Google Ads for Estate Agents: A Complete Beginner's Guide

Google Ads is one of the most powerful lead generation tools available to estate agents. Unlike SEO, which builds over months, Google Ads can put your business in front of high-intent sellers and buyers within hours. But it's also one of the easiest platforms to waste money on if you don't understand how to set up and manage campaigns properly.

This guide covers everything an estate agent needs to know to launch and manage profitable Google Ads campaigns, whether you're in the UK, US, Canada, or Australia.

Why Google Ads Works for Agents

Google Ads works because it captures intent. When someone types “sell my house in Richmond” or “best estate agent near me,” they are actively looking for an agent right now. This is fundamentally different from social media advertising, where you're interrupting someone's scrolling to introduce your services. With Google Ads, the prospect has already raised their hand.

Campaign Types That Work

For estate agents, two campaign types deliver the best results:

• Search campaigns. Text ads that appear at the top of Google search results when someone searches for your target keywords. These capture high-intent traffic and typically deliver the lowest cost per qualified lead.
• Local Services Ads. Available in the US, UK, and Australia, these ads appear above traditional search ads and include your Google review rating. You pay per lead rather than per click, which eliminates wasted spend on non-converting clicks.

Avoid Performance Max and Display campaigns until you have a mature search campaign generating consistent leads. These broader campaign types are better suited to brand awareness than direct lead generation.

Keyword Strategy for Estate Agents

Keyword selection makes or breaks your campaign. Focus on high-intent keywords that signal someone is looking for an agent, not just browsing property listings.

• High-intent seller keywords: “sell my house [area],” “estate agent [area],” “free property valuation [area],” “best agent to sell my home.”
• High-intent buyer keywords: “houses for sale [area],” “buy property [area],” “new homes [area].”
• Negative keywords: Equally important. Exclude terms like “jobs,” “salary,” “training,” and “free” to prevent wasted clicks from people not looking for your services.

Writing Ads That Convert

Your ad copy needs to do three things: match the search intent, differentiate you from competitors, and include a clear call to action.

• Include the location in your headlines. “Estate Agents in Battersea” or “Sell Your Home in Scottsdale” immediately confirms relevance.
• Highlight a unique value proposition. “Average sale in 21 days,” “4.9-star Google rating,” or “No sale, no fee” give the searcher a reason to click your ad over competitors.
• Use a specific CTA. “Book Your Free Valuation Today” outperforms generic CTAs like “Contact Us” or “Learn More.”

Landing Pages: Where Leads Are Won or Lost

Sending ad traffic to your homepage is one of the most common mistakes. Instead, create dedicated landing pages for each campaign theme. A landing page for “sell my house in [area]” should include a valuation request form, testimonials from local sellers, your sales track record, and a clear value proposition — nothing else. Remove navigation, sidebars, and anything that distracts from the conversion action.

Your website platform should make it easy to create and test landing pages without developer help.

Budget and Bidding

For most agents, a starting budget of £500–1,500 ($700–2,000) per month is sufficient to generate meaningful data and leads. Start with manual CPC bidding to maintain control over costs, then transition to Target CPA or Maximise Conversions once you have at least 15–30 conversions per month.

Expected cost per click for estate agent keywords ranges from £2–8 ($3–12) depending on your market and competition. With a well-optimised campaign, expect conversion rates of 5–15%, resulting in a cost per lead of £20–80 ($30–100). Given that a single listing instruction can be worth thousands in commission, the ROI is compelling.

Measuring ROI

The critical mistake most agents make with Google Ads is not tracking conversions properly. Set up conversion tracking for form submissions, phone calls from ads, and click-to-call actions. Without this data, you're flying blind. Connect your ad performance to your CRM to track which leads convert to valuations and which valuations convert to instructions.

Use analytics reporting to monitor your cost per lead, cost per valuation, and ultimately cost per instruction. This is the only way to determine whether your ad spend is generating a genuine return.

Google Ads vs SEO

Google Ads and SEO are not competing strategies — they're complementary. Google Ads provides immediate visibility while your SEO builds over time. Once your organic rankings are strong, you can reduce ad spend on keywords where you rank organically and redirect budget to new markets or campaign types. For a deeper comparison, read our guide on SEO vs paid ads for estate agents.

Ready to launch Google Ads that generate real leads? Book a free strategy call and we'll build a campaign plan tailored to your market, budget, and goals.