2023 is here, and here comes the market change. With the pandemic behind us and expectations of a market crash, there are not as many homebuyers as there were a year ago. However, an agent does not wait for the market to adapt; an experienced agent knows not to wait and to keep working while others wait in silence. Real estate ads, as one of the most powerful sources of leads, are still available to agents. This article will explore the ways agents can get Real Estate buyer leads using ads.
Why Spend Money on Ads When The Market is Down
The market changes all the time. It did not stay the same last year, and it will not stay like this in the future. Sometime in the future, the market will pick up, and buyers and sellers will start looking for agents. But if you think that without keeping your marketing up, you will be one of those agents, you are wrong. Buying a home is one of the biggest financial stages for everyone, and to go through such an important process, homebuyers will look for someone they can trust. And if you go silent in times of recession, you cannot get their trust overnight. People will pick those agents who have been in sight the whole time.
Watch the video below to get some insight from the experts
On the other hand, cutting back on marketing during a recession may not be the best strategy for several reasons. First, cutting back on marketing can make it harder to get back market share when the economy gets better because less people will know about the brand and be loyal to it. Also, cutting back on marketing can show clients and competitors that an agent is having trouble, which can hurt their reputation and ability to compete. Instead, agents may want to consider adjusting their marketing strategies to better align with the current economic climate, such as focusing on cost-effective methods or emphasizing value to appeal to price-sensitive clients.
Should I Use The Boost Button to Get Real Estate Buyer Leads?
The “Boost Post” button was first introduced in 2014 to help businesses show their content to more people and get more reach. According to Facebook, this easy-to-use feature allows users to reach more audiences. However, using the “Boost Post” button is a bad idea, as you have:
- Limited ads goals
- Limited targeting
- Poor budget control
- No ability to run ads before posting them to your timeline.
- Reach-based ads only
With the “boost post” button on Facebook, realtors can quickly and easily make their posts more visible to a larger audience. However, this may not be the best way to do things for a number of reasons.
For starters, “boost post” does not provide many targeting choices, which means the post will be seen to an audience that may or may not be interested in the property. This can result in a waste of advertising dollars.
Second, the expense of a “boost post” can quickly mount, particularly if the realtor does not see a return on investment. Realtors should know how much they can spend on advertising and use that money for the best methods.
Third, boosting posts doesn’t tell you anything about how well the post is working. Real estate salespeople must track the results of their advertising strategies to determine what is and is not working.
All of this means that when you boost a post, your content will automatically be shown to more people over whom you have no control. That’s pretty much it. Isn’t that the worst way to spend your money?
Real Estate Buyer Leads Using Ads: Type of Ads
Facebook ads in many forms can be used to create leads for real estate purchasers. The best way for a real estate agent to get buyer leads will depend on what their specific goals are and who they want to sell to. However, certain types of ads have been shown to be efficient in generating leads for real estate brokers, such as:
Carousel ads
Carousel ads for real estate buyer leads are a type of social media advertising that lets real estate agents show off many homes in one ad on sites like Facebook and Instagram. These ads often have a lot of pictures or videos of the property as well as information about its location, price, and features. They are intended to bring potential buyers to a real estate agent’s website or direct them to contact them directly. They can be a great way to get leads and make your brand more well-known in a certain area.
Video Ads
Facebook video ads for real estate buyer leads are a sort of advertising on the Facebook platform that uses video content to showcase properties and generate leads for real estate brokers. These ads can be made to fit certain demographics, like age, location, hobbies, and buying habits. This makes them a good way to reach potential buyers in a certain area. Real estate agencies can use Facebook video advertising to provide potential buyers with a closer look at houses and highlight essential aspects such as location, size, and amenities. They can also include CTA buttons that take users to the agent’s website or contact information.
Dynamic Ads
Facebook dynamic ads for real estate buyer leads are a type of advertising that lets real estate agents send targeted ads to potential buyers based on what websites or mobile apps they have visited in the past. Using Facebook’s dynamic ad feature, these ads are made to automatically show homes that match what the buyer is looking for. This means that if a potential buyer has been looking for properties in a specific location or with specific attributes, the advertising will display properties that meet those requirements. This type of advertising is very specific, and it can be a good way for real estate brokers to get leads. It gives the agent the ability to show the right property to the right person at the right time. The agent can also use Facebook’s Pixel to track how the visitor uses the website by using Facebook dynamic ads. This lets them retarget the visitor with more useful information.
Lookalike Audience
Lookalike audience ads for real estate buyer leads are a type of Facebook advertising that lets real estate brokers target potential buyers who are similar to their current customers or website visitors. These ads are made possible by Facebook’s “Lookalike Audience” tool, which allows agents to generate an audience of people who have similar qualities to their present customers or website visitors. This can be done by uploading a list of the agent’s current customers or by using Facebook’s Pixel to track what website visitors do.
Once the audience has been built, the agent can build and run ads that will be seen by people who match the Lookalike audience’s criteria. This is a good way to get in touch with new buyers who, like the agent’s current customers, are likely to be interested in the agent’s properties. Lookalike audience advertising can also be used to make an agent’s campaigns reach more people by focusing on people who don’t know the agent’s brand.
Lead Generation Ads
Create Facebook Lead Generation Ads with a form for potential buyers and sellers to fill out with their contact information. Real estate lead generation ads are a type of Facebook ad that real estate agents can use to get leads right from the ad. These advertisements often include a form that potential buyers and sellers can use to provide contact information, such as their name, email address, and phone number.
When a potential buyer or seller submits the form, their contact information is automatically forwarded to the real estate agent, who can then contact them to provide additional information about the property or to discuss their buying or selling needs.
Lead generation ads on Facebook are an excellent approach for real estate brokers to produce leads since they allow agents to target certain demographics, hobbies, behaviors, and more. They also make it simple for potential buyers and sellers to enter contact information without leaving the ad.
Real estate agents can target people who are looking for a new home or want to sell the one they have with lead generation advertising. They can also target people who live in specific neighborhoods or regions, or who are in specific life stages, such as first-time house buyers or empty nesters, using lead generation ads.
Retargeting Ads
Retargeting advertisements for real estate on Facebook are a type of ad that allows real estate agents to show ads to people who have previously visited their website or connected with their Facebook page. Agents often use these ads to get in touch with potential buyers or sellers who have shown interest in their services but haven’t taken any action yet.
Retargeting advertising are made by embedding a small piece of code known as a “pixel” on the agent’s website. This pixel records when someone visits the page and compiles a list of those who have done so. The agent can then use this list to build a “custom audience” on Facebook and target advertising to those people precisely.
Retargeting advertising can be used to promote both specific properties and the services of the agent as a whole. They can also be used to offer discounts or special deals to customers who have shown interest in the agent’s services in the past.
Retargeting advertising can be extremely beneficial for real estate brokers since they enable them to target people who have previously expressed an interest in their services. This increases the likelihood of turning leads into sales. Retargeting advertising can also assist raise brand awareness and remind potential buyers and sellers of the agent’s services.
The Best Content to Use on Facebook Ads to Get Buyer Leads
The best content to use in Facebook ads to get buyer leads will depend on the real estate agent’s goals and the people they want to reach. However, the following sorts of content have been shown to be useful in generating leads for real estate agents:
- High-quality images and videos of properties: These allow potential buyers to get a detailed look at properties and highlight key features such as location, size, and amenities.
- Virtual tours and 360-degree images: These allow potential buyers to explore properties from the comfort of their own homes.
- Location-based content: This includes images and videos of the local area, including nearby shops, restaurants, and amenities, which can help potential buyers envision themselves living in the area.
- Testimonials and customer reviews: These can help build trust and credibility with potential buyers, and can help them feel more comfortable contacting the agent.
- Informative blog posts and articles: These can provide useful information to potential buyers, such as tips on buying a home, financing options, and the buying process.
It’s important for agents to use a mix of these types of content and try out different versions to see what their target audience responds to best. Also, all of the agent’s ads should have a clear call-to-action (CTA) that directs potential buyers to their website or contact information. The agent should also make sure that the design of the ad fits with their brand and looks good.
Elements of High-Performance Buyer Leads Ads
How your ads on Facebook perform depends heavily on the ad itself and how it is set up. Here are 3 most important elements of a winning buyer leads ad:
A Helpful Offer
Homebuyers are concerned with their own requirements, not yours. They are continuously searching the internet for answers to their questions. The majority are first-time homebuyers who are already anxious. After all, buying a home is one of the most important decisions a person will make in their lives. Here are some of the themes that prospective homebuyers search for on the internet:
- The neighborhood they are planning to move to
- Local businesses, facilities, and amenities
- Getting a mortgage and the process
- All the costs involved in the home-buying process
- Listed homes in their target neighborhood
- Recently sold properties in their target neighborhood
Creating and offering a valuable resource, such as a home-buying guide, local market report, or mortgage calculator, can be a great way to capture leads and build trust with potential buyers.
Hyper-Targeting
You want to reach out to those who are most likely to interact with your ads while avoiding those who are uninterested in your offer. After all, you will be charged for the number of people you reach. Fortunately, Facebook has one of the most effective targeting methods available. As more interests are added to the targeting options, the audience becomes smaller and more accurate.
Facebook offers several targeting options for real estate agent advertisements, which can help enhance ad visibility to a relevant demographic. Here are some strategies real estate brokers can use to reach out to potential buyers and sellers using Facebook’s targeting options:
With this tool, agents can show ads to people in certain neighborhoods or cities. This is handy for directing advertisements to local buyers and vendors.
Demographic targeting: Agents can use this option to target ads depending on the user’s age, gender, education, and hobbies. For example, agents can make ads for people who have just moved to a certain area or who have said they want to buy or sell a home.
Interest targeting: With this feature, agents can show ads to people who are interested in things like home improvement, real estate, and interior design. This can help to enhance the visibility of your ad to people who are more likely to be interested in buying or selling a home.
Custom Audiences: This option allows agents to target ads to users who have previously interacted with their business, such as by visiting their website or engaging with their Facebook page. This can help agents re-engage with leads that have already shown interest in their services.
Lookalike Audiences: This option allows agents to target ads to users who are similar to their current customer base.
By using these targeting options, real estate agents can increase the visibility of their ads to a relevant audience and increase the chances of reaching potential buyers and sellers.
We always recommend running hyper-local real estate ads that target very specific communities to present the most relevant messaging and maximize your buyer leads.
A Dedicated Landing Page
A landing page, by definition, is a page on your website with a single purpose. That means you cannot use any landing page for other purposes as well. If you are paying to run ads on Facebook, you need to make sure you have created their corresponding landing pages. When users click on your ad, they should be taken to this landing page, where they are further driven through your marketing funnel. The goal of the landing page is to get the message across and get the visitor to do something.
What The Landing Pages for Buyer Lead Ads Should Have
To effectively capture and convert leads, a landing page for real estate buyer lead ads should have a few key elements. Here are some of the things that a landing page for real estate buyer lead ads should have:
- A clear and compelling headline: The headline should grab the attention of potential buyers and clearly communicate the value of the page.
- A form to capture lead information: The form should be prominently displayed on the page and should ask for basic contact information such as name, email address, and phone number.
- A strong call to action (CTA): The CTA should be prominently displayed on the page and should clearly communicate the next step for the potential buyer, such as “Sign up for property updates” or “schedule a showing.”
- Images and videos of properties: High-quality images and videos of properties can help potential buyers visualize themselves living in the home and can increase the chances of converting leads.
- Testimonials and reviews: Including testimonials and reviews from previous buyers can help establish trust and credibility with potential buyers.
- Information about the agent: Include a brief bio and contact information for the agent. This helps to establish trust and credibility with potential buyers.
- Contact information: Provide a clear and easy way for potential buyers to contact the agent, such as a phone number or email address.
- Responsive design: The landing page should be optimized for all devices, including mobile and desktop, to ensure that potential buyers have a positive user experience regardless of how they access the page.
By putting these important things on the landing page, real estate agents can effectively capture leads from buyer lead ads on Facebook and other platforms and turn them into customers.
Real Estate Buyer Leads Using Ads Tips
Here are some tips on how to get Real Estate buyer leads using ads:
Early Follow-up
Once you get Real Estate buyer leads using ads, you need to follow up with them. Allowing those leads to sit for a while is a huge mistake. After all, you are not the only agent running ads out there. Your competitor is getting a head start with their leads, who might as well be your leads too.
Real estate agents should follow up early with their leads from real estate ads for several reasons:
- Timing is critical: The longer an agent waits to follow up with a lead, the less likely it is that the lead will convert into a sale. Research shows that the likelihood of converting a lead decreases significantly after the first five minutes, and the first hour is considered the “golden hour” for following up with leads.
- Speed to lead: Being the first to contact a lead can give an agent a significant advantage over other agents. A lead is more likely to work with an agent that responds quickly and efficiently.
- Builds trust and credibility: Following up early with leads demonstrates an agent’s professionalism and willingness to go the extra mile to help potential buyers and sellers.
- Establish a relationship: Early follow-up allows agents to start building a relationship with a lead, which can increase the chances of converting the lead into a sale.
- Identify hot leads: Following up early allows agents to identify the leads that are most interested in buying or selling a property, allowing them to prioritize their efforts and focus on the most promising leads.
It is a Long Journey
The majority of buyer leads you reach using ads are not ready to buy a home. They might need six months to a year to make their first move. So, do not expect your leads to buy a home right away. You need to think of the lead conversion process as a marathon, in which you should create value for your audience so that they will in turn pick you once they are ready to finally make their move. Running ads regularly over time can help agents keep a presence on the platform and make potential buyers more aware of their brand.
Watch the video below and learn more about why leads are not ready to buy a home right away
The length of time that agents should keep running their ads on Facebook can vary depending on their specific goals and budget. However, here are some general guidelines:
- Minimum time frame: Typically, agents should aim to run their ads for at least a few weeks to ensure that they reach a large enough audience and have enough data to evaluate the effectiveness of the ads.
- Test and Optimize: Running ads for a longer period of time, such as several months, can help agents test different ad formats, targeting options, and creatives, and optimize their campaigns accordingly.
- Consistency: Running ads consistently over time can help agents maintain a presence on the platform and increase brand awareness among potential buyers and sellers.
- Re-engage: Running ads for a longer period of time can also allow agents to re-engage with leads that may not be ready to buy or sell a property yet, but could be in the future.
It’s important to note that while a longer period of time is better, an agent should also pay attention to the performance of their ads and adjust their targeting and budget accordingly. This will ensure that the ads are reaching the right audience and are cost-effective.
Test and Optimize
Keep track of the performance of your ads and adjust your targeting and budget accordingly. This will help you reach the right audience and optimize your ad spending. Testing and optimizing real estate ads on Facebook is important for several reasons:
- Maximize ROI: Testing and optimizing ads allows agents to identify the ad formats, targeting options, and creatives that perform the best and generate the most leads. This can help agents maximize their return on investment (ROI) and get the most out of their ad budget.
- Reach the right audience: Testing different targeting options allows agents to identify the demographics, interests, behaviors, and more that are most likely to convert into leads. This can help agents reach the right audience and increase the chances of generating leads.
- Improve ad performance: Testing different ad formats and creatives allows agents to identify the ad elements that perform the best. This can help agents improve the performance of their ads and generate more leads.
- Adapt to changes: Facebook’s algorithm and audience demographics are constantly changing, so testing and optimizing ads allows agents to stay current with these changes and ensure their ads are still reaching the right audience.
- Staying ahead of the competition: Real estate market is highly competitive, by testing and optimizing their ads agents can stay ahead of their competition and generate more leads.
Use Videos
Using videos on Facebook ads for real estate can be an effective way for agents to generate leads because:
- Videos can be used to tell the story of the property and the lifestyle of living in it, which can be more engaging and effective than just text and images.
- Videos are more likely to be shared and generate more views, which can help increase the reach of the agent’s ads and generate more leads.
- Facebook prioritizes video content in its algorithm and gives more visibility to video ads, which can increase the chances of the ad being seen by potential buyers.
How Much Money Should You Spend on Facebook Ads?
The amount of money that agents should spend on Facebook ads to get leads will depend on a variety of factors, including the agent’s budget, target audience, and goals. It’s generally recommended that agents start with a small budget, and then increase it as they see results.
As a general rule of thumb, agents should aim to spend at least $5 per day per ad set, and then adjust their budget accordingly based on the performance of their ads. This can be increased or decreased depending on the results.
It’s important for agents to track the performance of their ads and adjust their budgets accordingly. This can be done by monitoring metrics such as click-through rate (CTR), cost per lead, and return on investment (ROI). If an ad is not performing well, the agent should consider adjusting the ad’s targeting, creative, or budget.
In any case, agents should work with a professional to create and manage their Facebook ads campaigns to ensure they are reaching the right audience, with the right message and the right budget.