PPC for Real Estate Investors

What is PPC for Real Estate?

PPC stands for pay-per-click. Run a PPC campaign if you want to get quick leads.

Real estate PPC ads are designed to deliver quick results for real estate professionals. SEO has its place but with SEO, it can take months to build organic traffic. (Honestly speaking, I have seen investors spend thousands on real estate PPC without impressive results. The mistake often lies in the strategy but that’s a story for another time.)

I have wasted thousands of dollars on PPC, resulting in no lead flow. I have hired two different, well-known PPC companies in hopes of having a consistent marketing channel. Both companies provided the same feedback initially: that my area is a competitive area and that it would take a few months to see results. This in and of itself should have provided a red flag, but I did proceed with their services. After the end of three months, we had spent significant marketing dollars and had not received any legitimate lead flow. 

For our company, PPL (Pay-Per-Lead) and SEO are consistent marketing channels. For PPL, one company has exhibited the most consistency in lead flow and quality, and we will continue to utilize their services moving forward. Finally, SEO has been a ‘long game’ marketing channel that has yielded high-quality leads, albeit in less quantity, with hopes of utilizing it for our business’s main marketing channel in the future.
Yancy Forsythe, Owner, Missouri Valley Homes

Pay-Per-Click Real Estate Campaigns (Google Ads)

How to Write Ads That Drive Results? 

Building a PPC campaign is not complex if you have the right keywords. This post will focus on the writing, not the full campaign management. I find that most people get the setup right. Either they do it themselves or hire someone to do it for them. The result is a PPC campaign. However, the PPC Ad campaign doesn’t bring results because of: 

• Wrong keywords
• Global Exposure
• Missing CTA in the ad itself
• Non-unique, duplicated ads

I will explain these mistakes in a minute. I will also show you correct examples of real estate PPC ads. 

The Correct Format of a Google PPC Ad

That’s the format at the time of writing this article. It may change over time. Recently, Google announced a new Ad format that is integrated with AI results.

But for our purposes, here is the current format of a Google PPC ad.

• Heading 1: 30 Characters
• Heading 2: 30 Characters
• Heading 3: 30 Characters
• Description 1: 90 Characters
• Description 2: 90 Characters

Descriptions 1 & 2 are separate, but they appear together. Google has set this format, and following this format is the first rule of success. 

4-Step Checklist for Writing High-Ranking PPC Ads

• Useful
• Urgent
• Ultra specific
• Unique

Your client is bombarded with advertising of all types. Just a simple keyword, “sell my house fast” has more search results than I can possibly count in a week. Finding motivated leads is a tough task, and there is a lot of competition even in a local niche. If your ad is boring, it means one thing. It won’t stand out. It won’t grab attention. 

Write Helpful Real Estate PPC Ads

Your PPC ad has to be useful. It should be written for one problem only and answer the question: What’s in it for me? So let’s say, you say to someone: “hey! we buy houses”… What will be the response? Depending on the circumstances, you might hear a reply:

• “Cool! How do you buy houses?”
• “Nice! Where do you buy houses?”
• or you might hear, “So what! I am already busy with my problems. Why should I hear about your business ventures? I have a house to sell, and I am worried about my problems.”

So before writing, you need to think hard about the problem you are trying to solve. It’s difficult because maybe your business is not unique. Grab a pen and paper. Highlight all the ways to differentiate yourself from the crowd.

Now let’s look at the next 2 concepts:

Urgent: You have limited time. You won’t be advertising forever. Make it clear in the ad. Create an offer with a sense of urgency, like a limited-time free offer. 

Ultra-specific: Note the difference between “improve your rankings” and “boost your profit by 200%.”. The second is more specific and clickable. It makes a promise. 

Now, let’s look at two sample real estate ppc ads.

Real Estate PPC Examples

I just did a quick Google search for the keyword “Sell my house fast Ohio”. Multiple companies are competing for this keyword. Here are a few real estate PPC ad examples, and I will analyze them.

There are several issues with the advertisement. First, it’s not unique. The first ad in this search doesn’t even have a domain logo. So this ad might receive a few clicks but it won’t create a brand name.

The real estate industry is full of boring advertisements. Especially, there is a lot of competition for cash buyers. All real estate investors want the same thing. You want to buy discounted properties, but you can’t say the same about your client. Homeowners don’t want to sell at a discount. And every homeowner is facing a unique situation. Why would homeowners respond to a generic advertisement?

We need to think from the perspective of a motivated seller. Why will they respond to our advertising? What’s going on in their head? 

Let’s understand their motives: 

• They want to work with a company that pays attention to their advertising campaign. (Writes unique PPC Ads)
• They want to work with a company that gives them special treatment. You’re buying houses? So, what? Everyone else is doing the same thing.
• The same thing applies if you’re a realtor or a broker. Will you help sell my house? You’ll help buy a home? Then, what? All agents offer the same service. 

Our customers want something unique. So we need to offer a brand-new incentive. So that’ll be the first rule of your real estate PPC Ad

How to Write PPC Ads for Real Estate? Quality Real Estate PPC Examples 

Write Unique Ads for Your Campaign

Sell Your House Fast For Cash | Get $5000+ In Free Cash Now | Get More Info Here

Take a look at this real estate PPC ad. The first section is the keyword: “sell your house fast for cash.” The second section is our unique selling proposition. That’s why we’re offering $5k in cash to the client. I want free $5k; you want free $5k. So our ad becomes clickable. Your ideal client will have to click on this ad. The third section is the CTA, which can be improved. However, that’s still better than having no call to action. Browse through real estate PPC ads. You’ll be surprised to see how many are without a CTA. 

Let’s look at another example of a real estate PPC ad:

Analysis of this Real Estate PPC Ad: 

Keyword used: best real estate campaigns

Specific Headline: Get content in 60 seconds (It will appeal to anyone designing a real estate campaign.)

However, the ad copy doesn’t deliver on the promise. There is no specific call to action. So what am I supposed to do after reading this ad? I need one clear CTA to take action. 

The second issue is the word count. As you can see, a part of the ad is not visible. Google Adwords has a format, and we need to respect that format. When I searched, this PPC ad from simplified.com appeared in the top position. 

Sample Improvement to this PPC Ad: 

According to AWAI.com, your PPC ad should have 3 out of 4 properties. It should be: 

• Unique
• Useful
• Urgent
• Ultra-specific

And this AD does score 4/4. It’s useful to a real estate marketer whose biggest hassle is building top-performing real estate campaigns. It’s unique: how many ads talk about time-saving and clicks?

It’s urgent: you have to sign up today for free service. And is it specific? I think so! It’s designed for the real estate marketer and focuses on the time-saving process. 

Just a disclaimer: I just used this Ad to demonstrate my point. I am not affiliated with simplified.com.

Now let’s go back and improve our first real estate PPC Ad. 

Writing a real estate PPC ad campaign is not a one-time job. You might need to revise your PPC strategy over time. But first, you have to test the waters. That’s why marketers always design several versions of the same AD and test what’s working. 

Can We Generate Leads from Google Ads?

I’ve used PPC ads for real estate lead generation and found them to be a solid method for getting quality leads. In one campaign, we spent about $2,500 over the course of a month and were able to generate 30 qualified leads, which resulted in 3 closed deals. The ROI was positive, though it took some time to optimize for the best performance.

I worked with a lead generation specialist to handle the campaign, focusing heavily on targeting the right audience by location and interest. While PPC is effective, it requires constant monitoring and adjusting to maintain profitability.

I’d definitely use PPC again, but I’d also mix it with organic channels like SEO and social media to diversify the lead flow.

Ally Moisse, Lead Generation Specialist

How to Work with a Local Marketing Agency to Run PPC Campaigns? (Experiences)

Work with an agency that understands your market and goals. They stay on top of new features to optimize campaigns and provide detailed reports to measure success.

Last year, one campaign for office space in downtown Riverside generated over 30 leads and 5 new listings.

For my business, the cost of PPC is well worth the investment. Not all channels work for every business, but by giving an agency the data and access they need, PPC has been key to boosting leads and closing more deals. I plan to continue using PPC and optimizing campaigns to match the changing needs of my clients.

Joe Stance, Owner, Stance Commercial Real Estate

Last year we ran a campaign for luxury homes in an upscale suburb, which generated over 50 high-quality leads and 10 new listings.

Now, we work with an agency to handle all PPC campaign creation and management. The agency has access to all our data and optimizes campaigns for our needs.

PPC may not be right for every business, but for us, it’s an important part of our marketing mix. When you find the right partner and give them what they need, PPC can be very effective.

Josh Hook, Agency Owner, Hook’d IT Up

Important Tips for Creating Real Estate PPC Ads

Local Service Ads:

You might have noticed this before. Try searching for “contractors in (your location).” Let’s search for “real estate agents in Connecticut.” The first thing you’ll notice is the local service ad. Google is not working for you or me. It’s working for its audience. The intent is to help the searcher.  So if you want to target local keywords, the best idea is, to begin with, local service ads. Create your listing and ask for client reviews (as many as possible). If your reviewers call you the best real estate agent in Connecticut, you’ll rank for this keyword without much effort. 

Avoid Global Exposure:

Real estate is always local. You won’t work with clients in Connecticut if you’re in New York. Thankfully, Google ad allows you to do geo-targeting and check local keywords. You can also set negative keywords. (Focus on this list: you want to exclude many keywords from your path.). You’re searching for specific clients. And your client is searching for detailed information. An advertising campaign can cost hundreds of dollars. There is no room for non-specific, non-useful keywords.

Generating Leads with Real Estate PPC

Why Is PPC So Expensive?

PPC for real estate investors is not for the fainthearted. My clients easily spend between $5,000 and $20,000 on PPC campaigns. PPC is expensive because of high competition in the investment industry.

Consider the keyword: sell my house fast + location

In some cities of the US, one click to your website can cost around $100. The cost of a PPC ad goes down with location. According to one estimate, realtors spend anywhere from $0.50-$5.0 on PPC, whereas investors spend $5 to $65 on a single click.

Organic Search Vs PPC

Which one is the winner? Organic SEO or real estate PPC ads?

I understand your question. As a real estate writer, I love organic content. I love providing value and working with real estate investors who want to share valuable insights with clients.

But…..

Organic SEO doesn’t work in a few cases. Let’s say you are targeting a keyword, “sell my house fast”. And you want to get leads from all around the US.

Now your website will not rank first unless you own a big franchise like sellmyhousefast.com.

If you want to compete with big franchies, you will need to choose PPC.

The same is true for real estate agents. Your two-year-old domain name cannot compete with Zillow, Trulia, or Redfin. You will need to run a PPC campaign to bring visitors directly to your website.

Real Estate PPC Advertising Tips for Agents

Kurt Uhlir, CMO of ez home Search, contributed to this section. Known as the “king of scaling,” Kurt is a highly sought-after marketing leader. 

Can You Generate Real Estate Leads with PPC?

What makes PPC valuable is its ability to produce quick results, but the real value comes when you combine it with long-term follow-up and relationship marketing. At eXp Reality, I have coached thousands of agents across 100+ brokerages and teams.

We’ve generated hundreds of thousands of leads from PPC. Despite millions spent, the ROI has justified it.As a newbie to the PPC world, you can get started for only a few thousand per month in many markets. The key is to not only capture leads but also nurture them with comprehensive follow-up strategies so they convert later down the line.

What is the ROI of Effective PPC Campaigns?

I’ve consistently seen ROI 8x to 10x over industry averages when proper nurturing and follow-up systems are in place. Many agents undervalue the potential ROI because they focus on short-term, ready-to-buy/sell clients, but PPC can deliver significant returns over the long run when used strategically for lead nurturing and future conversion. Keep in mind that many people are not ready to transact right now, but your relationship starts today.

Did you choose a specific lead generation platform for handling PPC campaigns?

Google Ads has been our go-to for immediate, high-quality leads, but we’ve also leveraged Facebook Ads to engage users earlier in their home-buying journey. The key is understanding where potential clients are in their buying process and tailoring PPC campaigns accordingly to maximize results across both platforms.

Will you do it again? Or will you choose a different marketing channel?

I will continue to recommend PPC, but I always advise balancing it with SEO and content marketing. PPC works well for generating leads fast, but organic SEO leads tend to convert 5x to 10x better over time and build long-term value in the business. You need both PPC and SEO to drive sustained growth in real estate.

Why Am I Not Seeing Results with My Real Estate PPC Campaign?

I have been working as a real estate writer for over 10 years now. In the last decade, I have collaborated directly with 150+ real estate investors. I have reviewed their website, content, ads, social media, and everything in between.

The thing is that I worked directly with the investor. So I was not talking to some random social media manager. I was working directly with the company owner, who was trying to build a startup from scratch. From experience, I can say that many investors struggle with real estate PPC.

Most people don’t have knowledge of SEO or real estate PPC strategy. Here are a few reasons for not seeing results with your real estate PPC campaign:

• Poor website copy, including the landing page
• Poor advertisement copy
• Trying to save money on PPC strategy and campaign management
• Not doing organic SEO

Real Estate PPC Landing Page

You need to guide your visitors when they arrive at your website after clicking on the ad. Many websites struggle with providing a good experience. Provide insights. Write real estate guides. Give the reader a reason to stay on your website. Your PPC landing page should give all the desired information so the visitor can make an informed decision. Your landing page also must align with the ad copy.

Real Estate PPC Ad Copy

Why is my ad copy not converting? I have done some real estate PPC examples earlier in this blog post. Review the examples and the essential components of a PPC ad. You will learn exactly why your ad is not working.

Cheap Real Estate PPC Strategy

Many investors choose to outsource PPC strategy on websites like Upwork and Fiverr. There is nothing wrong with this approach. The problem happens when you want to hire a real estate PPC manager at $10/hour. You cannot hire decent talent at this price point. You need to invest in quality talent, experience, and education. Find someone who is certified, or at least have sample results. Please don’t go with the lowest price because it will cost you in the long run.

Lack of Organic SEO

Real estate PPC ads help you receive quick results. It’s a way to avoid competition in a cluttered market. However, PPC ads are not designed to help you build a brand.

Invest in real estate social media marketing or start a real estate blog. Do something to help your readers. Create a stunning website with consistent branding. (Stay consistent with brand colors and fonts.) Develop an authority website that will serve you for years to come. Investing in real estate PPC is just a starting point. Your website content will take this job further down the road.