Maryna Semidubarska
AuthorFacebook Ads are an essential tool for real estate marketing in 2025.
Why?
They bring what agents actually need: booked viewings from people actively searching in the area and conversions that lead to a purchase.
Real estate professionals are also happy to see the low customer acquisition cost compared to other channels.
Still, it's important to set everything up the right way.
That's exactly what this guide is for.
Here, you’ll learn how to improve your content using formats that work today and how to get more complete data about your leads with modern tools like the ones by Stape.
You'll see how server-side tracking helps Facebook adjust your campaigns using lead data that often gets lost with web-only tracking.
Ready to make Facebook Ads work for you?
Let's get started.
Advertising on Meta's platforms, like Facebook and Instagram, offers many advantages for real estate.
A well-made ad here can do more than brochures, open houses, or cold calls together.
Here are the key benefits that make Facebook and Instagram ads especially effective for real estate marketing:
You can also create Meta lookalike audiences of past clients to find new prospects with similar profiles.
You can also use Instant Experience, a format that opens full screen when someone taps your ad. It lets you combine photos, videos, text, and buttons in one place so people can explore the property without leaving Facebook or Instagram.
This setup keeps your message consistent and saves time on manual work.
It also means you meet potential buyers or renters wherever they are checking stories or replying to messages.
This way, you get more chances to stay visible without juggling separate ad tools.
And more than that, they help you track every click, form, or page view.
You can test different visuals or messages, then shift the budget toward what's actually working.
Still, even with the right marketing tools, you don't always see the full picture in your reports.
Sometimes, data is missing.
That's because browsers and mobile systems like iOS block certain tracking events by default, so Meta doesn't get the full story about who clicked, who converted, and why.
To fix that, many advertisers use server-side tracking.
It sends conversion data straight from your cloud server to Meta, filling in the gaps left by browser tracking.
This helps Facebook adjust your ads in real time and spend your budget where it brings the most value.
For example, McGen Digital implemented server-side tracking and achieved a 22% reduction in overall conversion costs within just 14 days.
You can use Meta to build a personal brand recognizable in a specific area or niche.
This is useful for both luxury listings and everyday rentals, so people start to trust you because they see your work.
Show recent sales, share agent tips on choosing a house, or share what makes a neighborhood livable: a weekend market, a quiet park, or nice cafés.
When someone's ready to act, they're more likely to reach out to a name they already know.
If you're just getting into Meta Ads, don't worry. It's more approachable than it looks.
Here's a simple way to get started, step by step:
If you don't have a Facebook or Instagram account for your business yet, now’s the time to create one.
Your ads will be shown from this profile, so people can click through to learn more or contact you directly.
That's why it's important to keep the page active and complete:
If you haven't created a Meta Ads account yet, you'll need one to launch your first campaign.
This is where you'll manage your budget, campaigns, and performance data.
You can set it up via Meta Ads Manager.
Start with small daily budgets to help the algorithm learn.
Accounts that launch big campaigns right away without an activity history may get flagged or see higher costs.
Decide what you want your ads to do.
You can promote a new listing in a specific neighborhood, get more people to book viewings, or collect contact details from potential buyers.
Once your goal is clear, choose who you want to reach.
You can target by location, age range, and interests that reflect real intent, such as home renovation, first-time home buying, real estate investing, or luxury living.
Other useful signals include interests in mortgage loans, interior design, relocation services, or even high-end brands for premium listings.
You can also build custom audiences from past website visitors or email lists.
Choose one goal and build around it.
Here are common goals real estate agents set when launching Meta ads:
Once you know your goal, pick the format that fits.
If you're promoting a listing, use a carousel to show the kitchen, bedroom, and outdoor space.
Want to get leads? Use Facebook’s built-in lead form. It lets people book a visit, ask for a brochure, or request a callback without opening a new tab or leaving the app.
Video works best for the atmosphere. A 20-second clip showing the view from the balcony at sunset can do more than a paragraph of text.
Keep the message short. Add one call to action like “Book a visit” or “See inside.” No more. Don't make people feel overwhelmed.
Facebook ads don't need a big budget to work well for real estate. But you do need to be smart about how much you spend and when you run your campaigns.
How much to spend
Start small. A daily budget of $10 to $20 is enough to test what works. Let the Meta algorithm learn from ad performance and determine how to allocate your budget better.
Once you know which ads bring in the right leads, you can scale. Most agents see good results with $300 to $600 a month when making Facebook ads in the US.
How long to run your ads
Don’t stop your campaign too early. Facebook needs time to optimize. Plan for at least one week of consistent delivery before making any significant changes.
💡Pro tip: set ad schedules based on when your audience is online. For example, many home buyers browse listings in the evening or on weekends.
Keep testing for a better result
Try different photos, videos, and texts. Duplicate the formats that get more clicks, more leads, and more bookings.
Once your ads are live, check the results after a few days. After a week, try small edits to the headline or image to optimize your Facebook ads. The more you test, the easier it becomes to find what clicks with your audience.
Your ads are up and running.
Now, let's measure and increase your return on ad spend.
Maximizing return on ad spend means turning clicks into actual signed contracts or rentals. Here are some advanced tactics:
That's where server-side tracking helps.
Instead of relying only on the browser, it sends data from your cloud server directly to Meta.
This way, you recover the information that would've been lost and give Meta the data it needs to optimize your ads and show them to the right people.
Stape makes this setup simple with solutions like server GTM hosting and Facebook Conversions API Gateway.
📚Additional reading: how to set up Facebook tracking.
Use custom audiences built from past site visitors or CRM lists, and create lookalikes based on your best clients.
Exclude people who aren't a fit, like renters, if you're focused on selling by excluding those who have interests on Facebook in “rent”, “apartment hunting”, etc. Then, keep refining.
Adjust demographics and interests based on who's actually engaging and converting.
Run simple A/B tests on images, headlines, and ad text.
Try different ad formats and choose the right one for your campaign goals.
For example, use multiple images and Facebook's carousel ad format to showcase several properties or rooms in one ad.
A short video might do better than a static photo.
Even a small change, like a new CTA or background color, can make people stop and click.
Leads are more likely to convert if you respond within hours, not days.
Use email, phone, or chat, whatever gets to them the quickest.
Set up automations like instant messages or welcome emails to keep the conversation going while the interest is fresh. Timely and transparent communication is key to building trust with potential clients.
Show key details upfront: pricing, floor plans, and virtual tours.
If the page is clear and easy to use, more people will convert.
Advantage+ Creative automatically tests different versions of your ad to find what works best.
Meta's system shifts more budget to top performers, so you get better results without extra work.
For example, show ads with a "Limited time offer" to those who viewed a property.
Retargeting audiences often convert much better, boosting your ROI.
Once everything's in place, you need to know how good your ads are performing.
Let's look at the KPIs you can use to compare and improve your results.
Facebook ads only work when you know what to measure and track the right key metrics.
To follow your performance, you'll need to focus on numbers that show progress toward your campaign goals: booked viewings, signed contracts, and cost per lead.
Identifying qualified buyers should also be a key outcome when evaluating the quality of your leads.
Here are the main KPIs to watch if you want to understand and improve your results:
What it means: CVR shows how many people took action after seeing your ad, like clicking, filling out a form, or messaging you.
This tells you in a percentage how persuasive your ad is.
How to calculate it:
Benchmark: Facebook ads in real estate average around 9.7%, which is higher than many other industries.
What it means: CPL tells you how much you're paying, on average, for each person who shows interest, that is, each lead.
Unlike CVR, which measures how often people respond, CPL shows how much each response costs you.
How to calculate it:
Benchmark: in the US real estate sector, the average CPL for Facebook Ads is approximately $13.87.
What it means: CPA tells you how much you spend to get someone to actually become a client, not just show interest.
That could mean signing a rental agreement, buying a property, or paying for your service.
How to calculate it:
Benchmark: for real estate Facebook Ads, the average CPA is around $16.92. In real estate, where one client can bring in thousands in commission, this is considered a solid return.
What it means: ROAS shows how much you earn compared to what you spent on ads.
How to calculate it:
Benchmark: in April 2025, the median ROAS for US real estate Facebook Ads was 0.64.
What it means: the quality of leads shows how many of your leads turn into real conversations, like booked viewings, calls, or signed deals.
It helps you see if your ads are bringing in people who are actually ready to move forward, not just curious.
How to calculate it:
Benchmark: the average conversion rate from leads to clients is between 0.4% and 1.2%.
The ad format you choose shapes how people react when your listing appears in their feed.
Selecting the right ad format is important for optimizing your campaign, and understanding the different Facebook ad types and how each ad type helps you.
Some formats are designed to quickly collect contact details.
Others help you present the space clearly, showing layout, light, and atmosphere so buyers can picture themselves living there.
Here are the main formats that work well for real estate, showing what each one does best:
Carousel ads
The carousel ad format lets you show multiple images, such as different rooms, views, or properties, in a single swipeable post.
This is ideal for showcasing multiple listings or multiple properties in one ad.
This is a powerful tool that increases engagement by allowing viewers to scroll through several options and details in one interactive ad.
Single image ads
Simple and clear. A strong photo, a headline, and a call to action.
Works well when you're promoting one offer, like a price drop or featured listing.
Video ads
People are used to short videos for fun when they have free time.
Using that format in real estate makes your message easy to follow and creates a more relaxed, enjoyable tone.
Use a quick walkthrough, drone shot, or lifestyle clip to show what it might feel like to live there.
Always add captions, as most viewers watch without sound.
Lead ads
These come with a built-in form that opens inside Facebook or Instagram. Perfect for Facebook lead generation for things like open house sign-ups or email lists. People can leave their details without ever leaving the app.
Collection ads / Instant Experience
Made for the mobile fullscreen format, where you can combine video, photos, and pricing in one spot.
It works like a mini landing page inside the app and is perfect for showing off new builds or several listings at once.
Dynamic ads for real estate
Dynamic ads let you promote your full catalog of listings automatically across Facebook, Instagram, and the Audience Network, so you don’t need to create separate ads for each property.
These ads pick up on what people have already shown interest in on your website or app, then show them the most relevant homes from your catalog.
If someone browsed rentals last week, Meta can show them fresh rental options from your catalog without extra setup.
Story ads
Instagram story ads that appear between Stories or Reels are quick and perfect for a 5-second home tour or a behind-the-scenes agent moment.
Messenger ads
Messenger ads can be shown in Messenger, Stories, or the main Facebook and Instagram feeds.
When someone taps on the ad, a chat opens directly in the app you've chosen.
It's a fast way to answer questions or help serious buyers move forward.
1. Luxury condo tour
Adler Realty Bahamas ad uses a calm video to tour you around a 3-bedroom condo, highlighting spacious layouts and panoramic views.
The real estate agent shows the space from different angles and walks you through it so that you can appreciate the property.
Soft music and neutral tones create a peaceful atmosphere in the house.
2. New development ad
499 President, Brooklyn, introduces new rentals using a soft, modern design and high-quality visuals of the property.
Each image focuses on something specific: the building's exterior, the kitchen and living space, and the types of units available.
It's a clear example of how to use simple visuals and direct messaging to attract interest and generate qualified leads for new rentals.
3. Vacation rental carousel
This ad blends clarity with mood. The photos show space and light. The text keeps it simple: 6 bedrooms, mountain views, a hot tub, and a guest house.
It works because the viewer doesn't have to guess.
Everything’s there: who it's for, where it is, and why it's worth booking early.
4. Commercial space single image
The message is clear and direct. Small spaces for growing businesses, tailored to fit a business owner on a budget.
The bold text and dynamic music catch the attention during a quick scroll.
It works because it delivers key details quickly: space, purpose, pricing. The format is built for mobile and is easy to understand.
5. First-time homebuyer offer
This realtor doesn't use any professional jargon and goes straight for connection.
She wants a potential client to know they are not just hiring a realtor. They are getting a multitasking professional who knows Dallas and understands the chaos of buying a first home.
It works because it's personal, relatable, and self-aware. The viewer feels a connection and potential support.
Facebook and Instagram aren't just places to scroll in 2025.
They're where people find homes, explore neighborhoods, and decide who to trust with their next move.
When you use these platforms with the right setup and tracking, ads turn into signed contracts.
To make that happen, focus on clarity, targeting, and receiving as much data about your potential clients as possible:
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