A long road Someone thinking about buying a home takes months to get to a deal. They browse listings, run the payment, talk it over with family, wait for rates. Advertising built for an immediate enquiry works poorly here. The job is different: appear early and stay in view until the decision. # What to show ## Listings, but with something useful A photo of a house with a price is what everybody posts. What works is the explanation: why this area, what the payment looks like at different down payments, what about taxes and schools. ## Short walkthrough videos A phone video with your commentary usually brings more enquiries than silent professional footage. ## The process explained How a purchase goes step by step, what to prepare, how long it takes. For someone buying a first home in a new country this is worth more than any listing. ## Real deal stories With the client's permission: what they were looking for, what they found, what came up. Names and details turn abstraction into trust. # Rules you cannot forget Real estate advertising in the US is subject to fair housing rules. That brings hard limits in ad platforms: you may not target by age, gender, family status and several other attributes, and geography is restricted to a radius. The copy itself must not describe a desired resident: phrases such as "perfect for a young family" or references to nationality or religion are not allowed. Describe the property, not the people. Platforms require these campaigns to be marked with a special category. That is not a formality: accounts get suspended for it. # The list matters more than the campaign A realtor's main asset is the list of people who once showed interest. Advertising should grow that list, not only produce calls today. What you need: 1. A clear reason to leave a contact: a selection of listings, a payment calculation, a neighborhood breakdown. 2. A place where contacts are stored, not a notebook. 3. Regular contact: an email or message every two to four weeks with something useful, not only listings. Six months later such a list starts producing deals without advertising. # What to count Not likes and not listing views, but: - How many contacts joined the list this month. - How many reached a conversation. - How many reached a showing. - How many reached a deal this quarter. The value of a deal here is high, so even an expensive enquiry can pay off. You only learn that from the table. # Language and community For a Russian speaking buyer, being able to discuss the deal in their own language often decides the choice of agent. Say it plainly on the site and in ads: it is not a detail, it is your main difference. # Where to start 1. Check that your campaigns are marked as housing ads and remove prohibited targeting. 2. Build one useful asset: a neighborhood breakdown or a payment calculation. 3. Start a contact list and a monthly reminder to reach out. 4. Shoot three walkthrough videos with commentary. 5. Begin counting the path from contact to showing. On a review call we look at what an enquiry costs in your area and what flow you need to reach your target number of deals.
