I manage $2.9M in annual marketing budget across multifamily properties, and the biggest lesson I've learned is that decisions backed by actual performance data over time beat trending tactics every single time. When I implemented UTM tracking across our campaigns, we saw a 25% increase in qualified leads--but that took six months of testing and adjusting, not a weekend. The red flag I watch for is anyone promising results without showing you the testing period or the failures along the way. We reduced our cost per lease by 15% last year, but that came after analyzing resident feedback data through Livly for months and creating maintenance FAQ videos because people kept complaining about the same oven issues post-move-in. The unsexy work of collecting data and iterating is what actually moves numbers. Here's my litmus test: if a creator's advice would require you to spend money or make a major decision within 48 hours, close the app. When I negotiate vendor contracts, I spend weeks pulling historical performance data and portfolio benchmarks before signing anything. Real financial strategy always includes a "let me look at the numbers first" phase, never a "act now before this opportunity disappears" phase.
It's funny, when a client is buying their first apartment, they'll spend weeks obsessing over the inspection report. They want to know every detail about the foundation, the plumbing, the roof. Then they'll turn around and throw their savings at a crypto coin they saw in a 30-second TikTok video. That's the core of the problem right there. TikTok is a platform built to show off the fresh paint and the fancy kitchen. It's all about the finished product. Your job, as a smart investor, is to find the one person in that entire feed who's willing to talk about the leaky pipes in the basement. The dangerous creators are easy to spot once you know what to look for. They're the ones selling a destination. It's all Lamborghinis, beaches, and big numbers on a screen. They never show you the boring, frustrating, multi-year journey it actually takes to build wealth. They just show you the party at the end. They also speak in guarantees. "This stock can't miss." "The next 100x coin, guaranteed." The moment I hear words like that, I'm out. Real investing is about managing all the things that can and do go wrong, not pretending risk doesn't exist. The good creators? They're much quieter, and they sound totally different. For starters, they're the ones who begin by telling you how you could lose all your money. They lead with the risks. It sounds pessimistic, but that's how you know they're a pro who actually respects your money. And most importantly, they teach you the "building codes" instead of just showing you a pretty house. They'll explain a boring concept like diversification or show you how to read a financial report. They give you the tools, so you can make your own decisions. That focus on learning the fundamentals is everything. It's what we teach in our own real estate investing basics, and that same mindset is the only thing that will protect you online.
Younger audiences should consider TikTok finance content the same way we do for websites when assessing SEO, credibility, transparency, and intent. In my experience with the analysis of digital content, the number one red flag is a creator promising outsized returns. The next is the creator simplifies complicated financial topic into one-size-fits-all advice. Both of these concepts are the same phenomenon that occurs in the search engines when thin, keyword-stuffed content ranks and provides no genuine value. Credible creators will tell viewers to consider risks, they will cite legitimate sources and provide relevant information, and will focus more on educating participants rather than hyping up. I challenge younger investors to compare TikTok information to others sources, regulators, financial institutions, or trusted publications. Just as Google puts more emphasis on depth, accuracy, and transparency, consumers should "decrease" viewership on creators who do not bring any of those attributes to their videos, treating virality the same as substance.