Advertising online can be incredibly expensive for real estate agents, making running profitable campaigns difficult. If you’re struggling with your budget, retargeting ads offer a great opportunity to get more out of your ad dollars. In this article, we’ll guide you through the ins and outs of what retargeting ads are and how to use them in your business.
Find It Fast
What are real estate retargeting ads?
Retargeting ads are a powerful tool in real estate marketing. They are designed to re-engage visitors who have previously interacted with some element of your online presence without making an inquiry or booking a showing. Essentially, these ads follow your potential clients across the web, displaying your properties or services to them on various platforms, thereby keeping your brand at the forefront of their minds.
Several platforms offer real estate retargeting ads, each with its unique set of advantages and disadvantages.
Google ads
Google stands out for its extensive reach, allowing real estate agents to display retargeting ads across millions of websites within the Google Display Network. The primary advantage is its vast audience; however, this sheer size means that Google can be more complex to use due to all the moving pieces.
Meta ads
Facebook and Instagram excel at detailed targeting options. Agents can retarget ads based on specific user behaviors and interests, making it easier to tailor content that resonates with your audience. The drawback is that your ads are only shown on the Facebook and Instagram platforms and not elsewhere on the web.
Linkedin ads
LinkedIn provides a professional context for retargeting ads, ideal for real estate agents focusing on commercial properties, specializing in relocations, or looking to network with high-net-worth clients. Its more expensive advertising cost can be a con, but the platform’s ability to target based on professional criteria makes it a worthy investment for certain campaigns.
How real estate retargeting ads work
Real estate retargeting ads involve inserting a retargeting script on your website. When a prospect visits your website and views a certain page, the retargeting script incorporates a cookie into their browsing device. The cookie — a legal and standard advertising technique as long as you notify users of this fact — then tracks the prospect’s internet browsing.
For example, let’s say someone visits your real estate website and spends time interacting with properties. You can use retargeting to show them ads weeks or months later based on their browsing activity or behavior.
From a consumer standpoint, a retargeted real estate ad might look like any other advertisement that leads directly to your website. Since prospects are likely to remember relevant real estate ads, seeing those ads repeatedly over time increases their likelihood of conversion. By using these strategies, agents can execute a targeted marketing campaign that maximizes exposure and engagement.
Advantages of real estate retargeting ads
One of the many benefits of using real estate retargeting ads is the ability to build a custom filter that gathers potential customers who visited your website but didn’t convert into one audience so you can market to them later.
Real estate retargeting ads stand out for their ability to re-engage dormant leads, offering a strategic advantage by keeping your brand consistently in view. Another benefit lies in the fact that it’s an automated process, saving valuable time while ensuring your message reaches its target with pinpoint accuracy, thanks to tracking technologies such as cookies and pixels.
This results in enhanced brand familiarity that increases the likelihood of leads choosing your services when they’re ready, making retargeting a highly effective tool for real estate agents.
As for the ROI, the data speaks for itself. Here are three stats to convince you real estate retargeting ads are worth it:
- They boost ad engagement by up to 400%.
- Their click-through rates are 10 times higher than display ads.
- Customers who’ve been retargeted by ads are 70% more likely to convert.
Another perk is that, unlike banner ads and Google Ads, you don’t necessarily pay extra every time someone clicks on your ad. You can also set up payments on a cost-per-time-shown or cost-per-acquisition basis, depending on what works best for you.
How real estate retargeting ads can revamp your marketing strategy
Here are eight actionable ways to use retargeting ads for maximum effectiveness.
1. Start by driving traffic to a single landing page
Directing all your retargeting ad traffic to a single, well-crafted landing page is crucial for maximizing conversions. A unified landing page ensures that all potential clients receive a consistent message, reducing confusion and boosting engagement.
By focusing on one landing page, you can optimize its design, content, and call-to-action to convert leads effectively. This targeted approach also simplifies tracking metrics, allowing for better performance analysis and more effective adjustments. In turn, this can lead to a more streamlined and successful retargeting campaign.
2. Ask for more information on landing pages
To captivate and convert leads that come to your site thanks to a retargeting campaign, your landing page must clearly communicate value and effectively request visitors’ information. Include a concise form asking for only essential details such as name, email, and property they’re interested in to keep it simple.
Enhance user experience and conversion rates by offering something valuable in return for their information, such as a free consultation, exclusive market report, or access to premium listings. Make sure the offer aligns with your target audience’s interests. You should also use social proof, like customer testimonials, to build trust and showcase the benefits of engaging.
Finally, optimize the form’s design for usability, making it visually appealing and easy to complete, especially on mobile devices.
3. Optimize your website for every visitor
As your retargeting strategy evolves, you will likely want to create unique experiences for different audiences. Potential clients who visit your website for the first time may be overwhelmed by your services and offerings. It’s essential you make them feel comfortable. A well-designed website, clean user experience, and a strong call-to-action (CTA) make it easier to get in touch.
Use phrases like “Book an Appointment,” “Contact Us Today,” or “Get 30% Off First Month’s Rent.” To optimize every website visit, make sure you don’t leave a potential client guessing about what to do next.
To further capitalize on website visits, integrate persuasive elements such as testimonials, case studies, and success stories near your CTA. This not only builds trust but also showcases the tangible benefits of engaging with your services. Just make sure you don’t overdo it by stuffing the website with links or keywords, and be sure to have only one clear CTA per page.
4. Create follow-up emails
When a visitor lands on your site, cookies track their behavior, enabling you to present them with tailored ads on other platforms. These ads often feature enticing offers such as free e-books or discount codes, prompting users to provide their email addresses. Effective follow-up emails are key to engaging these leads and boosting sales.
This method not only captures the interest of potential buyers but also builds a robust email list for future follow-ups. For example, if a prospect entered your retargeting list because they viewed a listing on your website, send a follow-up highlighting specific property features, the opportunity to view similar properties, or the availability of private consultations. Ensure each email has a clear call to action that addresses customer needs in a relevant yet non-intrusive way.
5. Track your results
The more you know about your prospects, their preferences, and what they’re doing online, the more you can boost your marketing strategy with real estate retargeting ads.
You can easily set up conversion tracking if you’re using pay-per-click ads through Google as your primary platform for paid advertising. Simply add a piece of code to each page on your website that corresponds to a specific cookie when someone clicks on one of your ads. The system will follow users who click on these ads and promote other products from within Google Ads based on their behavior.
If you’re running real estate retargeting ads on Facebook, we recommend working with a social media management platform that helps you see exactly how many people have seen your ad — and if they converted into leads or sales.
6. Set up A/B testing
Use A/B testing to find the most effective design and offer, refining your strategy over time. By methodically testing and refining your messages, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Plus, when combined with retargeting, you can get more leads without paying for them multiple times.
For instance, you might test two different ad headlines to see which generates more clicks. Or you could compare the performance of two email subject lines to see which leads to a higher open rate. It’s critical, however, to change only one variable at a time so you can accurately attribute any differences in performance. Google Ads makes this process straightforward by offering built-in A/B testing functionalities.
7. Try using dynamic retargeting ads
Dynamic retargeting changes the ad display based on past activities. It allows you to customize timing and content based on which ads you’ve seen be most influential during each step of the real estate sales funnel.
For example, you can use dynamic retargeting to ensure that a visitor who has been browsing entry-level homes in a specific area sees ads for similar properties rather than luxury homes that don’t fit their search criteria. This level of personalization not only improves the relevance of your ads but significantly increases the likelihood of engagement and conversion.
To make the most out of dynamic retargeting, start by segmenting your audience based on their behavior on your site—such as the properties they viewed, the search criteria they used, and whether they’re first-time buyers or looking for an upgrade. Use this information to craft tailored ads that speak directly to their needs, improving your chances of capturing their interest.
Remember, the key to successful dynamic retargeting lies in the details. The more specific you can be with your audience segmentation and ad personalization, the more effective your campaigns will be.
8. Customize the display URL
Many people overlook (or don’t know) that having a custom display URL on platforms such as Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn can improve their ability to track conversions. It may not seem like much, but even using your name instead of a generic string of numbers can go a long way.
In Meta Ads Manager, you can customize URLs by adding UTM parameters to your ad links. Google Ads offers a similar feature through its tracking template settings. On LinkedIn, you can append tracking tokens directly in the campaign manager tool. This precision tracking ensures you can refine and optimize your ad strategies effectively.
Elevate your advertising with Luxury Presence
After exploring the ins and outs of real estate retargeting ads, it’s clear that the right strategy can dramatically increase your brand visibility and generate substantial leads. If you’re on a mission to grow your real estate business and need help with advertising, book a free strategy call with our award-winning team.
