Google Ads for real estate agents
Buyer and seller leads from Google Ads. Hyper-local targeting that outflanks the big portals.
The challenge
Leads take months to close
A buyer lead today might not close for 3-6 months. Most agents give up on Google Ads after 30 days because they don't see immediate ROI. The agents who win are the ones who track leads through the full pipeline and measure cost per closed deal, not cost per click.
Buyer vs. seller leads need completely different campaigns
Someone searching "homes for sale in [neighborhood]" is a buyer. Someone searching "how much is my house worth" is a potential seller listing. These need different keywords, ad copy, and landing pages. Running them together guarantees mediocre results on both.
Hyper-local targeting is non-negotiable
Real estate is the most local business there is. You need to target specific neighborhoods, zip codes, and school districts — not metro areas. Broad targeting means paying for clicks from people looking in areas you don't serve.
Zillow and Realtor.com dominate the top positions
The portals spend millions on Google Ads and own the top spots for generic searches. Competing on "homes for sale" is a losing game. You win by going hyper-local with long-tail keywords the portals don't bother targeting.
How Fullrun helps
Real estate math works differently than other verticals. CPCs are modest at $3-12/click, but conversion rates are lower (3-5%) and sales cycles are long. At $8/click average and 4% conversion rate, you're paying about $200/lead. Not all leads close. But one $10,000 commission pays for 4-5 months of ads at $2,000/mo.
Fullrun creates separate campaigns for buyer leads and seller leads. Buyer campaigns target long-tail, neighborhood-specific searches that Zillow and Realtor.com ignore: "homes for sale in [specific subdivision]," "[school district] real estate," "townhomes near [landmark]." Seller campaigns target valuation and listing intent keywords. Each gets its own ad copy and landing page.
Geo-targeting is granular — down to zip codes and neighborhoods, not metro areas. The AI identifies which locations produce leads that actually close and shifts budget accordingly. Negative keywords block rental searches, agent recruitment ads, and real estate career queries that waste spend.
Frequently asked questions
- How much should a real estate agent spend on Google Ads?
- $500-2,000/mo for a solo agent. Teams and brokerages should budget $2,000-5,000+. Real estate has lower CPCs ($3-12) than most service industries, so the budget goes further. The bigger investment is time — you need 3-6 months of consistent spend to see the full ROI from longer sales cycles.
- How long until I see ROI from Google Ads?
- Expect leads within the first 1-2 weeks. But real estate has the longest sales cycle of any vertical we work with. A buyer lead takes 3-6 months to close on average. Plan for 3-6 months before you can accurately measure cost per closed deal. Agents who commit to 6 months almost always see positive ROI.
- How do you target buyer vs. seller leads?
- Separate campaigns. Buyer campaigns target searches like "homes for sale in [neighborhood]," "3 bedroom homes [city]," and "[school district] real estate." Seller campaigns target "home value estimate," "sell my house fast," and "best listing agent near me." Different keywords, different ad copy, different landing pages.
- How do I compete with Zillow and Realtor.com?
- You don't compete head-on. The portals dominate broad keywords like "homes for sale." You win on long-tail, hyper-local keywords they ignore: "homes for sale in [specific neighborhood]," "condos near [landmark]," "[subdivision name] homes." These have lower CPCs, higher intent, and less competition.