I see their ads pop on my social media and I think there are some scare tactics. 

Ignore the propaganda videos going around social media.

It seems there’s a common misconception largely influenced by social media, online courses, and influencers who oversimplify the process that real estate is an easy, passive way to generate income with minimal effort.

Every day I mark how many calls to leads I made, how many people I contacted (and was it email, call, text) from my database/past clients....how many social media posts I answered or made, etc.I don't know if that's automating, but every week I can quickly see how much of each money generating thing I did.Do you use Google Calendar? 

Marketing and Lead GenerationFinding and converting leads can be challenging without a solid marketing plan.Solution: Implement a comprehensive marketing strategy, using social media, SEO, and paid ads to attract clients.

But the real difference comes down to what actually drives revenue.For example, splurging on a mural in a one-bedroom rental for travel nurses won’t necessarily increase bookings (unless they’re influencers and you have a social media strategy for your rental).

Whether it's optimizing listings on OTAs, leveraging social media, running targeted ads, or using dynamic pricing tools—I'd love to hear what’s working for you.Some strategies I’ve been exploring include: Enhancing property listings with professional experience photography and compelling descriptions, leveraging Instagram and Facebook ads to attract more direct bookings, and utilizing email marketing to engage past guests.What’s been a game-changer for your vacation rental business?

Agree Google nmls - funny on Facebook where 99% of private lending groups that are public are scam artists you get the "well license isn't required"I reply to this noting that while you are correct in some states - chances of a scammer with a nmls license are less than 1% while those without is 99% on sociale media 

The "online leads" trend becomes a vast pool of scams, each one discovering a new and "better" way to find motivated sellers via SEO/Paid adds/Social Media etc, and automatically aims to make a profit from selling those so-called leads.

Working social media / personal networks is much more dynamic.