Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Peistrup.
Hi Jacob, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I got my Missouri real estate license at 19, when I was a freshman at Northeastern University in Boston. I was hooked after joining the university’s real estate club and meeting agents, investors, and developers doing big things. When it came time to build my own real estate business, I didn’t have connections or experience, but I was interested in content and marketing.
I figured if I couldn’t outspend people, maybe I could out-create them.
At first, I tried everything: Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, organic posts, paid ads, you name it. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I showed up every day trying to figure it out. In May 2020, I launched a YouTube channel called Living St. Louis. The early days were inconsistent. I didn’t know how to make videos that people were actually searching for, or how to structure content in a way that built trust.
But by November, I made two major decisions: I committed to posting on YouTube weekly, and I teamed up with Madison Hayes, a top-producing real estate agent who saw my content. We met for lunch and clicked really well.
That’s when things started to take off.
In February 2021, one of my videos unexpectedly went viral. Nelly’s 10,000 square-foot mansion in Wildwood had just hit the market, and I tagged along with one of our agents during a showing. I filmed the whole house on my phone, edited a quick 4-minute video, and uploaded it to YouTube. That video now has over half a million views, and it was the moment I realized YouTube could become my entire business model.
6 months later, I pivoted out of real estate sales and started focusing 100% on SEO, content, and branding. I became the dedicated marketing partner for Gateway Realty Group, supporting our agents and growing the team through video and web content. Over time, I layered in SEO, email marketing, built a portfolio of local real estate websites, and began generating $20–30 million in qualified buyer and seller leads annually for the team.
Fast forward to today, I run a St. Louis real estate YouTube channel and manage content-driven lead funnels for agents, mortgage companies, and real estate developers. I collaborate with some of the most ambitious people in St. Louis real estate, and I love it. From helping my real estate team close more deals to launching a video series with The Staenberg Group about Downtown Chesterfield, my focus has always been the same: create content people care about and let the business follow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not smooth. Especially in the early years.
I’m introverted, so putting myself on camera was one of the most awkward, uncomfortable things I’ve done. I’d sit alone in my room, re-record the same line ten times, and still hate how I sounded. I felt like I was playing a character that was supposed to be confident and energetic, when I didn’t always feel that way.
I didn’t tell my friends or family about my YouTube channel for a while. Not because they wouldn’t support me, but because I felt embarrassed.
I’m part of the generation that grew up watching YouTube. Back in middle school and high school, saying you wanted to be a YouTuber was cool… for a while. But most people grew out of it. So when I started a channel and really tried to grow it, it felt kind of cringey. Like I was chasing the childhood dream that I was supposed to let go of.
On top of that, editing my own videos meant hours of watching myself back, hearing my voice on loop, and nitpicking every little thing. And after all that, I’d still hesitate to hit “publish.” Not because I was afraid of views, but because I was afraid of the feedback. Some comments were great, some were brutal. The ones that stung the most weren’t even hate; they were the ones pointing out when I got something wrong. That still bothers me to this day.
Getting the right info for my videos isn’t easy. Sometimes I spend hours researching. Sometimes it’s calling three different agents or tracking down a city official just to confirm a zoning detail. I take that seriously because when you put your name behind something, people expect it to be right. And I want to earn that trust.
I definitely battled imposter syndrome, especially in those first few years. I didn’t feel confident talking about the channel until people started recognizing me around St. Louis or reaching out to say my videos helped them. I still cringe watching my early uploads, but I keep them public. They show the growth.
Nowadays, when I publish a video, I don’t care about going viral or getting instant leads. I care about creating something that adds real value. Something that will live online, get discovered, and build trust over time. I’m still growing. Still learning. But I’ve come a long way from the kid who was too nervous to tell anyone he had a YouTube channel.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I’m a marketing guy who specializes in lead generation for real estate companies. I collaborate closely with a small group of agents, lenders, and developers.
The real engine behind what I do isn’t just visibility online. It’s the done-for-you strategy behind the scenes: storyboarding videos, building SEO pages, creating lead magnets, and automated email sequences that turn traffic into conversations.
What sets me apart is that I don’t make content for content’s sake, and I don’t work with just anyone. I only partner with real estate professionals I trust, who are committed to doing excellent work and serving clients at a high level. Together, we create high-quality, hyper-local content that builds trust, educates the public, and generates leads at scale.
My clients are deeply involved in what we create together, and once the strategy is aligned, I take full ownership of execution. They get to guide the messaging and goals, and I bring it all to life.
I’m most proud of the results. Living St. Louis consistently drives $20–30 million in qualified leads to our real estate team each year. Our mortgage partner is helping dozens of families finance homes who reach out through the channel. And developers like The Staenberg Group are using our video series to build awareness and community support for one of the largest redevelopment projects in the St. Louis region.
At the end of the day, my job is simple: help the best people in real estate share their knowledge, build trust with our audience, and generate business through content that actually matters.
What were you like growing up?
I moved around a lot growing up. Every 1 to 3 years, we were in a new town, new school, and new house. My mom is a doctor, so we moved whenever a new opportunity came up in her career. I got used to being the new kid. I was well-liked by classmates, but I never had a core group of close friends because I was constantly starting over.
I was shy, not very athletic, and never the loudest person in the room. But I committed myself to school. I took 11 AP exams in high school, night classes at WashU, joined academic competitions like Science Olympiad, and spent more time writing papers and studying for tests than hanging out with friends. As soon as I was old enough to drive, I got a part-time job working at Jamba Juice after school a couple days a week.
I was used to figuring things out on my own, working hard behind the scenes, and adapting to whatever came next. That’s still how I operate today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://livingstlouismo.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobpeistrup/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LivingStLouis
- Other: https://realestateseostrategy.com/
