You’re doing Facebook Realtor Ads Wrong (quick fix)

Facebook is one of the most popular social networking platforms, with over 2 billion monthly active users. It can be a great tool to generate leads for your business.

Here are some best practices for using Facebook ads to generate leads:

1. Start with building a fantastic Facebook business page

As the number of Facebook users continues to grow, so does the opportunity for businesses to reach new leads through this social media platform. An excellent Facebook business page can help you promote your business by building brand awareness and generating leads. It would be best to keep a few things in mind when developing your business page.

First, it’s important to understand that Facebook is all about building relationships. That means that your page shouldn’t be all about selling – instead, focus on developing your page as a platform for adding value that your target audience will appreciate.

Think about what kind of information your customers would find helpful, and make sure to post regularly. Then, engage with your followers by responding to comments and questions. This engagement creates a sense of community around your brand.

Finally, don’t forget to use Facebook Insights to track your page’s performance and see how you can improve. With a little effort, you can turn your Facebook business page into a powerful marketing tool for generating leads.

2. Consider your brand and first impression

Create a brand identity that is eye-catching, consistent, and compelling. This will make it easier for people to find you when they’re searching for your products or services on Facebook. Your Facebook business page should feature your logo and brand colors and include pertinent information about your business, such as how to contact you.

People are visual creatures, so make sure your photos are professional and eye-catching. Use high-quality images on your page and in your ads.

Post engaging content that will encourage people to like and share your page with their friends. Think about what kind of information or offers would be most valuable to your target audience.

3. Define your target audience

In the good old days (some might say) of social media marketing, Facebook would let businesses target their market by marital status, ZIP code, gender, and even their “likeliness to move.” Changes to Fair Housing rules have made today’s targeting a little more complicated, but it can still be done.

Demographics

As a business owner, you know that reaching the right customer is essential to your bottom line. But how do you ensure you’re targeting the right demographics on Facebook? With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook offers a vast pool of potential leads for your business. But with so many people using the platform, it can be challenging to target your ideal customer. Whether you are targeting recent college graduates or retirees, you must tailor your Facebook ads to relate your services and expertise to the problems people are trying to solve at each stage of adulthood.

Interests

When you think about life events that point to potential interest in buying or selling a home, a few obvious ones quickly come to mind, like getting married or expecting a baby. However, by targeting individuals with specific interests, you can leverage your Facebook ads into high-quality leads.

Here are some you could try:

• Vacation homes
• Mortgage rates
• First-time homebuyer
• FSBO
• Investment properties
• Refinancing
• Investing in real estate
• Summer cottage
• Luxury real estate

Those seem pretty obvious. How about these?

• Preschools
• Paternity leave
• Bridal shower
• Prenatal care
• Adoption
• Retirement
• Empty nest
• College graduation
• Home Improvement

4. Develop your campaign

If you’re looking to create an ad campaign on Facebook that generates leads, there are a few things you need to keep in mind. First, you need to have a clear goal for your campaign. What are you trying to achieve? Second, you need to create relevant ads for your target audience. What will resonate with them? Third, you need to use effective call-to-actions in your ads. What will get them to take the next step?

When you begin the process of creating a Facebook ad, one of the first steps is to choose an objective for your campaign. For our purposes here, you would select “Lead Generation.” As you move through the process, you will be asked to provide information about your target audience and to choose an ad type.

You may be tempted to choose a single ad type and just change out the words and graphics from time to time, but that’s a mistake. Instead, to keep your company fresh in people’s minds, you should experiment with a mix of ad types. For example, you can use a carousel to showcase new listings or a video ad to present a walkthrough.

Want to see how many leads you can collect and sort them out from there? Under form type, you can indicate whether you prefer “more volume” or “higher intent.” Choosing the latter option is more likely to generate high-quality leads, whereas the former will be focused on getting the highest number of respondents.

5. Create your lead forms

A lead form is a web form that allows a user to express interest in a product or service. Lead forms can be used to collect contact information, learn about customer needs and interests, and track results. Taking the time to create a well-designed lead form increases the chances of collecting high-quality leads that will result in conversions.

There are several different types of lead forms. The most common types of lead forms are contact forms, registration forms, and subscription forms. Contact forms are the simplest type of lead form and are typically used to capture essential information like name and email address. For example, if you want to collect information on cash buyers, you could use a registration form to assemble a cash buyers list. With a subscription form, you can get website visitors to sign up for your weekly or monthly newsletter.

6. Offer a lead magnet

If you want to generate leads on Facebook, the best way to do it is to offer a lead magnet. A lead magnet is something that a potential customer can get for free in exchange for their contact information. By offering a lead magnet, you can quickly and easily build a list of potential customers that you can then market to in the future.

Here are some lead magnets that are sure to get results:

Buyer’s guide – First-time homebuyers are often surprised by everything that goes into buying a home. A buyer’s guide can offer a neat summary of topics ranging from finding the right home, writing a compelling offer, differences between mortgage loan types, and preparing for closing.

Seller’s guide – Sellers don’t have to do anything special to list their home for sale, but if they fail to consider curb appeal and home condition, they won’t make as much as possible. A seller’s guide includes information on how to prepare a home to list, guidance on preparing for a home inspection, staging tips, and a guide for closing.

Market outlook – Buyers and sellers need to have at least a basic understanding of market conditions to be able to make educated decisions. A market guide could include information on local trends and inform expectations for the buying or selling process.

Community resource – When people look at your community to potentially buy a home or land, they will always have questions about what the community is like. Providing a community resource that talks about local services, retailers, and information about public transit can generate high-quality leads.

First-time homebuyer’s guide – The learning curve for first-time homebuyers is steep. There is a lot they need to know, from the principles guiding financing to the basics of home repair and maintenance. A first-time homebuyer’s guide is an excellent lead generator.

Guide to home inspections – Home inspections can easily sink a real estate deal. A guide to home inspections could explain what buyers and sellers need to know about the inspection process.

Local tourism guide – A downloadable guide with local attractions such as museums, parks, and other cultural and recreational spaces.

Intro to mortgage loans – The financing process can be stressful for first-time buyers. Offer a guide that explains how the process works and what they should expect as they work with a lender.

Restaurant guide – A downloadable guide featuring area restaurants and farmers’ markets.

Pre-listing checklist for home sellers – This checklist should include a list of repairs and upgrades people should consider before listing their home, as well as tips for staging and a checklist of important documents they should have on hand.

Pre-closing checklist for home buyers – A guide to the closing process and what buyers should do to prepare. This resource can also include information about how to read the home inspector’s report and appraisal.

How to make a winning offer guide – Writing a good offer is more than just throwing out a number. Savvy buyers can use creative concessions and allowances to set their offer apart from the rest.

Webinars – With all of your expert knowledge, it seems a shame not to share it. Webinars are a great way to generate leads while also building a reputation for being a competent, approachable, and trustworthy real estate professional.

 

How Much Does It Cost to Run Real Estate Facebook Ads?

Luckily, it doesn’t cost as much as you’d think. In some cases, Facebook advertising can be flat out cheap. It really depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Usually, you’ll be looking at a low of $4 per lead to a high of $100 per lead. That may seem like a lot, but you’ll pay much more for one of the best real estate lead generation companies that will also bring in some dud leads.

Of course, how much you pay per lead will depend on how well you can target leads, how good your developed ads are, and how many other people are targeting the same audience that you are. However, if you play your cards right, your price per lead should go down as you get better at Facebook advertising.

 

Why Facebook Ads? 

Facebook ads offer a variety of benefits. Here are some to consider:

Allows you to Micro-Target Your Audience

When setting up your ad, you will be given the option to select who sees the ad based on factors like:

• Age
• Gender
• Location
• Spoken languages
• Job title and income
• Political affiliation
• Behaviors and recent purchases
• Major life events
• Education level
• Interests

This feature allows you to micro-target your audience, so you are reaching people that are likely to convert. 

The site also allows you to target people who have previously interacted with your brand, a feature that’s not available with PPC ads.

High ROI

Facebook is known for bringing in high ROIs. 41% of participants in a Statistica survey claimed that Facebook gave them the highest ROIs making it the most popular social media site for marketing. Other research shows that users are more likely to click on ads they see in their Facebook feed as compared to other platforms. 

A Variety of Ad Types

Facebook allows advertisers to choose from a wide variety of ad types so they can find the ones best suited to their needs. These include:

• Photo ads
• Video ads
• Messenger ads
• Story ads
• Carousel ads
• Slideshow ads
• Collection ads
• Playables

In another section, we’ll discuss how these ads can be further customized to real estate needs. 

You Set Your Budget and They are Low Cost

Facebook ads allow you to set your budget in advance, so you know exactly how much you are spending. With average prices between $.45 and $.75 per click, they are also relatively low cost. Other types of pay-per-click marketing cost an average of $1.72 per click. 

They Provide Almost Immediate Results

Once your ad is reviewed by the Facebook Ads Manager (which typically takes around 24 hours) it will go live immediately. Thousands of people will begin seeing your ad. You will start getting leads in a couple of days. 

Ads Can Be Suited for Your Business Goals

Facebook ads can be set up to cater to your business objective. For example, you may post an ad that:

• Drives people to your high-value content
• Helps you build a social media following
• Drives traffic to your website
• Spreads the word about homes you have on the market
• Increases from fill-outs and app interactions

Access a Wide Audience

Facebook has over 2.7 billion users. Its acquisition of Instagram further increased its audience with over 1 additional billion users. Facebook ads appear on both platforms providing an exceptionally wide reach. 

78% of American consumers say they have discovered products on Facebook. 60% say they have discovered new products on Instagram. 

A/B Testing

Facebook ads offer A/B testing which allows marketers to compare similar ads to see which does better over time. It can be set up for certain periods, specific budgets, and custom audiences. 

Remarketing Benefits

Consumers typically need various touchpoints before they convert. Following up is so important. 

Facebook does the follow-up for you by using cookies or session tracking to target people that have previously interacted with your business. The strategy increases revenue, boosts conversions, and yields a higher ROI. It also offers advertisers the option of using dynamic ads that cater to retargeted prospects. 

Best Practices for Running Campaigns

Here are some practices that will ensure the success of your Facebook ad campaign.

Choose the Right Objective

When you set up your Facebook ad, you will be given the option to choose your ad objective. Examples include: 

Awareness

• Brand awareness: Increases awareness of your brand
• Reach: Shows your ad to the maximum number of people

Consideration

• Traffic: Drives traffic to your website
• Engagement: Encourages people to engage with your posts or website
• App Installs: Sends people to a page where they can download your app
• Video Views: Promotes video footage you have posted
• Lead Generation: Helps you collect contact info to build your lead database
• Messages: Encourages people to have conversations with you to generate leads

Conversions – Encourages people interested in your product to convert

Choosing the right objective will make your campaign a success. 

Placement Optimization is Key

Part of the setup process involves choosing your ad placement. Options include:

• Facebook newsfeed
• Instagram feed
• Stories
• Audience network
• Messenger

Facebook recommends that you choose all placement options as it allows the platform to learn which works best for your brand. In time, you may realize that some placements don’t work as well as others. You may want to eliminate them from your choices. 

Budget Optimization is Also Helpful

Budget optimization means Facebook will automatically find the best opportunities for your objective and prioritize your budget to the ad sets that are performing best. It gives you less control as an advertiser, but it allows the system to use your budget more efficiently. 

While budget optimization seems ideal, there are situations where you won’t want to use it. For example, it may not be the best choice if you have campaigns that require a certain level of attention. In these instances, you should set the budget at a level that ensures visibility. 

Consider Mobile

With many people accessing the internet on mobile, it’s essential to create an ad that looks attractive on small screens. In addition to formatting correctly, the ad should also feature bright colors. It should be attractive and engaging. 

Consider that most mobile users will be checking out your ad on the go. Therefore, it’s best to keep it short. Under 15 seconds is advisable. 

Consider Broad vs. Specific Targeting

Facebook ads allow you to target very specific groups. But beware of getting too specific. 

The more specific you are, the more Facebook will target those people and leave others out. Your selection options will provide the AI with limited information, so it won’t be able to determine what’s working and what’s not. When you give it more touchpoints, it will optimize automatically to serve the people who are likely to convert. 

A broader scope will also help the system with budget optimization. 

 

6 Examples of High-converting Real Estate Facebook Ads

1. Video Listing Facebook Ad

This kind of Facebook ad starts with a professionally shot video walk-through of your most recent listing. Even if prospects aren’t looking for a home like this, they might be interested enough to click and engage. They might even know a friend or a family member that comes to mind while getting a virtual walk-through.

2. Home Valuation Facebook Ad

This home valuation ad doesn’t waste time and gets right to the point. It has a professional layout to convince homeowners of their trustworthiness. Note the subtle difference in the copy. They’re saying “You don’t need to guess”—they’re telling you that they will do all of the work. This reminds readers that many home valuation sources are far from easy, and rarely accurate.

3. Listing Sneak Peek Facebook Ad

Here’s a classic example of a new listing ad with short, to-the-point copy that emphasizes the positive aspects of the home and lets people know that the listing will go fast. Note how the emojis draw you in to click the photos and find out more. Also, this is yet another reason why having a great headshot and brand is crucial to real estate marketing. Also the “just listed” flag immediately makes you want to click on the image.

4. Simple Listing Facebook Ad

Here’s another excellent listing ad that relies on a great, professional picture to draw people in. Prospects will naturally want to learn more about the property and see the inside of the home when they come across this ad.

5. Agent Branding Facebook Ad

Here’s a classic branding ad that has a fantastic headshot with some great call-outs. Immediately prospects will look at the “In 4 days, over asking” and think they’d like to have a successful real estate agent to help negotiate their next transaction. These are arguably one of the best bang for your buck Facebook ads.

6. Drone Listing Facebook Ad

Here’s a video ad that starts with interesting drone videos that people can’t resist these days. The video features a personal story of a San Francisco home owner who loves the city’s unique charm. You don’t always have to just advertise a home. You can even promote an entire town and associate it with your brand, and expertise. Prospects love to see someone who is proud of their city and isn’t afraid to show it.

7. Open House Facebook Ad

This ad specifically states the time and date of the open house, so people don’t have to search the listing or look forward. It also has the agent’s contact information front and center which will help convert leads.

8. Feature Call-Out Facebook Ad

This ad has a specific message. It’s targeting those looking for a single story home. The wording is clear and concise and immediately tells people that they can find all of the brokerage’s single story homes in one place. It makes it super convenient for anyone looking for this type of home. You can do this with any category to help a broad range of prospects.