UPDATED: February 09, 2023

For a successful career in real estate, real estate agents require constant lead generation. An essential part of a strong lead generation strategy is deciding what platform to use for advertising.

Two main platforms for lead generation are Google Ads and Facebook Ads. Even though they may seem similar, some real estate agents may prefer one over the other depending on their strategy and their target audience.

Google and Facebook are two platforms that may appeal to different audiences, so it is important to understand what consumers look for in these platforms.

There are many other platforms where a real estate agent may generate leads successfully. Real estate websites that are tailored to the audience who are looking to buy and sell houses may be a perfect place for real estate agents to generate real estate leads cheaper and more effectively than popular but generic platforms.

Facebook Ads Pros and Cons

ProsCons
Budget-friendlyLow Buyer Intent
Visual AdvertisingLow Attention Span of the Audience
Customizable Target for Advertising

Facebook is a social media platform. People check Facebook to keep up with their friends and family, read news, and scroll through an endless variety of content. Consumers seek entertainment on this platform, so the ads must catch their attention.

In this case, setting up an ad that starts with “Looking for a House to Buy?” will not lead to a successful campaign while costing money to the real estate agent. 

It is safe to assume that an audience on Facebook is there to keep up with their network and is not looking to purchase a home, so directly advertising a property purchase will not work. This in no way means that Facebook leads are worthless for real estate agents. The agents simply need to approach the lead generation process differently.

Instead of trying to sell the property, real estate agents should provide information in a way that catches the attention of the Facebook audience. A compelling ad for the Facebook audience should provide information about the property rather than trying to sell the property.

In addition to the information that might hook a potential lead, well-taken pictures also play an important role in catching attention. The picture carousel should be well thought out and have bright eye-catching colors.

Creative videos can also go a long way when advertising on Facebook. In short, a real estate agent needs to try to stop a potential lead from scrolling using informative descriptions, bright pictures, and creative videos.

Facebook Ads stand out with the Facebook Custom Audiences feature they offer for advertisers. Facebook allows advertisers to customize their target audience based on various criteria like age, location, platform to advertise, and many others.

This feature allows the real estate agents to target a specific audience that might be more interested in purchasing a house. Of course, the custom audience has to be in line with the lead generation strategy a real estate agent pursues. 

Google Ads Pros and Cons

ProsCons
High Buyer IntentExpensive
Targeted KeywordsRequires Skills to Target
High Competition

The audience in Google is very different from the audience in Facebook. The audience in Google makes specific searches to gain specific information. People who are looking for a property on Google actively use the keywords that are related to a property purchase. They go to Google to get a quick result and not scroll through the page. This means that it is much easier to target a proper audience in Google, but it also requires some skill.

Generating leads with Google Ads is very beneficial because the leads go to Google with the intent to purchase a property, so they have the intent to connect with a real estate agent.

Many real estate agents understand that Google's lead-generating ability is much more powerful than that of Facebook, so the market for real estate ads may be quite saturated. This comes at a higher cost of posting a Google Ad because Google charges a higher price for more popular keywords. When creating a Google Ad, it is important to select the right keywords.

The leads who are using Google Ads are more likely to look for a quick solution to their problem. Real estate agents who use Google Ads should contact their prospective buyers and sellers as soon as possible to ensure that their needs are met when needed. Since Google Ads are competitive, other real estate agents may contact them sooner, and get a potential lead.

Additionally, Google Ads charge per click, so missing a lead will cost money to the real estate agent who posted the ad. Lastly, Google Ads may get expensive, so it is important that the real estate agent has the budget for it and expects to receive a greater benefit from them.

Google Ads are a great tool to generate new leads because the audience on Google is seeking to buy or sell the house. On the other hand, the real estate agent has to make sure to optimize their ad for the right keywords, make sure to have a budget for the ads and be quick to contact the leads.