Heider didn’t just adopt video marketing—he built his business around it. He experimented with various video formats and unique ways to capture people’s attention online when he entered the business about 15 years ago.

“You didn’t go and take some master class in social media marketing; you experimented with it,” Heider says. “I feel like especially now with AI, that mindset of play and experimentation is so important.”

Heider leaned in early, creating a video for every listing, building a deep library of content and later repurposing it for social media. In 2020, when the pandemic accelerated digital consumption, he was ready.

“With all of the attention being on social media, I just knew that it was a really great opportunity for us to develop a brand,” he says. That strategy helped him generate millions of views and position his team in the D.C. market. But he’s quick to emphasize that marketing is only the first step.

“Social media has just opened the door and introduced a lot of people to who we are,” he says.

What happens after that introduction is what matters most.