Facebook ads for real estate agents
Updated · By the PPC Pros Canada team
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Why Facebook and Instagram ads work for real estate agents
Real estate is one of Facebook’s biggest ad categories because buyers and sellers spend months browsing before they choose an agent. Facebook and Instagram let agents share listings, market updates and home valuation offers, but housing ads in Canada must run under Meta’s Special Ad Category, which changes how targeting works.
Offers that work for real estate
- Free home valuation
- Monthly market update for your neighbourhood
- First-time buyer guide and consultation
Who we show your ads to
- Broad audiences within the allowed radius (Special Ad Category)
- Video viewers of your listing and market videos
- Website and landing page visitors
How we set up Facebook ads for real estate agents
These are the screens in Meta Ads Manager, recreated with example data for a real estate business.
One campaign per offer, plus retargeting
Each offer gets its own campaign and budget, so you can see which one brings booked work. A small retargeting campaign follows up with people who visited your site or watched your videos.
Example real estate account. Budgets are illustrative and set from your cost-per-lead target.
Broad targeting inside your service area
Meta’s delivery finds the right people when targeting stays broad and the creative is specific. We control where ads show, not who Meta can learn from.
Housing Special Ad Category: real estate ads in Canada must be declared as housing ads, which removes age, gender and postal-code targeting.
Example ad set. Targeting stays broad inside your service area, and the creative does the rest.
A lead form that filters out tire-kickers
Instant Forms open inside Facebook and Instagram, so they’re quick to fill. We use a higher-intent form with a review step and questions that tell you whether the lead is worth a call.
- Property address
- Are you thinking of selling in the next 12 months?
- Best time to reach you
Your Business
Free home valuation
Answer 3 quick questions. We reply within one business day.
Contact information
By submitting, you agree to be contacted about your request. Privacy policy.
Ad ideas for real estate agents
On Facebook and Instagram, the image or video is the targeting. These formats consistently beat stock photos for real estate businesses.
Agent walking through a listing
Market update video with recent sales
Neighbourhood photo carousel
Advertising rules for real estate agents
Housing ads must use Meta’s Special Ad Category in Canada: no targeting by age, gender or postal code, and a minimum location radius. Provincial real estate regulators also set advertising rules, such as naming your brokerage.
Meta also rejects ads that imply they know something personal about the viewer, such as their health, finances or situation. We write every ad to pass review the first time.
When to run Facebook ads for real estate agents in Canada
Facebook reaches people before they search, so ads should start ahead of the busy season, not during it.
| When | Demand | What to run |
|---|---|---|
| Feb–May | Peak | Retarget site visitors and push booking offers while demand is high. |
| Jun–Aug | Steady | First-time buyer guide and consultation. |
| Sep–Nov | High | Free home valuation. |
| Dec–Jan | Low | Build demand early: free home valuation. |
Facebook ads vs. Google Ads for real estate agents
| Facebook & Instagram | Google Ads | |
|---|---|---|
| Reaches people | Before they search | While they search |
| Best for real estate | Free home valuation; Monthly market update for your neighbourhood | Sellers; Buyers |
| What drives results | Photos, video and the offer | Keywords, ads and the landing page |
| Lead follow-up | Within minutes, by phone or text | Answer the call or reply the same day |
See the full plan on Google Ads for real estate agents, or how both work together on marketing for real estate agents.
Facebook ads for real estate agents: FAQ
What is the Special Ad Category for real estate on Facebook?
A required setting for housing ads in Canada. It removes age, gender and postal-code targeting and sets a minimum radius, so the creative and offer do the targeting.
What real estate ads get the most leads?
Home valuation offers for sellers and neighbourhood market updates, followed by fast personal follow-up.
How much should real estate agents spend on Facebook ads?
Meta suggests about 50 results per ad set per week for delivery to finish learning. Most local businesses don’t reach that, so we keep the number of ad sets small and set the budget from your cost-per-lead target and the number of jobs you want, then adjust monthly.
Do you also run Google Ads for real estate agents?
Yes. Most real estate agents get the best results from Google Ads and Facebook ads together. Google captures people searching now; Facebook and Instagram reach them earlier and retarget people who visited your site.
Facebook ads by city
- Facebook ads Toronto
- Facebook ads Mississauga
- Facebook ads Brampton
- Facebook ads Hamilton
- Facebook ads Ottawa
- Facebook ads Montreal
- Facebook ads Vancouver
- Facebook ads Surrey
- Facebook ads Calgary
- Facebook ads Edmonton
- Facebook ads Winnipeg
- Facebook ads Halifax
- Facebook ads North York
- Facebook ads Vaughan
- Facebook ads Ajax
- Facebook ads Oshawa
- Facebook ads Peterborough
- Facebook ads Kitchener
- Facebook ads Waterloo
- Facebook ads London
- Facebook ads Burnaby
- Facebook ads Langley
- Facebook ads Victoria
Facebook ads for other professional & auto
More about our Facebook and Instagram ads management.
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