Scott Betley didn't build a $300M mortgage pipeline by cold calling. He built it with a 9-second TikTok video.
That video got 300,000 views. Thousands of comments. Dozens of live mortgage applications.
I sat down with Scott — @ThatMortgageGuy — to break down exactly how he did it.
The 9-Second Formula
Scott's most viral content follows a simple structure:
1. Hook (1-2 seconds): A bold, counterintuitive statement 2. Proof (3-5 seconds): One specific number or result 3. CTA (2-3 seconds): One clear next step
That's it. No fancy editing. No expensive equipment. Just a phone, good lighting, and a message that resonates.
Why Short-Form Works for Real Estate
Most real estate content fails because it's too polished, too generic, or too focused on the agent instead of the client.
Short-form content works because:
- It meets people where they are (scrolling)
- It delivers value in seconds, not minutes
- It builds trust through repetition and consistency
- It generates inbound leads instead of outbound cold calls
The Content Categories That Convert
Scott organizes his content into four buckets:
1. Education — "Did you know you can buy a house with 3% down?" 2. Myth-busting — "You don't need 20% down. Here's the truth." 3. Behind-the-scenes — "Here's what happens the day you close on a house" 4. Social proof — "My client just closed on their dream home. Here's how we made it happen."
The Volume Game
Scott posts every single day. Not because every video goes viral — but because consistency builds the algorithm's trust and your audience's familiarity.
"Most people quit right before it works," Scott told me. "The agents who win on social media are the ones who show up when nobody's watching."
Your First Step
You don't need 1 million followers to make short-form content work for your business. You need 10 clients.
Start with one video this week. Answer the question your clients ask you most. Film it on your phone. Post it.
That's how Scott started. That's how you start.
— Keith
