By James Todman, Founder of AgentHype. Updated October 2026.
The short answer
Yes. Facebook and Instagram are where homeowners spend their attention, and Meta ads are one of the most cost-effective ways for an agent to reach them. Across 67 AgentHype campaigns in October 2026, seller leads averaged $22.52 and buyer leads $16.98. Ads fail when they run on their own, with generic creative and no follow up behind them.
Why most agents give up on ads
Generic creative
A stock photo with "Free Appraisal" in bold says nothing about the agent. Homeowners scroll past it, and the ones who click have no reason to choose you over the next agent.
Boosting posts
The boost button is the most expensive way to advertise. It cannot separate your past buyer database from your open home attendees from owners in the next suburb. Ads Manager can, and that segmentation is where results come from.
No follow up
Paid leads are early. Many owners are curious, not ready. If the lead gets one phone call and is then forgotten, the money was spent warming a seller for someone else.
No brand layer
Lead ads collect names. Brand ads build trust. Agents who run only lead ads find their leads do not know who they are when they call.
What a campaign that works looks like
- Seller lead ads offering a local price estimate, delivered instantly by SMS through Instant Appraisals
- Brand awareness ads showing your recent sales, listings and short form video
- Retargeting that keeps you in front of every past enquiry daily, for months
- Buyer campaigns on your listings, which build a database of future sellers
- Automated follow up by email and SMS every 3 weeks for 3 months
A healthy account runs 20 to 30 ads at once, refreshed every week or two. Most agents running their own ads have three to five.
Why Facebook and Instagram, not Google or TikTok?
Google search ads for real estate terms are expensive, because you are bidding against the portals and the major groups. TikTok delivers views, but views are not seller enquiries. Facebook and Instagram are where homeowners aged 35 and over spend time every day, and Meta's targeting lets you reach owners in a specific suburb. That is why we focus there.
How much should an agent spend?
We recommend $25 to $50 a day in ad spend, paid directly to Meta. At the October 2026 average, that is roughly 33 to 67 seller enquiries a month. Results vary by area, price point and offer. A common starting split is around $20 a day on lead generation and $5 on retargeting, shifting toward retargeting as your audience grows. More in how much to spend on Facebook ads.
How long before ads produce listings?
Think in a pipeline, not a week. In month one you are talking to owners and booking appraisals. In month two, some are preparing their homes. In month three, the first listings typically come to market, and the owners you spoke to in month two follow in month four. It compounds from there, as long as the campaigns keep running.
What agents say
Kate from Noosa Real Estate saw responses in her first week, with five listings so far and more in the pipeline. Jo from Bayleys North Shore secured a $2m listing in her first month.
The bottom line
Meta ads work for agents when they sit inside a system: branded creative, instant response, months of nurture and retargeting. On their own, they produce cheap names. Inside a system, they produce listings.
Next step
Book a free growth audit to see projected lead volume for your suburbs.
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