Real estate advertising on Google means competing with Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin—companies spending millions monthly. At $4.20 per click, most agent campaigns waste budget on home-browsers who aren't ready to buy or sell for months.
5 min
Audit time
6
Areas analyzed
Read-only
Account access
We've audited hundreds of real estate agent accounts. Here are the most common budget leaks we find:
Zillow, Realtor.com, and Redfin dominate real estate search results with massive budgets. Individual agents bidding on 'homes for sale [city]' are paying premium CPCs to appear below these portals, attracting browsers who typically start with portal searches anyway.
Buyer keywords ('homes for sale') and seller keywords ('sell my house fast') require completely different messaging and landing pages. Most agents run mixed campaigns with generic messaging, reducing relevance scores and conversion rates for both audiences.
Real estate is hyperlocal—buyers want specific neighborhoods, not entire metros. Broad city targeting wastes budget on areas you don't specialize in or where you have no listings. Neighborhood-specific campaigns convert 3x better than city-wide targeting.
Real data from WordStream 2025 (Real Estate). See how your metrics compare to average real estate agent advertisers.
$4.2
Average CPC
-20% vs $5.26 average
3.89%
Click-Through Rate
Clicks per impression
4.52%
Conversion Rate
Clicks to leads
$89.45
Cost Per Lead
+28% vs $70.11 average
Not all keywords are created equal. Here's which ones to target and which to avoid for real estate agent Google Ads.
Motivated sellers with urgent need. High-intent leads ready to list.
Quality-focused clients willing to pay for expertise. Higher commission potential.
Seller lead magnet. Capture with home valuation landing page.
Clients who need guidance and will rely on your expertise throughout process.
High-value transactions. One sale covers months of ad spend.
Too broad. Dominated by portals. Browsers not ready to commit to an agent.
Career seekers, not buyers or sellers.
Aspiring agents, not clients.
Brand searches—send them to Zillow, not your ads.
Tire-kickers looking for FSBO or portal browsing.
Timing matters. Here's when real estate agent demand peaks and how to allocate your budget throughout the year.
March, April, May, June
Increase budget 40-50% during peak demand
November, December, January
Reduce spend or focus on maintenance services
Evenings and weekends when people browse listings together
Spring weather drives listing season. Increase budget 30% when temperatures consistently hit 50°F+.
Budget recommendations based on real WordStream 2025 (Real Estate) data and typical real estate agent ROI.
Minimum Monthly Budget
$1,500
~17 leads/month
Recommended Range
$2,500-$5,000/month
Best ROI for most real estate agent businesses
Cost Per Customer
$358
At 25% close rate
At $89 CPL and 25% close rate, each client costs $358 to acquire. Average commission on $400K home at 2.5% = $10,000. Strong ROI if you close even 1-2 deals per month from ads.
Our AI audit checks every aspect of your Google Ads account against real estate agent-specific best practices.
We check if you're separating buyer campaigns from seller campaigns—they need different messaging, landing pages, and conversion goals.
We identify if you're competing on broad terms like 'homes for sale' where portals dominate, versus niche terms where you can win.
We verify your ads speak to specific audiences—first-time buyers, luxury clients, sellers—not generic 'full-service realtor' messaging.
We check if you're tracking lead form fills, calls, and property inquiry clicks separately to measure true cost per lead.
We audit if you're targeting specific neighborhoods where you have expertise versus wasting budget on areas you don't serve.
We score your landing pages for real estate conversion elements: property search, home value tools, market reports, and agent credentials.
Understanding your competition helps you find your edge. Here's what real estate agent advertisers are up against.
Competition Level
very high
450,000+ monthly searches for 'realtor near me' in the US
Main competitors: Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin, Compass, local brokerages, individual agents
How to Win
Your Differentiator
Win with hyperlocal expertise (neighborhood specialist), niche focus (luxury, first-time buyers, condos), or service differentiation (guaranteed sale programs).
"The audit showed we were burning $700/month competing with Zillow on broad terms. Shifted to seller keywords and neighborhood targeting—lead quality improved dramatically."
— Real Estate Agent
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Common questions about Google Ads for real estate agent businesses
Most successful agents invest $2,000-$5,000 monthly on Google Ads. Your budget should be based on your market's competitiveness and your average commission. In competitive markets like LA or NYC, expect to spend more. The math: at $89 average cost per lead and 25% conversion to clients, each closing costs roughly $358 in ad spend. On a $500K home at 2.5% commission ($12,500), that's strong ROI. Start with $1,500-2,000 to test, then scale what works.