By James Todman, Founder of AgentHype. Updated October 2026.
The short answer
Most agents should start at $25 to $50 a day in ad spend, paid directly to Meta. That is enough to generate a steady flow of seller enquiries in most suburbs without over-exposing the same homeowners. Scale up as listings come in, not before.
The range we see
Across AgentHype clients, daily ad spend ranges from around $15 for agents in small regional towns to $100 or more for large teams doing well over 100 sales a year. Most sit in the middle. The right number depends on three things:
- Population. A small town cannot absorb $50 a day. You will be in the same people's feeds every day and start to annoy them. A large metro area can absorb much more.
- Capacity. If you can handle five more listings in the next few months, budget for five. If you only want one, budget for one.
- Goals. Breaking into a new area or building a team calls for a heavier spend than maintaining a strong position.
What it buys you
Across 67 AgentHype campaigns in October 2026, seller leads averaged $22.52 and buyer leads $16.98. At $25 to $50 a day, that is roughly 33 to 67 seller enquiries a month. Results vary by area, price point and offer.
How to split the budget
When you start, your retargeting audience is empty. Most of the budget goes to lead generation to fill it. A typical starting split is about $20 a day on lead generation and $5 on retargeting. As more people engage with your ads, the retargeting share grows, because that is where enquiries turn into listings.
Spend more around a great result
Budgets should move with your business. A record sale or a standout result in a street is worth putting more behind for a week or two, often $50 to $100 a day, because that is the proof most likely to win the next listing nearby.
When to scale
Scale when the pipeline proves itself. One agent we work with started at $25 a day in July. By October he was at $50 a day across five suburbs and had brought on an associate to handle the volume. That is the right order: results first, then budget.
Ad spend is separate from your listing campaigns
Your daily budget covers your own lead generation, brand and retargeting ads. Listing campaigns are funded separately by the vendor through vendor paid advertising, so they do not eat into your budget.
Who pays Meta?
You do, directly. AgentHype runs your campaigns inside your own ad account, so the spend goes straight from your card to Meta and you can see every dollar. Our management fee is separate, between $799 and $1,199 a month.
The bottom line
Start at a level your suburb can absorb, fill the funnel first, then put more behind your results. Ad spend should grow because listings are coming in, not in the hope that they will.
Next step
Book a free growth audit and we will recommend a budget for your suburbs.
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