How Ela Knapp Stands Out on Social Media (and Why She Listens Before She Sells)
Every agent is on social media these days. Scroll for thirty seconds and you'll see the same trending audio, the same "just listed" graphics, and the same captions over and over. So how does a newer agent actually stand out?
That's exactly what I wanted to dig into with my guest this week, Ela Knapp, a rising rock star with the Danielle Seifert Real Estate Team at RE/MAX Concepts. Ela grew up in Ankeny, graduated from Iowa State with a degree in Marketing and HR, and jumped into real estate in 2024. Today her business runs on social media, her sphere, and weekly open houses, with a niche in first-time homebuyers and new construction, including custom builds.
We covered a lot of ground. Here's the rundown.
Growing Up in Ankeny (and Watching It Explode)
Ela loves the community Ankeny gave her growing up. Everything was in one place: shops, restaurants, great schools, sports, and always something going on. She said you really only left town to head downtown or to the mall.
She's watched Ankeny grow up alongside her. About ten years ago it really started to take off, and now it's past 80,000 people. When she'd drive home from college in the summer, there'd be new businesses, new Casey's, new QuikTrips, and new boutiques every time. The District, the Ankeny Farmers Market's bigger new home, and all the concerts and events have pulled even more people to town. Ela lives in the Ames area right now, but she plans to move back to Ankeny within the next year because she misses it.
A Real Estate Family, Just a Different Lane
Ela's dad is a commercial broker, and she interned at his office for a bit. She didn't learn much about the commercial side (she worked mostly with accountants and property managers), but it planted the seed.
In college she was set on digital marketing until she realized it meant corporate guidelines and a desk all day. Then she noticed agents in Iowa and other states building their businesses on social media and thought, "That's already what I want to do." Real estate let her combine sales, customer service, marketing, and social media into a business of her own.
Her biggest cheerleaders? Her dad, who reposts everything she shares, and her fiancé, a farmer who somehow likes her posts within the hour, stories included. 😂
From Custom Apparel Sales to Real Estate
Before real estate, Ela sold custom apparel to sororities, fraternities, and other organizations on straight commission. The biggest lesson from that job, and from a college sales class she loved, still drives how she works today:
Listen before you sell.
If you lead with product knowledge before you understand what someone actually wants, you lose them. With buyers, Ela isn't tied to one builder or one type of house. She sees herself in more of a customer service role than a sales role, and she loves finding something that fits exactly what her clients are looking for.
Why She Joined Danielle Seifert's Team
Here's a fun full-circle moment: Danielle represented Ela's dad when the family moved back when Ela was in junior high. When Ela got licensed, her dad told her to give Danielle a call. After interviewing a few teams and brokerages, she picked Danielle because it felt like a challenge. Danielle gives her agents a lot of agency and teaches them to run their own business, not just be an employee.
Life Outside of Open Houses
When she's not hosting open houses, Ela is hanging out with friends, tailgating Iowa State games this fall, listening to music, going on walks, reading every night before bed, and drinking plenty of coffee. ☕
Her favorite Iowa State memories come from homecoming and Greek Week, including the famously odd tradition of Yell Like Hell. (If you don't know it, look it up.)
Balancing Business Goals With Life Goals
I shared a quote from a book I'd just read: people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in five. So I asked Ela what the next three to five years look like.
Her answer was refreshing. Most of her biggest goals aren't about business at all. She's getting married next year, planning to buy a home, and eventually thinking about starting a family. Her business is what supports those goals.
Day to day, she's focused on:
Consistency and intentionality. Keeping up with prospecting, posting, and outreach, even when clients get busy and real estate gets spontaneous.
Staying connected with past clients. Every Christmas she sends out a little calendar that ends up on people's fridges all year.
Being present. She wants to keep her screen time under three hours a day, which is a bold goal for someone whose business lives on social media.
We also talked about journaling as a way to hold yourself accountable. Ela called it "an audit of your life," a way to look back and see whether you actually spent the day on something meaningful.
Quick Picks With Ela
A few highlights from our rapid-fire round:
Ankeny or Ames? Ankeny
Brand new build or charming older home? About five years old, with one owner, trees that are finally growing, and no construction crews next door
Open concept or separate rooms? Designated spaces, and she's against new builds skipping the dining room
Instagram or TikTok? TikTok
Morning person or night owl? Morning person, but 6:45 morning, not 4 a.m.
Iced or hot coffee? Iced
Iowa State football or basketball? Basketball (though she admits she's there for the friends, not the sports)
Favorite bite in Ankeny? Main Street, and we're both big Portofino's fans
Walk-in closet or huge kitchen island? Walk-in closet with a medium island
Sunday open house snack? Chocolate chip cookies from Casey's (and no, she doesn't pretend she baked them)
Best piece of custom apparel she ever sold? Special Olympics Polar Plunge shirts during Greek Week
Iowa State Fair must-have? Mozzatini sticks from Destination Grill, plus tanghulu
Mountains or beach? Beach
Trending Topic: How to Stand Out on Social Media
This was the heart of the conversation. Social media is where agents try to stand out, but it can all start to look the same. Here's Ela's approach:
Look outside real estate for ideas. She pulls inspiration from businesses in totally different industries, then makes it her own.
Don't copy and paste trends. Trends are going to exist, but she changes them enough that nobody would ever think she copied them.
Talk to the camera. Talking videos, especially on TikTok, let people get to know your expertise and your personality. When they're ready to reach out, they already feel like they know someone they trust.
Know your audience. Figure out exactly who you're trying to connect with, then create content they'd actually care about.
Have a plan. Especially when you're starting out, being intentional beats posting randomly.
And one more thing she said that every agent should hear: social media isn't going to be perfect, and people appreciate authenticity.
Connect With Ela Knapp
If you're a first-time buyer or thinking about new construction or a custom build in the Ankeny and Des Moines area, Ela is a great person to have in your corner.
Phone: 515-865-6215
Email: [email protected]
TikTok: @eknapprealestate (DMs open on TikTok and Instagram)
Team: Danielle Seifert Real Estate Team at RE/MAX Concepts
Listen to the Full Episode
There's a lot more in the full conversation, including the cookie story, the Cattlemen's beef sundae debate, and a few AI tool opinions. Search for The Lofty Lender with #TallMoneyMan wherever fine podcasts are downloaded, and if you've got questions about buying your first home or financing a new build, I'm just a call away at 319-850-2435.
