Choosing the Best Advertising Methods on a Budget as a Realtor

As a real estate agent, your success isn’t just about one-time deals—it’s about staying top-of-mind with potential clients who will remember you when they need your services. Whether buyers or sellers, if people don’t know you’re there or forget about you, they’ll turn to competitors who are more visible.

Local advertising ensures you remain both visible and memorable. It’s not about having the biggest budget but about making the most of smart, targeted strategies. That’s why local advertising is important—it’s not just about getting your name out there. It’s about being visible and memorable. From Google searches to social media feeds, people need to see your business consistently. If you’re not actively promoting yourself, the potential customers will turn to competitors who are more visible.

However, the common misconception is that you need a big budget to compete with other agents - especially with the big real estate businesses. By focusing on a smart, targeted approach, you can reach the right people at the right time, you don't need a big budget to compete.

Cost-Effective Advertising Methods for Small Businesses

So, let’s look at how you can make the most of your budget with affordable advertising options that are easy to set up and can deliver great results when done right.

Google My Business

One of the simplest tools out there is Google My Business (GMB). It’s free, and it ensures your business shows up in local search results when people nearby are looking for a realtor.

Having a GMB profile isn't just about showing up, it also makes sure the potential client has a good first impression of you. Keeping your profile up-to-date with current information—like your hours, services, and photos—makes it easy for potential customers to choose you.

People trust people, and people buy from people. Encouraging your buyers and sellers - and everyone in between - to leave positive reviews can make a huge difference. It boosts your visibility and shows potential customers that real people love your business. When people see others having a great experience, they’re more likely to choose you.

If someone searches “best realtor in [City],” your GMB profile, complete with reviews and updated contact details, will help you stand out. Not sure what steps to take to optimize your GMB profile? Then follow this checklist.

Running Ads

One of the most affordable and effective ways to reach local customers is through online ads. Platforms like Google, Facebook, and Instagram allow you to target your ads specifically to people in your area, ensuring that you’re reaching those most likely to become customers.

One standout feature on platforms like Facebook and Google is lead ads, which allow you to gather valuable client information—like email addresses—directly within the ad. For example, as a real estate agent, you could offer a free home valuation or a first-time buyer’s guide in exchange for potential clients’ contact details. By using a tool like Roya, you can seamlessly create and optimize these lead ads for maximum effectiveness. With targeted campaigns across multiple platforms, you can stretch your budget further, attract motivated buyers and sellers, and drive real growth for your business.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful tool for real estate agents to stay connected with potential and past clients. By collecting email addresses through your website, social media ads, or open house events, you can maintain a personal and direct line of communication. Sharing valuable updates, market insights, or exclusive listings keeps your audience engaged and reminds them of your expertise.

Want to grow your email list faster? Offer something valuable in return! For example, a pop-up on your website could say, “Sign up for our newsletter and get a free guide to buying your first home.” People love helpful resources, and it’s an easy way to collect more contacts.

You can also incentivize sign-ups during in-person events or consultations. For instance, offer exclusive early access to new listings in exchange for their email. It’s a win-win: you get highly interested leads, and your audience gets something they value.‍

Make the most of your e-mail list with retargeting ads. Platforms like Facebook and Google allow you to upload your email list and serve personalized ads directly to those clients. Even if they’re not checking their email, your company still pops up in their social media feeds, keeping you front and center. It’s a great way to stay on their radar without being pushy, and helps ensure that when they’re ready to buy or sell, they think of you first.

Maximizing the ROI of Your Local Ads

Once your ads are live, it’s important to make sure they’re working as hard as they can for you. We need to make sure we use your budget will be used in the most effective way. Here are a few simple ways strategies to implement.

Target the Right People

Online advertising platforms like Facebook and Google allow real estate agents to fine-tune who sees their ads, ensuring they reach the right audience. However, because real estate falls under Facebook’s Special Ad Category for Housing, there are specific rules that affect how you can target your ads.

How to Effectively Target Under Housing Rules

Despite these limitations, you can still use Facebook’s powerful tools to connect with potential buyers and sellers:

1. Location-Based Targeting

Use the 15-mile radius to cover the key areas you serve. For example, if you specialize in selling homes in [City], create ads targeting the surrounding region to maximize visibility among nearby prospects.

2. Interest Targeting

Focus on interests like “real estate,” “house hunting,” or “mortgage loans.” While you can’t narrow down too far, these broad categories ensure your ads are seen by people likely to engage with real estate services.

3. Custom Audiences

Upload your email list or retarget website visitors to serve ads to people who’ve already interacted with your business. For example, you can target users who visited your “Schedule a Consultation” page but didn’t book.

4. Lookalike Audiences

Create Lookalike Audiences based on your current client list or website visitors. Facebook will find users with similar characteristics to expand your reach while adhering to the Housing Category rules.

A/B Testing

A/B testing is a simple yet effective way to improve your ad performance. By testing two versions of an ad with slight variations—like changing the headline or image—you can quickly see which one resonates better with your audience. This allows you to adjust and refine your ads based on what’s working, ensuring you’re spending your budget on the most effective approach. With Roya, this process becomes even easier, as its automatically generate multiple ad variations, perform A/B testing, and optimize the best-performing ads for you, saving time and delivering better results without any manual effort.

Retargeting

Sometimes, potential customers don’t convert on their first interaction; most of the time people will have to see your brand at least 3 or 4 times before they want to have you as their realtor. Retargeting ads help keep your business top of mind by showing follow-up ads to people who’ve already shown interest, like visiting your site. It’s an efficient way to remind them about your business and encourage them to take the next step.

Setting up and managing these ads can be time-consuming, but that’s where Roya comes in. With Roya, you can quickly create and optimize retargeting ads, making sure your business stays visible and encouraging those customers to return and take the next step. By simply uploading for example your e-mail list into Roya, Roya can re-target those people.

Conclusion

Local advertising plays an important role in keeping your business visible and top-of-mind for your target audience, and it doesn’t have to be expensive. With tools like Google My Business, online ads, and email marketing, you can effectively reach the right people at the right time. By taking a smart, targeted approach with platforms like Roya to help optimize your campaigns, you can drive growth and keep your customers coming back.