ultimate catalyst for my North Shore Chicago real‑estate business. I expected that thousands of views would translate into nonstop calls from buyers and sellers in my own neighborhood, ready to list or purchase. Fast forward eight years: 70 000 subscribers, millions of views, and a top‑ranked “How to Sell Your Home” channel. Yet, instead of exploding locally, the channel actually weakened my core business.

    The core lesson is simple: views and subscribers do not equal closings. Pursuing viral content can erode the local client base you’ve painstakingly built.

    Two years ago, I stopped posting local market updates and began producing videos aimed at any seller, anywhere in the country. A “Magic Paint Colors” clip went viral, amassing over half a million views. Suddenly, I was attracting viewers from across the United States—and even abroad. The problem was that none of these viewers lived in my service area. I was cultivating trust with an audience that could never hire me.

    I became a YouTuber, but my income fell. Every hour spent creating the wrong videos was an hour I wasn’t prospecting, networking, or marketing to people who could actually pay me. My channel’s algorithm favored national content, so when I tried to pivot back to local updates, YouTube stopped pushing my videos to anyone. The audience I had built was no longer engaged, and I had essentially destroyed the local momentum I’d worked for years.

    The irony was that while I gained national recognition, my local business lagged. Thousands of people trusted me, but not the ones who could or would hire me. Many agents fall into the same trap: chasing subscribers, likes, and shares on platforms like Instagram or TikTok. YouTube is a marketing tool, not a standalone business model. If you sell locally, you don’t need thousands of views—you need a handful of views from the exact people in your market who can hire you.

    I eventually realized that I had built a national channel, not a local one. Switching back is difficult because YouTube’s algorithm rewards content that keeps its existing audience engaged. When my local‑market videos failed to attract my national subscribers, the platform stopped recommending them, and I lost the visibility I’d earned.

    However, the national reach opened an unexpected door: referrals. Over the past two years, I have referred thousands of sellers to top agents across the country. That new revenue stream has been highly successful, but it was never my original goal. When I started, I wanted to sell real estate in my own community.

    So, if you’re considering a YouTube channel, decide before you record: are you building a national brand or a local one? A national channel can open doors and generate referrals, but it won’t directly bring local leads for a while. A local channel requires laser focus on hyperlocal content—neighborhood updates, school district insights, community events—and shunning viral gimmicks. Ten thousand views on a national paint video won’t beat 100 views on a local market‑update video from people who can actually hire you.

    YouTube can be one of the most powerful tools for building trust with potential clients, but only when used with purpose. Misguided use can cost years of growth, time, and money, and may be the biggest mistake you can make in your business.

    Before you hit record, ask yourself: am I creating a national channel or a local one? Your future income depends on that choice, and once you commit, there’s no do‑over.

    **Kati Spaniak**

    eXp Realty – leading real‑estate teams on Chicago’s North Shore and St. Augustine, Florida.

    YouTube: WatchKati.com