Straight answers to what real estate agents ask about this site, about Fair Housing and housing ad limits, and about running ads, mail and lead forms. Each answer is general information, not legal advice.
About this site
Is this site a marketing agency?
Advertising for Realtors is an independent referral service, not a marketing agency. When you send the form, your details go to an independent marketing agency that prepares any proposal and does any work.
What does it cost to ask for an ad plan?
Nothing. Asking is free, and you never have to hire anyone. If the agency proposes paid work, its price and terms are between you and the agency.
Who receives my request?
The request is stored on this site and emailed to its operator, who passes it to one independent marketing agency that works with real estate agents. The agency can reply by phone or email.
Is this site connected to the National Association of REALTORS®?
No. REALTOR® is a registered collective membership mark of the National Association of REALTORS®, and this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the National Association of REALTORS®. That is why the pages say real estate agents throughout.
Results and promises
Can anyone promise me leads, sales or top rankings?
No. Google says no one can promise a top ranking on Google, and that if someone claims their changes will give you first place in search results, you should find someone else. Ads can be planned carefully, but no honest agency promises a number of leads or sales.
Can I pay Google to rank higher?
Not in the regular results. Google says it doesn’t accept payment to crawl a site more frequently or rank it higher, and there is no way to pay for a better local ranking. Paid search ads are a separate, labeled product; see real estate PPC advertising.
Will the agency see my request right away?
This site makes no promise about timing. Your request is emailed to the operator and passed on to the agency, which contacts you by phone or email. If you have a deadline, such as an open house date, say so in the form.
How does Google decide which ads show?
Google uses what it calls Ad Rank, built from several factors including your competition, the context of the person’s search and your ad quality at that moment. The amount you pay for a click is often less than your maximum bid.
Fair Housing and targeting
What does the Fair Housing Act say about ads?
It makes it unlawful to publish a housing ad that indicates any preference, limitation or discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status or national origin. HUD’s rule adds that words, photographs and the choice of where an ad runs are all covered. The Fair Housing advertising rules guide has the detail.
Can I target housing ads by age or ZIP code?
Not on Google. Google does not let housing ads target by age, gender, marital or parental status, or ZIP code in the US. You can target cities or a radius of at least 1 km.
Why are Facebook and Instagram housing ads limited?
Because of a 2022 federal fair housing settlement. The Justice Department says Meta agreed not to provide targeting options for housing advertisers that directly describe or relate to FHA-protected characteristics. The Facebook lead ads for real estate guide explains how to plan around it.
How should I choose a farm area?
By geography: streets, subdivisions, buildings and towns you can serve well. Never by who lives there. See real estate farming.
Is this legal advice?
No. The guides quote rules briefly as general information. Ask a lawyer about your own ads, and check your state’s real estate license rules on advertising and your brokerage and MLS rules.
Running the ads
Who should own the ad accounts?
You. Ask for the Google Ads account, the Meta ad account, your website and domain, and any audiences built in them to be in your name or your brokerage’s, so you keep them if you change agencies.
Do I need consent to text or call leads?
Automated calls and texts to leads need the right written consent under federal rules; check with a lawyer before you set up any automated follow-up.
What rules apply to marketing email?
Under CAN-SPAM, a marketing email must include a valid physical postal address, and opt-out requests must be honored within 10 business days.
What should a first ad plan cover?
Where you sell, which channels fit that area, what each one is for, how people who respond reach you, who owns each account and how you will see what came from where. A plan that names your towns and your listings is worth more than a general menu.
Do postcards still make sense?
For many agents, yes. A postcard reaches every household on the route, and a steady schedule to the same streets is the core of a farm. See real estate mailers.
How do I promote an open house?
Signs, social posts and ads, search ads and cards to the nearby streets, all pointing to one page with the times. See open house advertising, and check your brokerage and MLS rules first.
Can I ask clients for reviews?
Yes, honestly. Google’s policy bans offering anything in exchange for a review, and the FTC’s rule on consumer reviews bars fake reviews and reviews bought for a particular sentiment. Ask every client and offer nothing for it.
Still have a question about your own market? Send the form and an independent agency can answer it with a written ad plan.