Real estate ads should do more than just make your phone ring. If you put in the time and effort to really connect with your local community, your ads can actually help build your personal brand to make you the go-to real estate expert in your farm area. They are that powerful!
To help inspire you to create ads that make your phone ring and help build your brand, we put together this freshly updated list of 27 examples of clever real estate ads for 2022. We also give our analysis of the ad’s lead magnet, copy, and design to prove making great ads isn’t as hard as you think. 💪
Facebook & Instagram Real Estate Ad Examples
Advertising on Facebook and Instagram is still popular with agents in 2022 for a very good reason. Their platform lets them laser-target leads and close more deals. All you need is a great idea, a lead magnet, catchy copy, and clever creative, and you can start generating leads on Meta’s flagship platforms just as easily.
To get you started, here are some examples of highly effective Facebook real estate ads and our take on why they work so well:
1. Buyer Quiz Ad
Lead Magnet: Buyer’s quiz
Why This Copy Works: This copy starts by building on the FOMO (fear of missing out) of first-time buyers, and then cleverly offers their solution. Notice also how they are speaking directly to the person reading instead of a general audience.
Why This Creative Works: Instead of a picture of houses, they went with a picture of the agents teaching the course. They look friendly and approachable enough to not intimidate the first-time buyers they’re targeting.
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2. Reasons to Buy a Home Video Ad
Lead Magnet: Video
Why This Copy Works: Targeting fence-sitters (who can blame them in this market!) this copy lays out two of the reasons this agent thinks now is a good time to buy.
Why This Creative Works: Bold text, a brightly colored background, and a friendly, approachable, and professional picture of the agent draws potential buyers in.
3. Home Valuation Ad
Lead Magnet: Free home valuation
Why This Copy Works: It’s simple and straight to the point. Emphasizing the word “free” helps draw in people who have not sold a home before and don’t know that all home valuations are free.
Why This Creative Works: While the layout is a little crowded, we love how the agent added a casual yet professionally shot picture of herself. Too many home valuation ads use bland generic graphics, and we would bet this one converts much better.
4. First-time Homebuyer Tips Video Ad
Lead Magnet: Video
Why This Copy Works: This copy is light and fun, but gets straight to the point and uses emojis to guide the reader through the ad.
Why This Creative Works: The title of the video is bold and draws your attention thanks to the italic font. The agent looks friendly and approachable, but still professional.
5. Simple Exclusive Listing Ad
Lead Magnet: None
Why This Copy Works: With only one sentence, this copy cuts through the noise on social media and gets straight to the point. Note she says she is accepting appointments and offering a private tour. This makes the listing sound exclusive and makes her time sound valuable.
Why This Creative Works: Also dead simple, but very effective. Gorgeous photography, brokerage branding, and a headshot in the lower right corner. Perfect.
6. Open House Ad
Lead Magnet: None
Why This Copy Works: Again, when it comes to writing great copy, simple > complicated. This copy gets right to the point. The two cute emojis also help it stand out without being overwhelming.
Why This Creative Works: Again, simple! Gorgeous photography, simple graphic design, and the company branding in the lower right corner.
7. Open House Ad: Example 2
Lead Magnet: None
Why This Copy Works: There is virtually no copy in this ad. It relies almost entirely on the strength of its creative.
Why This Creative Works: Bold, clean design draws the audience’s eye into this ad. The headshot and contact information are on the lower left instead of the more traditional lower right, but it still works.
8. Buyer Lead Ad
Lead Magnet: None
Why This Copy Works: With one just two short sentences, this copy plays on the audience’s FOMO and desire. Who doesn’t think they deserve a house they love? Then they offer the solution to the audience’s FOMO.
Why This Creative Works: Simple, simple, simple! Note how this is not a mega mansion, but a pretty basic home. It’s nice, but approachable.
9. Six Costly Mistakes Home Sellers Make Ad
Lead Magnet: E-book
Why This Copy Works: This copy plays on the fears that every homeseller has before, during, and even after putting their home on the market. Even better, it offers a solution to help them get over those fears. Perfect!
Why This Creative Works: It’s not going to win any graphic design awards, but it certainly grabs your attention. Photography or graphics would just get in the way of this simple, powerful copy.
Outdoor Real Estate Ad examples
Believe it or not, the outdoors is more than just what you walk through from your car to your listing. In fact, many people have the free time to go on long walks with their dogs, jog, ride bikes, and all manner of activities unknown to busy real estate agents!
That makes the great outdoors a prime place to reach those pesky leads who aren’t down with the Instachat or Snapgram or whatever latest app is at the top of the iTunes charts. Here are some of our favorite examples of outdoor real estate ads that pack a punch!
10. Sense of Home Scratch & Sniff Ads
These eye-catching and freshly scented scratch-and-sniff ads, designed by Agency 53 for a new development in Denver, Colorado, are enough to make your average curious resident stop in their tracks.
Once they do, the message behind these ads, that even new developments will become “home” rather than just a place to live, really hits home.
11. Compass: Powering Your Home Search
If you want examples of clever, bleeding-edge real estate ads, you could do worse than check in on tech-based brokerage Compass’ lightning-fast expansion across the country.
These slickly designed and clever ads on electric car charging ports send the perfect message to the very kind of hip, upwardly mobile, and eco-conscious clientele every brokerage covets.
That said, the (dead dinosaur-powered) Rolls Royce Phantom does seem suspiciously parked. Still, the copy is great, the design is great, and best of all, the idea is great.
12. Stribling Building Listing Signs
As classic as a brownstone facade, these well-made listing ad signs give you everything you need to know and nothing you don’t. Instead of selling the sizzle, Stribling is going with a subtle nod to tradition and selling the steak. In many cases, the location alone will tell most people how much—and how realistic—the home these signs are perched on is.
13. Halstead Outdoor Ads
As part of their killer new rebranding, Manhattan’s Halstead knocks it out of the park yet again with these eye candy outdoor real estate signs.
14. Realtor.com Subway Ad
Making a pun about the subway seems like something of a rite of passage (ha!) for advertising execs cutting their teeth on subway signage. Realtor.com’s ad here, on the other hand, seems to have been well-thought-out and well-conceived. It may not look like it, but that’s an LCD display that alternates between ads like this and upcoming subway departures.
15. Realtor.com House Wrap Ad
Then there are the hotshot young creatives who come up with ideas like this one. Not only does it show off just how creative the placement is, but it then makes its way online, where it (hopefully) takes on a life of its own.
16. Duckin Boat Ads
Did you really think we’d do an entire section of outdoor advertising and NOT mention the (in)famous duck ads in Seattle? I dare you to not whip out your phone for a picture when you see this guy in person!
17. StreetEasy Subway Ads: ‘You’re Dead to Me!’
OK—this one works perfectly in New York City, or any other city with a massive chip on its shoulder. StreetEasy’s subway ads have always been clever, but these ads take an old-school monster fight from classic movies and insert humorous things that New Yorkers tend to argue about. In this case, moving to LA!
Print Real Estate Ad Examples
The rumors of real estate print advertising’s death have been wildly exaggerated. In fact, some agents still swear by the persuasive qualities of ink and paper. Are they right? Well, judge for yourself.
Here’s a few examples of killer print ads that we have to think have a great return on investment (ROI)—or at least help grow brands.
18. Douglas Elliman: Ask Elliman
Still one of our favorite real estate ad campaigns of the past few years, Elliman’s “Ask Elliman” campaign hits all the right notes for a real estate ad. It manages to evoke expertise and care at the same time. Perfect.
19. National Association of Realtors (NAR): Most Valuable Square Inch
An old-school classic of the genre, this magazine ad from NAR is pure messaging and persuasion goodness.
20. Lefferts Place Mews
Sleek and appropriate print ad for a new development in an historic Brooklyn neighborhood.
21. Nourmand & Associates: New Hire Announcement
OK, you’re probably wondering why I put a new hire announcement, of all things, on this list. This one is the perfect example of the fact that if you want to get ahead, you need to sweat the small stuff. The typography, layout, and imagery are all pinpoint perfect.
22. Compass: Door Hangers
Well-designed door hangers? Now we’ve seen it all! These just listed and open house door hangers for Compass were designed by I Design Creative and look great!
23. First Mallorca: Taylor Made Houses
How clever are these ads for Mallorca-based luxury real estate firm First Mallorca? One of the first rules of advertising is that simple ideas are generally the best ideas!
Over to You
Have some impactful, effective real estate ads that you want to share? Have insights about trends leading into 2023? Let us know in the comments.
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