Ads are everywhere. 

The goal of building brand awareness should be on every Realtor’s mind.

But how can you create standout real estate ads that attract new leads?

How can you peak in a saturated market of attention going to the highest bidder?

You’re going to need to get creative. 

We’ve carefully curated 15 real estate ad examples that have generated real estate agents new business.

From social media to Google Ads, we know how to build cohesion in your overall digital marketing strategy. 

You’ll learn about copywriting best practices, standout designs, and how to maximize your paid ROI.

Let’s take your ad campaigns to the next level.

What are real estate ads?

Real estate ads are used to promote real estate agents and brokerages. They come in different formats, e.g., videos, images, and text. No matter the medium, all ads have the same purpose: to bring attention to your business.

The brilliance of real estate ads come from their stickiness. This means two things:

1. How frequently will a potential client see them?
2. How likely is it they’ll remember your ad?

According to recent studies, it  takes a person seeing an ad or brand (logo, picture, etc.) 5-7 times before they recognize your brand. 

This means running a single campaign, one time, is very unlikely to result in phone calls. Or at least it won’t result in phone calls that matter.

15 examples of real estate ads and why they work

Let’s take a look at some real-world real estate ads and why they work.

Most Instagram Ads are run through Meta (Facebook) Ads Manager, so the data will look very similar to Facebook. Advertisers frequently opt to place their Facebook ads on Instagram and vice versa. 

Some of these ad examples were posted to both Facebook and Instagram. 

1. Remodelled Home from Mark Spain Real Estate

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Why this works: 

This ad displays beautiful, attention-grabbing photos of the property that the agent is advertising. It has multiple images in a carousel format so the user can click through to see more of the home (and increase engagement rates). 

The copywriting is enticing. With descriptive language like remodelled, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, and spacious, this home checks a lot of appealing boxes for home buyers. 

Placement: Facebook and Instagram

2. Luxury Listings from Lorie La Londe

Why this ad works: 

This ad wastes no time getting straight to the point. Looking for the perfect home? This is it! 

It clearly displays the price of the home to attract those who can afford that price point. And the image depicts a beautiful vantage point of the dining room and kitchen. It’s also localized to the user. 

Personalization in real estate ads converts extremely well. 

Placement: Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger

3. Purchase A New Home from Hugh Group Real Estate

Why this ad works: 

The video in this Instagram ad appeals to its audience: Idaho home buyers. It shows off the landscaping and outdoor wonders that draw people to their state. That’s the hook. 

Once people are drawn in, the call-to-action and message of the ad are very clear. Get alerts when new homes come on the market. 

Placement: Facebook and Instagram

Facebook ads may be the most utilized form of advertising for real estate agents. They are huge for brand awareness, have several different targeting options, and have the capability for lots of different media types. 

4. Timely Topics from The Bizarro Agency

Why this ad works: 

In this real estate Facebook ad, The Bizzarro Agency posted helpful, newsworthy information about the Fair Housing Act during Fair Housing Month.  

While this ad didn’t receive much engagement, which of course is super important, we do like that it had over 3,000 impressions.

Those impressions help build brand awareness. The more potential clients see your name, the more likely they are to remember it when it comes time to purchase or sell a home. 

5. For Sale Now by The Joe Taylor Group

Why this ad works: 

The copy in this ad is short and to the point, it shares specific details about the cost, and the featured image is beautiful. 

Also, there’s a clear call-to-action to “Learn More” about these homes. 

6. Community Involvement from The Park Group

Why this ad works: 

The Park Group created an ad for a winter clothing drive. These kinds of ads are great for building community rapport and brand awareness. 

It shows that you are involved in and care about your community. 

This kind of ad emits an emotional response from your audience and helps create a personal connection and sense of community. 

7. Timely Topics from Jay Marks Real Estate

Why this ad works:

This ad was shared near the first quarter of 2021, when the real estate market was going a “bit crazy,” as Jay Marks Real Estate puts it. 

Their ad copy is great for a couple reasons: 

1. They use short sentences 
2. There is good spacing between short paragraphs
3. The use of emojis is subtle, yet effective
4. They list relevant stats that catch a user’s attention

8. Unique Property Ad from The Gretchen Coley Group

Why this ad works: 

The Gretchen Coley Group shared this unique home and boosted it as an ad. In just 6 hours it had received 21 likes and 6 comments. 

The content of the ad holds interest and appeal for people who are interested in real estate. Words like stunning, sprawling floor plan, and marble tub are sure to draw attention. 

And on top of that, there’s an appeal to curiosity because now we all want to know how much the most expensive Raleigh home in October 2022 was. 

9. Owning Real Estate Intent from Debra Dobbs

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This search ad does a lot, and it’s showing up at the top of the ads results, meaning it has a high-quality score with Google. 

Keywords like Premier and unforgettable standout and drive in the kind of experience that clients should expect with this realty group. 

They use their names in the headline and description to help reinforce brand awareness. 

And they have site link extensions to learn more about them through awards they’ve received and client testimonials. 

10. Retargeting Ads from Joe Titus

We love the simplicity of this display ad. The text shows a real quote from an employee of the firm while highlighting the company’s values. 

It clearly shows the logo and the graphic is consistent with the company’s branding. 

The ad is clear and easy to follow. 

This is exactly what you want in a brand awareness ad. 

11. Home Alerts from Realtor.com

Another type of display ad can run across a site as a banner like this one. 

This ad strives to solve a problem for the company’s users by showing them they can set up alerts for new listings. 

It has a clear call-to-action (download now) and clearly shows the logo. 

12. Capturing Nearby Searches with Local Service Ads

There isn’t much creativity that goes into Local Services Ads, but some important key tips to remember are: 

• Provide a professional headshot
• Get lots of positive reviews as leads start coming in
• Consider listing your open hours as “open 24/7” to compete with other agents

13. List Your Home Ad from Coldwell Banker

Similar to Google Search Ads, you can have placements for your ads on the YouTube search results. This is nice because YouTube is the second most used search engine (that’s right, it’s a search engine). 

This ad example displays that perfectly. 

When we did a search for “realtors near me” on YouTube, this ad came up.

Why we like it: 

The short and snappy headline is straight to the point and shows the name of the real estate firm right from the start. 

It appeals to sellers who need to list their homes and helps with brand awareness. 

14. Powerful Call-to-Action Ad from Idaho Solar Homes

YouTube video ads are phenomenal brand awareness opportunities.

At the end of this video ad, this advertiser displays a clear call-to-action that tells users what do to and why. They have also included a static overlay (the “Own Your Energy” box) that is present throughout the entire video to allow users to click and learn more at any time. 

15. Selling Digital Courses Ad from Rich Dad

This display ad on YouTube is simple and cuts right to the chase. 

What we really like about this one is the use of text in the image. It allows the advertiser to use minimal text in the ad headline and description (which is limited by character count) and helps to show the value that users will get from his course.

How to check your competitor’s ads

Want to gather some of this ad data on your own competitors and fellow agents? Follow the instructions below. 

Go to the Facebook page of the agent whose ads you want to see

Scroll down to Page Transparency and click See All

If there isn’t a Page Transparency section on their main page, click About at the top of the page, then click Page Transparency and then click See All

Click Go to the Ad Library. There you will be able to see current and inactive ads that the page is running. You can only see the audience and amount spent on inactive ads. And you can only see Likes, Comments, and Shares if you find the individual post on the actual Facebook page (just scroll down to the date it was posted or do a search for any hashtags in the post on that page). 

How can real estate agents use different ads?

There are so many different ways to leverage ads for your real estate business. 

We recommend testing a platform before going all in. It’s never a smart digital ad strategy to dedicate too much budget before you know it’s going to work.

We recommend a two-pronged ad strategy:

This includes at least one display or brand awareness ad and one search or lead-generating ad. 

A display ad will help generate brand awareness, while a search ad will be at the top of Google searches when potential clients are ready to find an agent and make a call. 

Just as anything with online marketing strategies, brand awareness is equally as important as lead generation.

As you’re looking over the various types of ads that realtors should use, keep in mind that the copy and accompanying media should vary depending on the ad type.

Also consider how your ad campaigns will work with your ongoing SEO campaign.

We’ll provide some tips for when to use these ads and what kind of content and copy you should include.

Social media ads

Social media ads are great for brand awareness. 

Generally-speaking, certain social media ads aren’t going to provide a ton of lead generation (that’s not to say they won’t). 

But they are amazing at putting your brand in front of the right people at scale. For a reasonably cheap price.

This is where understanding your audience will make a huge difference to your spend. If you’re guessing who to advertise to, you’ll misspend advertising dollars.

Facebook

Facebook ads should be a part of every real estate agent's marketing strategy. 

Yep, we said it. 

Curaytor has been able to achieve 15% - 20% click-through rates on listing ads in the last month.

With over 266 million active users (and counting) in the US and Canada, this platform is a no-brainer when it comes to advertising your real estate business. 

Most people scroll through Facebook with every intention of ignoring ads.

It’s not about pestering your audience. It’s about inviting them in at just the right time in their life.

This is an art, rather than a science. Your knowledge of your local market will help you place the right ads at the right time.

You can use Facebook ads for:

• Generating responses to an open house event.
• Early interest in upcoming developments and listings.
• Good ol’ fashioned listing promotion.

Some tips for Facebook ad content and copy: 

• Include high-quality multimedia in your ad.
• Experiment with images, GIFs, and videos.
• Keep the text on images to a minimum. 
• Make sure your text matches the visual that you’re placing with it. 
• Use A/B testing to have multiple versions of the same ad. This will help you see what audiences react to and engage with better.
• Keep it short and simple. 
• Have one primary goal with a simple call-to-action. 

Instagram

Instagram ads are run from the same platform as Facebook ads. In fact, you can duplicate almost any ad you boost on Facebook to Instagram. 

But, it’s important to be mindful of your audience on Facebook versus your audience on Instagram. 

On Instagram, users are used to scrolling through beautiful imagery and gaining inspiration, while Facebook is more of a hodgepodge of news, memes, family updates, ads, and everything in between. 

So, you might consider creating some Instagram-only ads to cater more to the audience there. 

Things like unique home features, highlights of local landmarks, and even real estate agent spotlights are going to perform better on Instagram than a link to a new blog or a market update. 

Tips for advertising on Instagram: 

• Beautiful, high-quality images are a must. 
• Keep the copy short and sweet. 
• Include minimal text in the image, but enough to attract attention and get them to click on your ad. 
• Include a simple CTA (call now, book now, message us, etc.)

TikTok

Gen-Zers may be the predominant users on TikTok, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t value in advertising on this platform. Many of them are already buying homes too. 

And, TikTok is becoming more popular among all age groups. 

So, if your audience spends time on TikTok, you should definitely consider it for your marketing arsenal. 

The biggest thing with TikTok is that it’s all video-based. So you’ll want to get comfortable on camera. And if you aren’t comfortable creating and editing videos, you may want to hire someone to help. 

Tips for TikTok advertising:

• It’s all about the video. 
• Make videos regularly to get comfortable on camera so you can create some awesome TikTok ads. 
• Make a video that is going to catch someone’s attention. 
• Trends, stories, and strange facts are huge on TikTok. A walkthrough of a unique home would also be great!
• Utilize the caption section to give more information about your video. Include who you are, what you do, and why you want to connect with your audience. 
• Use relevant hashtags to help your real estate ads show up for audiences that are interested in those topics. 

Twitter

Twitter is all about what’s happening at the moment. According to a recent study the average lifespan of a tweet is 20 minutes. 

People only spend a couple seconds (if that) looking at tweets as they scroll by. So if you want to catch someone’s attention on Twitter, it has to be fast. 

You can use content similar to your other social media ads so they complement your overall marketing strategy, but you’ll want to cater the copy specifically to Twitter’s platform and user base in order to gain any traction here. 

Tips for effective Twitter ads: 

• Keep your ads short and punchy. Twitter recommends writing your ad the same way you would outdoor real estate ads, like billboards. 
• Keep hashtags and emojis to a minimum. You only have so many characters, and most people won’t read the entire tweet. 
• Use eye-catching visuals that enhance your ad copy. 
• Add a solid CTA to tell users what to do next (ex: “Learn More” or “Call Now”). 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a very different platform from other social media channels. So when you’re advertising there you’ll want to adapt your ads accordingly. 

LinkedIn has several different paid promotion options: 

• Sponsored content: This is similar to the ad types on other social media platforms. You pay to boost a post that shows up in users’ news feeds. 
• Messaging ads: You can pay to have sponsored messages show up in LinkedIn users’ inboxes. This is kind of similar to email marketing, where you’ll want to catch someone’s attention with the first line or headline of the message to get them to open it. These can be great to generate leads, engage in conversations, and recruit new real estate team members. 
• Text ads: These show up in the sidebars of LinkedIn as someone is scrolling through their feed or browsing the platform. These are great for building brand awareness. 

Because LinkedIn is very much oriented around business professionals and networking, you’ll want to gear your ad copy to target and appeal to your audience there. 

Maybe people are looking for investment opportunities and they haven’t considered real estate yet…create an ad about that with a call-to-action to meet with you. 

Get creative and find the right medium for reaching your goals. 

Google Ads

Google Ads has a lot of options when it comes to real estate advertising. 

From showing up in Google searches to showing up in YouTube videos and on industry websites, you can almost have it all. 

The biggest drawback with Google Ads is that they can be expensive over time. We’ll outline some of the specific advertising types and why and when you could use them. 

Search ads

Search ads typically show up at the top of Google search results. They have a couple of headlines and descriptions, and they frequently have links to relevant pages on your website (i.e. Property Search, About Us, Resources). 

Search ads are great for capturing audiences who are actively showing intent to find a real estate agent. 

With search ads, you can target specific keywords, like “ best real estate agent near me” and target a specific geographical location. When someone types in that term in your area, your ad will have the potential to show up. 

These ads are awesome for lead generation because the user is already looking for your services. Now you just need to write the ad copy to make them click on your ad. 

Search ads are generally pay-per-click (PPC), meaning that you pay every time someone clicks on your ad. And the cost varies depending on what keywords the user typed into their search. 

Display ads

Google display ads are similar to the sidebar ads on LinkedIn and Facebook. They show up on websites and apps in the Google Display Network as people are browsing the web or using different apps on their phones. 

These aren’t great lead-generation ads, but they are perfect for enhancing brand awareness. It just creates another avenue for people to see your name and for you to start gaining recognition. 

These ads are most effective when you have a powerful, high-quality image or short video to accompany your text. 

The cost of these varies a lot, but you generally pay based on the impressions of your ad. You can set a bid to pay a certain dollar amount per thousand people that see the ad. 

Local Services Ads

Local Services Ads (LSAs) are a pretty sweet lead-generation tool. 

Perhaps the most appealing thing about LSAs is that you only pay for each lead you receive, unlike Google search ads where you pay for each click the ad receives. 

Like Google search ads, however, these do show up at the top of the search results-usually above the search ads even. 

LSAs have the “Google Screened” annotation with the green checkmark. They will display your professional picture and the review ratings from leads that you’ve gained through your LSAs. 

These ads are a little more work upfront to get started. This is because you have to actually get screened by Google, going through a background check and providing documentation to verify your credentials and certification to perform the job. 

But once they are up and running, you can bring in a lot more leads.

YouTube ads

YouTube ads are primarily helpful with brand awareness. You create a 10-30 second video that can precede a YouTube video. 

But there are other ad placements on this channel too. You can create an ad that shows up in YouTube search results and that shows up in the sidebar on YouTube. And these can both point to your website or another helpful online resource. 

When people are doing their searches for tips on buying or selling a home, those are the perfect opportunities for them to see your real estate ads. 

How to write engaging real estate ad copy

Now that we’ve discussed the different types of digital real estate ads, let’s get into how you can write effective real estate ad copy. 

Know your audience

First, you need to know your audience. 

This shouldn’t come as a shock to any real estate agent.

You can’t write effective ads if you don’t know and understand the needs and desires of your target customer base. 

If you don’t know much about your audience or what they respond well to, take some time to research and define this. 

The more you can define who your audience is, the more effective your ads will be. 

Set goals

What are the goals that you have for each ad campaign? 

How are you going to achieve the goals of this specific ad through your copy?

Think about what you want to achieve with your ads. 

Maybe you want to get more phone calls. Maybe you’re trying to gain more brand recognition. Or maybe you’re trying to generate buzz around an upcoming event. 

Whatever your goals, keep those front and center as you are coming up with your copy. 

Hook your audience

Something has to catch your audience’s attention. Whether that’s the images, a video, or a catchy headline, your ads must have a hook to draw people in. 

And you should be able to do that in 3 seconds or less. If you don’t grab their attention within 3 seconds, you’ve already lost them. 

The type of hook you use is going to depend on your goals for the campaign of your ad campaign. 

Some ideas for an attention-grabbing hook: 

• A beautiful image or unique starting clip for a walkthrough video of a home that just went on the market. 
• A headline displaying the price of a new listing–most home buyers want to know the price and number of bedrooms and bathrooms before they even look at a house. Stating this information front and center can catch the attention of those with similar criteria. 
• Valuable features of a home or neighborhood that appeal to homeowners.
• Value that you can provide to your clients. Use a couple of descriptive words to show why you are the right agent for someone. 

Start by writing out 5-10 headlines. Choose your favorites and start from there. Test them out and see which ones perform best. 

Then continue tweaking your headlines as needed until you have high engagement rates (like clicks, likes, or comments). 

Keep your audience’s attention

Getting attention for an ad is the easy part when compared to keeping someone’s attention.

When you plan your ad content, plan it around topics that you know your target audience will be interested in. 

Which of your social posts has received the most engagement? What kind of content does your audience relate most to?

Use that to guide your content and copy so you can keep your audience hooked. 

Beyond the actual content of the copy, you also need to make sure it’s easy to read. 

If the ad is just a wall of text or has run-on sentences that drag on forever, you’re not going to keep anyone’s attention. 

Here are some helpful tips for easy-to-read ad copy: 

• Write in short and concise sentences and paragraphs.
• Use emojis or bullet points for long lists (like features of a new listing). Just be careful not to overwhelm your ad with emojis. 
• Use exclamation points sparingly. These can be great for adding emphasis and excitement but don’t use them for every sentence. 
• Be careful about using all caps. This can make it feel like you’re shouting at your audience, and no one wants that. 

Word choice matters

You want to use words that will catch attention and draw potential clients in. 

These should be positive, descriptive words that hold appeal. 

Consider this list of words and how you can use them in your real estate ad copy: 

• Beautiful
• Luxurious
• Bright
• Open
• Spacious
• Premium
• Updated
• Remodeled
• Landscaped
• Custom
• Elegant
• Family
• Inviting
• Modern
• Picturesque
• Stunning

Of course, the word choice completely depends on the type of ad you have and your goals, but this is a good list to pull from for most listing-based ads. 

Be mindful of Fair Housing laws

It’s imperative that your ads don’t violate Fair Housing laws if you want to stay out of legal hot water. 

Don’t use any language that could be discriminatory against a person based on gender, race, religion, color, disability, age, national origin, or familial status. 

Summary

Advertising for your real estate business can be overwhelming. 

There are a lot of possibilities and it can be tough to know what will work and what won’t. 

The biggest takeaway you should gain from this is to dive in and start tracking. 

Take notes of the things that you want to try. Start where your ideal client spends most of their time and try implementing a lead generation ad and a brand awareness ad. 

Consider trying several different platforms to see which types of ads get the most engagement, impressions, and leads. 

Remember that different types of ads have different purposes. A Facebook ad is not going to bring in the number of leads that a Local Services Ad will bring in. 

But they can both be effective. 

Take a deep breath, sit down, and start planning. 

And if you’re still overwhelmed at doing this on your own, remember that you don’t have to do this alone. Curaytor marketing specialists are just a phone call away and happy to help with your next campaign!