Quick guide for agents: Get started with real estate digital advertising
The internet has become the cornerstone of modern house hunting, fundamentally changing how potential buyers and sellers engage with the market. To effectively resonate with today’s audience, real estate professionals must position themselves where their potential clients are: online. This guide is to help you get started with real estate digital advertising.
The digital shift in real estate
The landscape of real estate marketing is continuously transformed by the internet. It’s the heart of modern house hunting. Consider these eye-opening statistics as motivation to get started with real estate digital advertising:?
This shift underscores a vital truth: to resonate with today’s audience, you must meet them where they are — online.
Success as an agent isn’t synonymous with mastering TikTok dances or bombarding Instagram with constant updates. However, if your ambition is to foster growth, you need to establish your brand and post your listings on the web. And here’s where the spotlight shines on digital advertising.
What is digital advertising?
Digital advertising for real estate agents means promoting your business through paid online ads. Just like billboards grab attention on highways, digital ads capture interest as people browse the internet.
You can advertise listings, connect with potential clients, and build brand awareness through platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram. The key is that digital ads are paid and sponsored, separate from unpaid posts or SEO.
To get started with real estate digital advertising, we’ll discuss these main digital advertising platforms:
Why use digital advertising?
In case you’re not convinced yet, here are some compelling reasons why you should get started with real estate digital advertising:
Types of digital real estate ads
1. Google Search Ads
Paid search ads, often referred to as pay-per-click (PPC) ads, are those prime spots you see at the top of a results page when you search for something.?
When a user types in keywords related to real estate — say, “family homes in [City]” — your paid search ad could pop up, instantly capturing their attention and guiding them to your property listings or website.
The most common search platform is Google, but Bing and Yahoo are other examples. Because Google is the dominant player, we’ll focus on just Google Paid Search.
Why use paid search?
Examples of paid search ads
Imagine someone types “3-bedroom homes near [Landmark]” into Google. If you’re a real estate agent in that area, your paid search ad could appear right at the top, showcasing your listings and prompting the user to explore more.
Here are some ways could use paid search ads to get started with real estate digital advertising:?
2. Google Display Ads
Next up we have Google Display Network, which is different from Google Search. Google Display is a network of websites, apps, and platforms where your real estate ads can appear. Often, they show on the sides of a website or even in the middle of an article.?
These ads aren’t confined to search results; they extend across sites related to real estate, news, lifestyle, and more.?
Why use Google Display Network?
Examples of Google Display ads
Imagine a potential homebuyer reading an article about real estate trends on a reputable website. Your Google Display ad — a beautiful image of a property — appears seamlessly, igniting their interest and prompting them to explore more.
Here are some ways could use paid search ads to get started with real estate digital advertising:?
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You might see the term “retargeting ads”. These ads allow you to display an ad to someone who has already been on your website or engaged with your content. It’s a smart way to guide prospects further along their real estate journey. For example, if you go to a website to look at shoes, retargeting ads would show you an ad for those same shoes on other websites.
3. Social Media Ads
Agents can post ads on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and other platforms to advertise your properties and brand. These ads blend seamlessly into users’ social feeds, catching their attention with visuals, videos, or catchy headlines.?
Why use social media ads??
Examples of social media ads
Imagine a potential homebuyer scrolling through their Instagram feed. Your social media ad — a captivating image of a stunning property — appears seamlessly. It prompts them to tap for more details, igniting their curiosity and interest.
Here are types of ads you can launch on social media to get started with real estate digital advertising:
4. Real Estate Site Ads
Platforms like Zillow and Realtor allow you to advertise alongside property listings and relevant content. However, with so many properties, it’s challenging and expensive to stand out from the crowd. As you get started with real estate digital advertising, we recommend starting with the ad types mentioned above before trying real estate site ads.
5. Other Options
There are many other digital ad platforms you could experiment with, such as YouTube Video Ads, LinkedIn Sponsored Ads, TikTok Ads and more. Carefully assess if the audience, costs, and competition align with your goals on newer platforms.
Evocalize is a game-changer for real estate professionals seeking a streamlined approach to digital advertising. For real estate agents and their marketing teams, managing multiple advertising channels can be overwhelming and time-consuming. Evocalize offers a centralized platform where all major advertising channels are seamlessly integrated into one intuitive interface. Learn more here.
Measuring digital ad performance
Let’s break down the common metrics of digital ads for real estate. By understanding these metrics, you’ll be equipped to measure the impact of your campaigns and fine-tune your strategies for optimal results.?
1. Impressions: How many times your ad is viewed.
2. Click-Through Rate (CTR): Percentage of people who clicked on your ad; you want this number to be high. Formula: (Clicks / Impressions) x 100.
3. Cost Per Click (CPC): Cost you pay for each click on your ad. Lower CPCs are generally more cost-effective.
4. Cost Per Lead (CPL): Cost for each lead generated through your ad. You want this number to be low. If your ad’s purpose is to drive traffic to a website, look at CPM instead.
5. Cost Per Thousand Impressions (CPM): Cost you pay for one thousand views. You want this number to be low.
6. Conversion Rate: Percentage of users who took the desired action after clicking your ad. You want this number to be high.
7. Return on Investment (ROI): Overall profitability of your ad campaigns. You want this number to be high. Formula: (Revenue – Cost) / Cost x 100
In real estate, it’s important to track the lifetime value of a lead, as the value of a real estate transaction can be high and may take longer to realize. Therefore, focusing on metrics that track the quality of the leads generated, such as the conversion rate or the percentage of leads that result in closed transactions, can be helpful in evaluating the success of the ad campaign.
Optimizing campaigns
Here are some basic tips to optimize your digital ad performance. We recommend checking out this article for a deeper dive into how to measure success.
With consistent optimization, you can build truly effective digital advertising campaigns and connect with more potential real estate clients.
Get started with real estate digital advertising
To truly thrive and connect with a broader audience, it’s imperative to get started with real estate digital advertising. Embrace this powerful tool to propel your brand, showcase your listings, and engage effectively with potential clients in the vast online landscape.