Whether you’re new to real estate ads or seasoned in real estate advertising, this guide will help you improve your ad strategy. Using ads in your overall lead gen strategy is a way to leverage your time and get in front of more qualified leads faster, versus marketing, which is more useful for building brand awareness.

The better your ads, the more people you will help and the more income you will earn. Keep reading to learn why it’s worth advertising, where to place ads, best practices, what to include in your ads, plus see some examples of creative real estate ads.

Why you should advertise

Unless you’re purchasing a retiring agent’s book of business and inheriting their database, you’ll need to find ways to meet potential clients. One common misconception I see newly licensed real estate agents have is the idea that once they get their license, clients will magically appear. If you’ve been in the business for a while, you know that’s simply not true. We have to advertise. Here’s why:

• Find qualified leads faster. The purpose of paid advertising versus marketing is to capture and convert leads, as opposed to building brand awareness. This is a more targeted approach and is meant to reach potential buyers and sellers who are ready and willing to move soon.

• Buy back your time. Real estate advertising allows you to leverage your time, finding leads faster in exchange for paying for ads. Many ad services allow you to “set it and forget it,” freeing up your time to service your existing clients and nurture your sphere, while the ads you’re running do the work to find new leads for you.

• Higher ROI. When executed strategically, the return on investment (ROI) can be massive, especially if you work in a market with a higher-than-average price point. If the average cost per lead on Google ads is $53, chances are that’s well worth it for the potential commission.

• Build your database. When you’re just starting out in the real estate industry or if you’ve recently moved to a new area, paid advertising can be a helpful tool in building your database of leads faster. These leads can turn into clients who can turn into referral partners, and before you know it, you have a solid database feeding you referrals.

• Never have to cold call. Running real estate ads means people are curious about what you’re offering, and they’re reaching out to you for more information. For most agents (including myself), inbound inquiries are much more pleasant to work with and easier to convert than outbound, i.e. cold calling.

For help creating and running ads, check out Lone Wolf. Their service, Boost, offers complete ad management for real estate agents, so you don’t have to figure it out on your own! Reach buyers and sellers with geo-targeting to generate leads and build your sphere of influence. You can also track your performance and tweak your ads to guarantee they’re capturing the right audience.

Visit Lone Wolf

Related articles

The 7 best real estate CRMs in 2025 (+bonus add-on)

The 6 best free real estate CRMs for 2025 (+ under $30 alternatives)

Where to advertise

There are lots of options in advertising channels, and the best places to advertise do change over time. Newspaper ads used to be all the rage, but advertising online has become the primary place to reach a new audience (for the most part). Here are our recommendations for where to place your real estate ads now:

• Google. As the largest search engine, using Google ads for real estate agents is a tried and true way to find clients who are searching online, either for a home to buy or for an agent to sell their house. A “find out what your home is worth” style call to action works well here. Direct people to your website with a lead capture tool, and if you don’t have a great website that can capture leads, check out Market Leader to get one set up.

• YouTube. Owned by Google, YouTube is another powerful search engine in and of itself. Place a targeted in-stream real estate ad using a compelling call to action, and reach a whole new audience.

• Facebook and Instagram. Social media advertising has been around for a while, yet it’s still one of the best places to find real estate clients. Using Instagram or Facebook ads for real estate enables you to increase your visibility to your existing audience while also attracting new potential clients. Use a service like RealGeeks to streamline your Facebook ad creation and see even better results.

• Tiktok. Did you know you can run ads on TikTok? This platform has built out an entire marketing and advertising arm, allowing you to focus on converting visitors to buyers and broadening your reach. Since it’s a newer platform than some other social media sites, it’s also less saturated by comparison.

• Your local chamber of commerce. If you’re already involved in your local chamber of commerce, consider going to the next level and spending some of your ad budget to advertise with them. Sponsor an event or pay to run an ad on the chamber’s website. This positions you as a leader in the organization and provides more exposure for your real estate business. However, I’d only recommend this if you’re already a member; if people don’t already know who you are, it may not be the best use of money.

• Radio and TV. Less popular in 2025 than in decades past, sure, yet these mediums for real estate advertising are still powerful when used correctly. It’s best for established agents looking to increase their local exposure, particularly in the senior housing markets. If you’ve ever seen agents doing TV commercials with celebrities like Barbara Corcoran, you can see how impactful and memorable these ads can be.

• Wherever you hang out. Yoga studios, coffee shops, your local library – all great spots to place your real estate ads. Some places may even allow you to post your ad for free if you’re a regular customer and send them plenty of business. Advertise your upcoming local events, such as a first-time buyer seminar, using a paper flyer, and ask the business owner to share it on their social media accounts, as well.

• Community festivals or farmers’ markets. Hosting a booth at a local festival or farmer’s market can provide amazing exposure for your real estate business. You not only have the opportunity to advertise your business with a large sign and table, but you also get to interact first-hand with members of your community.

Pro Tip

Give away a desirable prize (I’ve had success with Yeti coolers) and have people enter to win by filling out their contact info; you get their contact information and they get a chance to win the prize.

What to include in your real estate ads

Now that you know why you should advertise your real estate business and where to place your ads, you’re probably wondering what to say in your ads. Here’s what we recommend you include in your real estate advertisements.

A. Catchy title and image

Draw them in with a unique and catchy title and image. All ads are competing for viewers’ attention, so make sure yours stands out. Example: “Things I wish buyers knew before starting their home search” with an image of yourself. Using yourself in your ads (instead of stock images) builds intimacy and helps prospects feel like they know you. This type of ad does double duty as branding!

B. Advice and tips – info the public can’t get on their own

The internet may seem like the hub for all knowledge, but there’s some information buyers and sellers either can’t get on their own or won’t go to the trouble of finding on their own. That’s where you come in. Interpret hyper-local market data for them, such as how quickly homes are selling in a specific neighborhood.

Ads like “5 mistakes to avoid when buying your first home” or “3 home repairs to do before selling your home” are perfect for your social media real estate ads. They position you as the expert while subtly demonstrating to the viewer that there are indeed things they don’t know about the home buying and selling processes. This knowledge gap will encourage them to reach out to you for help.

C. Strong call to action

Your call to action (CTA) is the reason people are going to reach out to you. Be sure it’s as compelling as possible. Offer to provide a resource or information if they reach out to you. Example: “Text me at (number) for your free guide to preparing your home for sale” or “DM me to receive my exclusive list of off-market homes for sale.”

D. Your contact information 

Do you want them to call, text, email or DM you? Regardless, be sure people know how to get in touch with you. Make it easy for them to reach out to you, and keep your messaging consistent across all your real estate ads.

Another great tool for creating ads is Real Geeks. Explore how their system creates and runs ads for you, funneling leads directly to your website.

Visit Real Geeks

Best practices for real estate advertising

You’ll be spending hard-earned money on your real estate ads, so it’s worth taking the time to make sure they’re the best they can be. Follow our best practices to improve the effectiveness of your ad strategy: 

• Track your results. Pay attention to what’s working and what’s not. Track every lead that comes in, and revisit your ad strategy quarterly to determine which ads to continue and which ads to change or get rid of entirely. 
• Get referrals before committing to an ad source. Ask around your office to find out what’s been working for other agents. Especially for more expensive advertising services, you will want to get a referral or testimonial from another agent to guarantee it’s worth it.
• Test your call to action. If you’re unsure if your call to action is strong enough, test it out on your friends, family and maybe even your existing social media audience. See what the response is and tweak your CTA if it’s not compelling enough. 
• A/B test different versions of the same ad. A/B testing means running two similar versions of the same ad at the same time, with one main difference between them, then tracking the results to see which version performs better. Remember running science experiments in school, with only one variable changed? Same concept. This practice will help you hone in on the best language to use in your ads to improve your results.

Real estate ads examples

Check out some of our favorite examples of powerful and creative real estate ad ideas.

Example 1

Why this works: Margeaux’s ad includes a clear audience and a desirable giveaway, with instructions on how to obtain the list of “50 ways for sellers to sell faster and for more money.” It also includes a photo of her and her husband looking directly at the camera, which creates some intimacy with the viewer. 

Example 2

Why this works: A giveaway is a great tool for encouraging viewers to engage with your content and to provide you with their contact information. This makes a fantastic real estate ad; who wouldn’t want to win three nights on the Cape?

Example 3

Why this works: This is a good ad example of letting the public peek behind the curtain and get insider info from the real estate expert. It draws the viewer in and makes them want to learn more. 

Example 4

Why this works: Another example of offering a freebie that’s full of insider knowledge, plus it’s targeted to buyers specifically interested in new construction. For agents working in the new construction niche, this is a perfect idea for an ad. Be sure to include the CTA like Jamie did at the end. 

Example 5

Why this works: In a saturated market, there are thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of real estate agents competing for these top spots on Google. You can jump to the top of the list by paying for a sponsored ad; in that case, you’ll show up at the top of a buyer or seller’s Google search, as seen above. 

Example 6

Why this works: This title really draws the viewer in. Any homeowner thinking about selling their house would be intrigued by the prospect of selling as-is for cash. This is a sponsored ad on YouTube, which is why it’s at the very top of the search results when I searched “selling a house.” If you have the budget for it, use this strategy to be at the top of the list on YouTube.

The full picture

Real estate ads are an important component of many agents’ overall lead generation strategy. Become an expert in running ads to leverage your time, find more leads faster and grow your database in a new area. Remember to be consistent and try new things, while tracking your results to see what works best!

About Ashley Harwood

Ashley Harwood began her real estate career in 2013 and built a six-figure business as a solo agent before launching Move Over Extroverts in 2018. She developed training materials, classes, and coaching programs for her fellow introverts. Beginning in 2020, Ashley served as Director of Agent Growth for three Keller Williams offices in the Boston metro area. She’s now the Lead Listing agent for the Fleet Homes team in Massachusetts and a regular contributor to Vetted by HousingWire. She created The Quiet Success curriculum and has taught thousands of real estate agents nationwide. She has also been a guest speaker at top industry events and has been named a leading real estate coach by prominent industry publications.

• YouTube
• Instagram
• Facebook

Celebrity developer Graya has hinted at future local projects in the pipeline, as construction wraps on the company’s first Gold Coast high-rise project.

Scaffolding is down on Kloud at Palm Beach, revealing the 41.25m tower’s striking form along one of southern Queensland’s most coveted stretches of coastline.

The luxury Jefferson Lane project marked a new direction for Graya, known for building showstopping Brisbane homes for high-profile clients, including rugby league great Darius Boyd and his wife Kayla, rapper Example and his wife, model Erin McNaught, basketballer Aron Baynes, and rugby players, Quade Cooper and Israel Folau.

Rob Gray, who heads the company with brother Andrew, said Kloud was delivered “ahead of schedule and on budget”, with owners – most cashed-up Brisbane buyers snapping up swish holiday pads – to be in by December.

“I’ve enjoyed it so much that I want to continue to do more and more projects along Palm Beach and all the southern Gold Coast for the next few decades. I want this to be the first of many,” Mr Gray said.

“I holiday on Palm Beach a lot, and it is really fulfilling seeing this building emerge and stand out from the crowd.”

MORE NEWS

Shock inflation spike dashes hopes for rate cut

Fallout of social media money trends revealed

Skyhigh showdown: Richlister’s penthouse plan sparks uproar

The 23-unit tower takes design influence from the coastal landscape through curved forms and a restrained colour palette, with amenities including a pool, wet deck, day beds, and a poolside social space amid layered landscaping.

Its original 29m design was expanded to add a double-storey penthouse and full-floor sub-penthouse. Buyers of the other apartments include tennis ace Ash Barty, who dropped close to $4m on a half-floor apartment.

“We decided we really wanted to have a full-floor offering to have a point of difference in the building, and then the penthouse to crown it with a stunning signature Graya apartment,” Mr Gray said.

“The other buyers were all for it too, to have that extra value in the project.”

The 507 sqm penthouse comprises four bedrooms, a media room and statement kitchen, along with a rooftop entertaining terrace with spectacular ocean views.

It sold to a Sydney buyer for $9.1m, while the sub-penthouse priced at $7.6m was one of just two units still available.

The post Render v reality: Palm Beach tower’s big reveal appeared first on realestate.com.au.

Smaller dogs are becoming increasingly popular across Australia as cost of living pressures push more people into smaller homes, with Cavoodles reigning surpreme as the country’s most popular four-legged friend.

Another smaller dog with a high place on the list of most popular dog breeds was the French Bulldog, which ranked second in the country, according to Ray White analysis of recent Pet Insurance Australia data.

Australia’s most popular dogs in previous years had been mostly medium-to-large animals such as Labradors and Golden Retrievers, which remain a popular choice, slipping to eighth and third place, respectively.

MORE: Sydney auction demand soars off the back of interest rate cuts

Another popular breed of smaller dog, placed sixth on the list, was the miniature dachshund.

Groodles – a medium sized dog and cross between poodles and golden retrivers – were the fifth most popular dog breed in Australia over 2024 to 2025.

Ray White senior data analyst Atom Go Tian said housing choices were impacting the popularity of breeds.

“There’s the personality aspect and then of course it’s the size and maintenance aspect that is very suitable for apartment living and urban living,” he said, adding that the influence of housing size was especially noteworthy in NSW.

He said parts of inner city were “pretty dense with people and the sizes of the houses and apartments are not as big”.

“Whereas if you move to Northern Territory or even Queensland, the houses are much bigger and you will have bigger dogs to go with those houses,” he said.

MORE: Fishmonger family sells terrace for record price

Major changes to NSW regulations in May 2025 included allowing tenants to keep pets in a rental property, with the landlord’s consent.

“From a policy perspective it should be more lenient. I think it was in 2021 they removed the blanket ban for dogs, so for now if someone with dogs is looking for an apartment there is the option to apply to the landlord,” Mr Go Tian said.

“But definitely I think NSW is one of the more conservative (states). I would say, Victoria, ACT and Queensland are generally the more progressive states.

“The policy and execution of the policy – it’s possible there’s a gap between those things.”

MORE: How Aussie homeowners are turning properties into wealth

The Rent Fairy director Sarah Elkordi said she thinks there was a grey area around pets and approvals.

“I think whilst it’s great that we’ve been given information on the changes that landlords can’t decline pets without giving a reason, I do still think landlords are choosing applications

without pets and sometimes that’s why we see properties sitting a little bit longer on market,” she said.

Ms Elkordi said there are still many struggling despite the May reform.

“I don’t think it’s changed to be honest with you,” she said. “At the end of the day it is landlord’s choice who they put in the property – the landlords that don’t want pets, aren’t going to switch up just because the law says that they have to accept pets, that’s just the reality of it unfortunately.

“So people are still struggling to secure properties, especially if they have two or more pets in one property.”

MORE: Up 100k by ‘26: Sydney areas forecast to boom

Ms Elkordi offered a tip of constructing a pet resume to assist with the process, including references such as previous landlords, groomers and neighbours.

“It gives them a breakdown of how old your animal is and what it does all day,” she said.

Campbelltown resident Casey Munro had been renting for three years while his dog, a Border Collie named Elsie, lived with his mother.

Following the May NSW reform, he made an application which was turned down when he asked for permission to have Elsie move in with him.

Mr Munro said the property manager declined the application on the basis it was highly probable the border collie would cause more damage than his $1,300 bond.

Mr Munro applied to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) to challenge the decision.

“As soon as I got that rejection, I just went straight to the NCAT’s website and made the application, within a few days I had a listing for that to be heard,” he said.

“I would say it was really quite straightforward and took just a bit over a month to get sorted after the first hearing, when they actually set a trial to happen and it was quite straightforward in giving evidence on the dog breed and her behaviour.”

In early July, Mr Munro received the orders from the Tribunal granting him permission to keep Elsie in his rental property, he said having this legislation is incredibly important to help renters.

“At the end of the day these are our homes, they shouldn’t just be seen as an investment,” he said.

“We’re not here to clean and caretake for a house to make it consistently a showroom house that has just been built.

“We’ve always been allowed to have children in them, they’ve never been allowed to say no to that, but for some reason pets was where they were drawing the line.

“These regulations are super important to make sure that we can feel like we are actually living in our own homes and not caring for someone else’s property.”

Mr Munro said having Elsie has positively impacted his daily lifestyle.

“Just being able to walk her every day and having such a goofy, friendly face to wake up to and make sure I actually get up and do things, it’s a huge impact,” he said.

Tenants’ Union of NSW Acting Policy and Advocacy Manager Eloise Parrab said the reform was something the Union had been calling for in NSW for a long time.

“It’s something that the Tenants Union has been pushing for, for a long time,” she said.

“Pet ownership in Australia I think is among some of the highest in the world and a lot of the research shows that keeping pets can obviously significantly improve people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing.”

Ms Parrab said there were, however, additional reforms that they would have liked to see implemented in May.

“We still know that if you put in an application for a property and you put on that application that you have a pet, then there’s a real risk that your application is going to go to the bottom of the pile,” she said.

“There is a bill though that is before NSW parliament which will potentially, if it’s passed, provide the ability for a renter to apply for a property, move in and then there will be a period of time in which they have to put in the request to keep a pet.

“That will assist those renters that already have a pet at the time they are applying and are obviously concerned about disclosing it.”

Ms Parrab said The Residential Tenancies Amendment Protection of Personal Information bill was introduced to the NSW Parliament in June and when parliament returns in September this will potentially be debated in the Legislative Assembly.

The bill includes changes such as a standardised application form that agents and landlords have to use, better protection of renters personal information as well as further amendment to the pet provisions.

MORE: Freeman’s surprise admission about career

The post Australia’s most popular dog breeds shift as housing shrinks appeared first on realestate.com.au.

It’s more affordable to buy a house and land package in Brisbane’s major growth areas, over an existing home in the river city, new research reveals.

With Brisbane’s median house price topping $1m, buyers are being urged to turn to the ‘burbs where the average house and land package is as low as $793,746 in Ipswich.

That’s cheaper than 81 per cent of suburbs in southeast Queensland.

MORE: Secret ‘free’ master key unlocking Aussie doors for decades

Chaz Mostert selling luxury Aus home

New research from Oliver Hume Property Group — that compares the price of a house and land package with buying an established home — found Logan was the next most affordable with house and land cheaper than 77 per cent of suburbs across the region.

The data showed Moreton Bay’s median new house and land price was more affordable than 73 per cent of southeast Queensland suburbs, while the average price in Redland was more affordable than 55 per cent of suburbs.

The most expensive city (excluding Brisbane) for new homes was the Gold Coast at $1.153m — but that is still more affordable than 45 per cent of suburbs.

The average Sunshine Coast home and land package was $1.135m, while Brisbane’s was $1,332,659.

Oliver Hume chief economist Matt Bell said buying new house and land packages in Brisbane’s growth corridors remained one of the most attractive options for buyers priced out of established suburbs.

“When you buy a new house and land package, you’re purchasing a home that is built to today’s standards, designed for modern living, and usually supported by new community infrastructure,” he said.

“That combination often represents better overall value than an established home.

“New builds also come with some important financial advantages, including builder warranties and far lower maintenance costs in the first decade of ownership.”

“Buyers can also access depreciation allowances, particularly appealing for investors who want to offset their taxable income.

“Energy efficiency is another area where new homes stand out.

“From insulation and glazing to solar readiness and water-saving fixtures, new homes generally have much lower running costs. Over a 20-to 30-year horizon, the savings on utilities alone can add up to tens of thousands of dollars compared with older housing stock.”

Mr Bell said house and land packages were also generally located in growth corridors, where governments and developers were investing heavily in new schools, transport links, and community amenities.

“This creates strong potential for capital growth as the area develops. For many buyers, it’s not just about owning a new home, but also about securing a place in a growing community with future upside.”

“Taken together, these benefits make new house and land packages a compelling choice for value-conscious buyers.”

The data follows the decision to expand and fast track the Labor Party’s signature First Home Guarantee scheme.

Under the updated scheme, the government will guarantee a portion of a first-home buyer’s home loan, so they can purchase a home with a deposit as low as 5% and avoid paying lenders mortgage insurance (LMI).

The post Revealed: Massive savings if you build a house appeared first on realestate.com.au.

A builder’s own renovation has added more than $800,000 to the value of a entry-level home bought in the midst of Covid lockdowns.

Three out of town buyers drove competition for ATLA Construction’s coastal inspired revamp of 12 Somerdale Ave, Ocean Grove, with one paying $1.4m to take the three-bedroom house off the market.

The result beat top price hopes of $1.395m and sets a new benchmark for a street that only notched its first million-dollar sale earlier this year.

RELATED: Renovators delight as buyers splash on Belmont homes

Luxe beach house from TV drama Fake for sale

New Geelong estate delivers inner city benefits

Records show the house last sold for $585,000 in July, 2020.

Fletchers, Ocean Grove agent Dan Halsey said one of the owners of ATLA largely rebuilt the existing residence at the 633sq m property to create his own family home.

A new pavilion housing a light-filled, open-plan living zone featuring engineered oak floors and cathedral ceilings, a study nook and a main bedroom suite is the centrepiece of the renovation.

“Originally it was just a little two-bedroom, single living, single bathroom, it was tiny,” he said.

“They did keep the brickwork from that original build but they pulled out the roof, they pulled back the walls to the studs. They kept one of the wet areas but it was essentially a brand new build – about 80 per cent of what you saw was new.”

A single garage and a brick paved entertainment area with an outdoor fireplace were among other fresh additions.

Mr Halsey said the renovation attracted not only buyers from Ocean Grove, but also Geelong and Melbourne.

The sale was wrapped up before the third scheduled open home, with the Melbourne buyers planning a permanent move.

“It was an extremely stylish and well planned an executed home and so close to the beach,” he said.

The average time on market for homes in Ocean Grove is 72 days according to PropTrack, which has led to complacency among some buyers when good stock is listed.

But Mr Halsey said the tide could be starting to turn after two years of a buyers’ market.

“What we are finding over the past couple of months is the reintroduction of holiday home buyers and investors, largely from out of town,” he said.

“They are coming back and they are putting a bit of pressure on the locals.”

The post Builder’s own coastal renovation scores $815k uplift in value appeared first on realestate.com.au.