Facebook Ads For Real Estate
Facebook ads can be confusing and complicated. I’ve been there many times, thinking I have a great ad and then not getting as many leads as I hoped or even worse having Facebook continually deny my ad. Real estate is one of the “Special Category” ads that can be tricky to set up, but the results are worth it!
First, what is a Special Category ad? These are ads that Facebook categorizes as offering some type of credit, housing, or job opportunity. These types of ads are classified this way in order to enforce policies against discriminatory practices and prevent discrimination based on demographics like age and gender. What this means for you is limited capability in specifying an audience for your ads. This can be frustrating for real estate agents that know they want to target a certain zip code because of their expertise in that neighborhood. What you can select for your audience is city, and most importantly interests. Here is where you will select interests that reflect they are looking to buy or sell.
When you know you can’t avoid a Special Category designation, you can be more specific about the information you place on you ads. If your business account is real estate related, you will most likely have to go this route. Your ad should provide a reason for people to stop and click. You want to provide potential clients something of value that also shows your expertise and how you can help them. I suggest using a lead generation ad that provides your audience with a guide or helpful information on real estate topics like how to prepare to buy or sell a home. This type of information is appealing because it will answer some common questions and bring in potential clients who are already informed and you can help answer more specific questions, therefore becoming their trusted expert.
You can also run ads that showcase properties you are currently selling. Beautiful images of homes will bring in great numbers because ads with less text actually perform better. Let the beautiful homes you are selling do all the talking! With these ads make sure that the information presented can be useful for people in different stages of buying or selling, this way you will get the most out of the wide audience your ads are reaching.
The creative for a recent ad I ran for a client. The focus was a seller’s quick guide during the time of COVID-19.
Running an ad that does not fall under the Special Category classification can be difficult, but it can be worth a try. The technique behind this is to not advertise housing, but to instead provide potential clients with resources and tools that will be interesting and once you have connected outside of Facebook, you can then discuss real estate. For example, run an ad that advertises a neighborhood guide. This can include information about the community and insight into what it’s like living there. Using this technique you can select an audience based on zip code and attract potential clients who are interested in those ares. Guides and information are a great way to run ads that will not be flagged as Special Category.
Personally, I think going in already prepared to run a Special Category ad and working around the audience restrictions. These restrictions mean you will not be able to select specific zip codes, age or other audience demographics. While this may feel limiting, you can still select the city where you work and it will be a way to get seen by even more people. For these ads I also suggest running a lead generation ad that will help you collect information, and add those potential clients to your CRM. From there the ball is in your court and you can make sure you are reaching out to them and start building a relationship.