You know that Facebook is great for advertising products — but do Facebook ads work for real estate? The short answer is: yes!

With nearly three billion active users, it is safe to say that Facebook is a force in our daily lives. 

Like it or not, Facebook connects millions of people every day. Just as Facebook is a powerful social tool, it can be used as a far-reaching advertisement tool for your real estate business as well. It’s a way to connect with both home sellers and home buyers in your specific target markets.

If you’re wondering how exactly to harness the influence of social media in your real estate business, don’t worry. This article will answer your questions about Facebook ads for real estate, including:

• Do Facebook ads work for real estate?
• How do I reach real estate leads on Facebook?
• How do I measure ROI (return on investment) for real estate Facebook ads?
• Can I see real estate Facebook ads that work?

Do Facebook ads work for real estate?

Ultimately, Facebook is one of the most effective platforms for real estate advertisement. As a part of your social media marketing strategy, Facebook ads work on multiple levels, including:

• Targeting local customers. Real estate professionals rely on local businesses to thrive. While Facebook is a global site, Facebook Ads Manager provides the opportunity to target local homeowners or home-buyers in your area. 
• Showing off homes. Facebook is a very visual platform. As such, Facebook ads allow realtors to give potential clients a sneak peek at the gorgeous homes you can offer. 
• Establishing relationships. The partnership between home buyers and sellers and their real estate agent is essential. Facebook is an excellent platform for developing a rapport with clients and prospective customers. 

The ROI of real estate Facebook ads

Facebook ads drive real estate clients to your well-built website. In fact, we found that landing pages for real estate customers who used Constant Contact to place Facebook ads achieved, on average, approximately 4,800 views and 44 leads per ad, with an average cost-per-lead of $2.44. 

How do I reach real estate leads on Facebook?

Beyond just creating attention-grabbing posts, Facebook ads give you the platform to connect with more clients than ever — but how do you reach them? To take full advantage of this massive social media tool, you should:

Utilize the Special Ad Category

The key to reaching real estate leads on Facebook is targeting your ads as a part of your real estate marketing plan. By choosing the Special Ad Category option on Facebook Ads, you can achieve high-level targeting — meaning you can connect with the right clients at the right time. 

However, there are restrictions to what Special Ad Categories can do. Essentially, what you need to know about Special Ad Categories is that limitations have been put in place to protect against social injustices, inequities, and political corruption. Carefully review Facebook’s social and political issues ad authorization process to understand and avoid restrictions for your ads. 

Even with new guidelines, Special Ad Categories are an essential tool for reaching real estate leads on Facebook. As an agent, you can target ads according to:

• Geographic location. Even with limits, you can still target clients based on their location. However, you can use a pin-drop tool — which sets a 15-mile radius — rather than targeting specific zip codes.
• Interests. With this tool, you can still target your audience based on interests like “buying a new home.” However, you cannot exclude interests as in the standard ad category. This helps avoid discrimination in advertising. 

Consider your audience

While you can target your audience with Facebook tools, some details cannot be used, such as age or gender. Because of this, it is important to consider these factors when designing your ad to land more real estate leads. If your target audience is women in their 30s and 40s in your area, generate content that will speak to their interests and preferences. Consider: Are they businesswomen? Do they have a family? How can you appeal to them?

You may not be able to select age ranges on the Special Ad Category, but that doesn’t mean you can’t reach a specific audience. Facebook is no longer just a young person’s platform — roughly 25% of Facebook users are over the age of 50. With another 25% of users in their mid-20s and 30s and 18% between 35 and 45 years of age, chances are your target demographic is on Facebook. You just need to create the right content to reach them!

Use a Facebook Ads tool

Constant Contact offers a Facebook Ads tool that makes it easy to launch the perfect campaign for your real estate business. This tool makes it easier than ever to create an effective ad based on age, location, interests, and more.

Did you know? Landing pages for real estate customers who used Constant Contact to place Facebook ads achieved, on average, approximately 4,800 views and 44 leads per ad, with an average cost-per-lead of $2.44. 

How do I measure ROI for real estate Facebook ads?

Measuring your return on investment, or ROI, for real estate Facebook ads may sound complicated, but the process is actually simple. Facebook gives you the capability to easily track how much you’re spending versus how much you are earning. To calculate ROI, divide the revenue generated by your well-placed Facebook ads by the money you spend on ads. It’s as easy as that! 

Can I see real estate Facebook ads that work?

As you start developing your own real estate Facebook ad, keep your eyes open for ads that stand out in your area as a guide for real estate Facebook ads. This example from The Download: Making Sense of Online Marketing for Real Estate, uses several key elements, including:

• Professional photography
• Specific hashtag
• Clear listing of your location

Once you’ve launched your ad, use your social media analytics tools to gain more insight about what is working for your audience. Constant Contact customer, Anthony George of Home Guy Waco, says, “I do a lot of social advertising through Constant Contact. I use the analytics tool to determine what is working and what is not to further hone my message to my audience. By building a strong brand and message through these tools, I have been able to capture a more qualified lead in the demographic my business does best in helping.” 

Next steps 

Facebook real estate ads are an essential tool for the modern real estate professional. Now that you know how to use Facebook ads and how they can drive your real estate business, you should be ready to start creating your own. 

If you want to learn how to integrate your Facebook ads with your next email marketing campaign and more, check out The Download, a free marketing guide for real estate professionals.

The post Do Facebook Ads Work for Real Estate? appeared first on Constant Contact.