Your Facebook feed might be open right now, but have you thought about its potential as a lead generation machine for your real estate business?
Nearly 70% of adults have a Facebook account and spend an average of 35 minutes daily on the platform. Your chance to connect with potential clients is enormous.
Facebook for real estate goes beyond posting listings. The platform has billions of active users, and this vast pool of potential buyers, sellers, and investors is waiting to find your properties.
This piece will show you how to set up, optimize, and manage Facebook for real estate.
You’ll learn everything from creating your business page to designing ads that convert and implementing follow-up strategies that close deals. Let’s take a closer look.
Trying to generate leads with Facebook but don’t know where to start? Let us help.
Why Facebook is a Powerful Tool for Real Estate Leads
Facebook stands at the top of social media platforms as the best way to generate real estate leads.
Real estate professionals choose Facebook first to connect with potential clients in today’s market.
Massive audience and local reach
Facebook provides a unique way to reach future buyers and sellers, with over 3.07 billion monthly active users worldwide. This large user base creates a huge pool of potential clients for your real estate business.
Facebook’s precision targeting capabilities make it special. You can target your ads based on location, interests, behaviors, and life events like “likely to move.” Your listings will reach the right audience at the right time.
Built-in lead form capabilities
Facebook’s native lead generation system is a powerful tool for real estate professionals. Lead ads use pre-filled forms that make it easy for users to respond and boost conversions. Users stay on Facebook while submitting their contact information.
Facebook fills in user information automatically, so prospects can share their details quickly. Your CRM system can blend with these leads through automation tools for quick follow-up.
Lead costs typically range from USD 4.00 to USD 100.00, depending on your market.
On top of that, it lets you show follow-up ads to people who’ve seen your listing online, which increases conversion rates by 40%.
Mobile-first experience for users
Facebook users mostly access the platform through mobile devices, 98.5% of them, in fact. Your real estate marketing needs to focus on mobile-friendly content.
The platform works great for showing properties. Carousel ads let potential buyers swipe through multiple property images in one ad. Facebook Stories and Live Videos give you a chance to share property updates and virtual tours in real time.
Mobile lead forms on Facebook keep more users engaged compared to website forms. Facebook automatically fills in user information and makes submission easy.
Potential clients can show interest with just a few taps. This optimized mobile experience helps more buyers and sellers connect with you directly from their devices.
Setting up Your Facebook Lead Generation System
A successful Facebook lead machine for real estate starts with the right foundation. Your system will run smoothly and gather qualified leads automatically once you set it up correctly.
Create a Facebook Business Page
You’ll need a dedicated Facebook Business Page to run lead generation campaigns. This page becomes your brand’s central hub on the platform.
The process starts with logging into Facebook and clicking the drop-down menu in the top right corner.
Select “Create a Page.”
Most real estate professionals get better results with “Company, Organization, or Institution” rather than “Local Business.“
Your brand identity should guide your page name. Real estate agents often see great results with their name plus “Real Estate.”
The next step is selecting “Real Estate” as your category to ensure proper classification.
Visual elements play a crucial role. Your profile picture needs a professional headshot or logo (110×110 pixels minimum, displayed as a circle).
The cover photo (851×315 pixels) should showcase your properties or local area.
Facebook’s algorithm rewards complete profiles, so fill out every section of your “About” information. This information helps potential clients find you through search functions.
Make sure to add your website URL, contact details, office hours, and a compelling description of your services.
Understand the Special Ad Category rules
Facebook implemented “Special Ad Category” regulations years ago to prevent discriminatory practices in real estate advertising. These rules significantly change your targeting options.
Under these rules, you cannot target by:
- Age or gender.
- ZIP code.
- Demographics or behaviors.
- Traditional Lookalike audiences.
Your targeting options include:
- Location via pin drop with radius targeting.
- Certain interests (though some are restricted).
- Custom Audiences (from your contacts, without demographic segmentation).
- Special Ad Audiences (Facebook’s compliant alternative to Lookalike audiences).
Limited targeting options mean your ad creative and offer must appeal to a broader audience while still attracting qualified leads.
A smart strategy involves creating educational content like homebuying guides that you can advertise without Special Ad Category restrictions. You can then use Facebook Pixel to retarget visitors with your listing ads.
Install the Facebook Pixel for tracking
Facebook Pixel serves as your tracking system and monitors how users interact with your website after seeing your ads.
This tool provides a great way to gain insights for optimizing campaigns and building retargeting audiences.
Facebook Pixel setup involves two main steps:
- Create your pixel in Events Manager and add the base code to your website.
- Set up events to measure specific actions, like form submissions.
Meta provides several installation options:
- Partner integration (easiest for WordPress or hosted real estate sites).
- Manual installation between the <head> tags of your website.
- Tag manager implementation
The Facebook Pixel Helper Chrome extension helps verify that your Pixel works correctly.
An active Pixel lets you build powerful Custom Audiences from your website traffic. These audiences could include people who viewed specific neighborhood pages or listings without registering as perfect targets for your lead ads.
Want to install Facebook Pixel but don’t know how to? We can help.
Creating High-Converting Facebook Lead Ads
Your next step after activating your Facebook Business Page and Pixel is to create ads that turn strangers into leads.
A few key elements separate money-wasting ads from those that fill your pipeline.
Choose the right campaign objective
The first significant decision for real estate lead generation strategies is picking the right objective.
Among Meta’s simplified objectives, the “Leads” objective works best to collect contact information from potential buyers or sellers. This option helps your campaign focus on form completions instead of clicks or views.
Facebook’s algorithm shows your ads to users who are more likely to submit their information when you select the Leads objective. You might want to start with a Traffic campaign to bring visitors to your listings and then retarget engaged users with lead ads later.
Design compelling ad creatives
People stop scrolling when they see eye-catching visuals. Real estate ads need professional, high-resolution photography.
Facebook wants text to cover no more than 20% of your image area for the best delivery.
Your visuals should connect emotionally with potential clients. Showing off the property’s best features in listings, stunning kitchens, beautiful exteriors, or unique amenities makes the home stand out. The ad should grab attention as users scroll through vacation photos and family updates.
Write headlines and descriptions that convert
Good real estate ad copy shows benefits rather than lists features. Rather than saying “3 beds, 2 baths,” tell them how the spacious primary bedroom becomes a peaceful retreat after long workdays.
Headlines should be short and direct because people decide in seconds whether to click. Address your audience’s needs and add a clear call-to-action that shows the next step.
Buyer leads respond well to: “Homes in [City] under $500K! See the full list before they hit the market!” Seller leads click on: “Your neighbor just sold for $550,000! Curious what your home is worth?”
Use carousel, video, or single image formats
Real estate marketing needs different ad formats for different goals.
- Single image ads shine when showing one standout feature.
- Carousel ads let you display multiple rooms or properties in a swipable format.
- Video ads create immersive experiences through walkthroughs or neighborhood tours.
Carousel ads are great for real estate because buyers can see multiple views of a property without leaving Facebook. Videos get the most engagement but take more time to produce.
Build a simple and effective lead form
Lead forms make or break conversions. Facebook’s built-in forms fill user information automatically, which makes submissions easier.
Keep it short: name, email, and phone number usually do the job. Add one qualifying question, like “Are you looking to buy or sell?” to help sort your follow-ups.
People submit forms more often when they get something valuable in return. Home valuation reports, neighborhood guides, or exclusive listing access give them a good reason to share their contact details.
Targeting the Right Audience for Real Estate
Successful real estate campaigns on Facebook need precise audience targeting.
Meta’s powerful targeting tools help you find clients who are ready to buy or sell properties now.
Use radius targeting instead of ZIP codes
Facebook removed ZIP code targeting in Special Ad Category restrictions for real estate to prevent housing discrimination. The platform offers radius targeting as an effective alternative.
You must target a minimum radius of 15 miles around a specific location. This method helps you reach potential buyers who plan to relocate from nearby areas.
Your radius targeting works best when you place pin drops in high-value neighborhoods or growing areas. Look at regions that have brought you buyers based on your past sales data. This wider geographic approach often finds qualified leads that narrower parameters might miss.
Use interests like Zillow, Realtor, FSBO
Facebook’s interest targeting remains one of the best tools for real estate advertisers.
The platform knows which users visit real estate websites and shopping platforms regularly. You can target people who are interested in:
- Realtor, Zillow, and Trulia.
- House hunting or first-time homebuying.
- Mortgage loans.
- Home décor enthusiasts and property investors.
These categories help you find users who actively research properties. A frequent Zillow visitor is more likely to make a purchase than someone who just matches a demographic profile.
Create Custom and Lookalike Audiences
Custom Audiences help you reconnect with people who know your business.
You can upload contact lists of past clients, newsletter subscribers, or website visitors. This strategy works well to target:
- Past buyers who may want property upgrades.
- Previous listing contacts who didn’t convert.
- Website visitors who looked at specific neighborhoods.
A strong Custom Audience lets you create Lookalike Audiences that match its characteristics.
Facebook finds patterns in your successful client base and discovers new prospects with similar traits, which expands your reach to qualified leads.
Target by life events like newlyweds or likely to move
Life changes often trigger real estate decisions. Facebook’s algorithm spots users going through major transitions, including those “likely to move.”
You can also target:
- Recently engaged or newlywed couples looking for their first homes.
- Growing families who need more space.
- Empty nesters ready to downsize.
- People who just relocated.
These life stage indicators help you find users right when they need your services. This targeted approach brings better conversion rates than broad demographic targeting.
Lead Magnets and Follow-up Strategies
Your Facebook lead generation success depends on your offerings to prospects and follow-up methods.
The process of turning online queries into clients needs valuable incentives paired with quick responses.
Offer home valuation reports
Home valuation tools draw homeowners who want to know their property’s worth. A quarter of these leads put their homes on the market within 90 days.
These reports showcase your market expertise and give immediate value to homeowners who are thinking about selling.
Create buyer and seller guides
Well-crafted guides position you as a trusted market expert. A good seller’s guide contains current trends, home preparation tips, pricing strategies, and marketing details.
Buyers benefit from guides that explain financing options, neighborhood details, and step-by-step processes. These resources are a great way to get contact information from prospects.
Use automation tools like LeadsBridge
LeadsBridge makes a direct connection between Facebook lead forms and your business systems. Your data moves instantly without manual CSV exports.
The system sends immediate lead notifications and runs automated follow-up sequences.
Sync leads with your CRM for fast follow-up
Quick-responding agents get more business. The ideal response time should be under 5 minutes.
Your service standards should include automated messages within 60 seconds and personal contact within an hour.
Send personalized emails or texts after form submission
Research proves that 1-minute response times can increase conversions by 391%.
Phone calls, emails, and texts together boost your chances of making contact. Messages that mention specific interests or property queries help build rapport quickly.
Get a Converting Facebook Ads Strategy By Blacksmith
Facebook has become a goldmine for real estate leads with its massive user base and specialized features.
Billions of potential clients spend hours scrolling through their feeds daily. Your success depends on a well-set-up business page, knowledge of Special Ad Category rules, and Facebook Pixel installation to track results.
But let’s face it, knowing exactly what to post and create to generate good leads isn’t as easy as it sounds. It takes weeks of constant testing to properly get ads that convert. This is time you could be spending on other aspects of your real estate business.
So now what?
That’s where we come in. Blacksmith is a Facebook advertising agency with a group of professional digital marketers ready to create the perfect Facebook ads for your real estate business.
Unsure if investing in a custom Facebook advertising strategy is what your real estate business needs? Don’t worry, click here to schedule a call with us and we’ll provide you with a free audit.
This way, we can show you how a good Facebook advertising strategy can give you that advantage needed to beat your competitors every single time.
