Google Ads for Real Estate Australia: Generating Buyer and Seller Leads

Most real estate agencies running Google Ads make the same mistake: They run one campaign called “Real Estate” and wonder why conversions are terrible.

That’s because buyer intent and seller intent are completely different. A person searching “homes for sale Brisbane” wants to look at properties. A person searching “sell my house Brisbane” is ready to list. Running them in the same campaign is like serving coffee and pizza from the same menu.

Real estate Google Ads works when you split intent clearly and optimize for each separately. In this guide, we’ll cover buyer campaigns, seller campaigns, local area targeting, seasonal strategies, and realistic ROI for real estate in Australia.

The Two Campaigns You Actually Need

Real estate success requires two separate Google Ads campaigns: one for buyers, one for sellers.

Campaign 1: Buyer Campaign

Who they are: People actively shopping for property.

Search intent:

“Homes for sale [suburb/region]”
“Buy house [suburb]”
“[Suburb] real estate”
“[Property type] for sale [suburb]”
“New developments [suburb]”

What they want: Property listings, price guides, area information.

Conversion goal: Lead capture (email, phone inquiry, property inquiry form).

CPCs: $3–$12 (varies by market heat and property price point)

Expected conversion rate: 2–6% (they’re actively shopping)

Campaign 2: Seller Campaign

Who they are: Property owners considering selling.

Search intent:

“Sell my house [suburb]”
“Property valuation [suburb]”
“Real estate agent [suburb]”
“How to sell property in [suburb]”
“[Property type] appraisal [suburb]”

What they want: Valuation, agent consultation, selling guidance.

Conversion goal: Lead capture (agent consultation booking, valuation request).

CPCs: $8–$25 (lower volume, higher intent)

Expected conversion rate: 5–12% (they’re ready to list)

Why Splitting Campaigns Matters

Poor approach (combined campaign):

One campaign: all real estate keywords
Ad copy generic: “Real estate in [suburb]. Quality homes.”
Landing page: Agent team page or property search
Result: Buyers and sellers see the same ad, landing pages confuse both, conversions suffer

Smart approach (separated campaigns):

Buyer campaign: “Browse homes for sale in [suburb]. Expert guidance included.”
Buyer landing: Property search or buyer’s guide
Seller campaign: “Get your home valued. Free appraisal from local experts.”
Seller landing: Valuation request or seller’s guide
Result: Right message to right audience, landing pages match intent, conversions 2–3x higher

Buyer Campaign Strategy

Buyer Keywords (High to Low Intent)

Tier 1 (Highest intent, bid aggressively):

“Buy house [suburb]”
“[Suburb] homes for sale”
“Property for sale [suburb]”
“[Property type] for sale [suburb]” (e.g., “unit for sale, Fortitude Valley”)

Tier 2 (Medium-high intent, bid moderately):

“[Suburb] real estate”
“Houses for sale [suburb] [price range]”
“New homes [suburb]”
“Investment property [suburb]”

Tier 3 (Medium intent, bid conservatively):

“Buy property [suburb]”
“[Suburb] property market”
“[Suburb] median house price”

Buyer Ad Copy

Poor: “Real Estate Agent. Call today.”

Good: Headline: Homes for Sale in [Suburb] — Latest Listings Description: Browse new listings daily. Expert advice included. View photos, price, and details. Free buyer’s guide inside.

Why it works:

Specificity: Mentions the suburb (location intent)
Action: “Browse”, “View” (what they want to do)
Trust: “Latest listings”, “Expert advice”
Offer: “Free buyer’s guide” (incentive)

Buyer Landing Pages

Must-have elements:

Property search/listings (they want to see homes immediately)
Area information (schools, transport, median prices)
Buyer’s guide (downloadable PDF to capture email)
Agent contact info (name, photo, credentials)
Call-to-action (Book buyer consultation, View premium listings)

Avoid: Sending all buyer traffic to your agency homepage. That’s friction.

Seller Campaign Strategy

Seller Keywords (High to Low Intent)

Tier 1 (Highest intent, bid aggressively):

“Sell my house [suburb]”
“Sell my property [suburb]”
“Property valuation [suburb]”
“Real estate agent [suburb]”

Tier 2 (Medium-high intent, bid moderately):

“How to sell [property type] in [suburb]”
“[Suburb] property values”
“List my home [suburb]”

Tier 3 (Medium intent, bid conservatively):

“[Suburb] real estate market”
“Property selling tips [suburb]”

Seller Ad Copy

Poor: “Sell your property. Call our agents.”

Good: Headline: Sell Your Home in [Suburb] — Free Valuation Description: Expert local agents. Proven track record. Competitive pricing. See what your home is worth today. Free appraisal, no obligation.

Why it works:

Incentive: “Free valuation” (reduces friction)
Urgency: “Today”
Trust: “Proven track record”
No obligation: Lowers barrier to inquiry

Seller Landing Pages

Must-have elements:

Valuation calculator or request form (primary CTA)
Recent sales in area (proof of market knowledge)
Agent team profiles (credibility)
Testimonials from sellers (social proof)
Selling guide (downloadable PDF)
Selling process timeline (reduces anxiety)

Local Area Targeting: Suburb-Level Strategy

Real estate is hyperlocal. You serve specific areas. Bid accordingly.

Suburb-Level Bidding

Create separate ad groups for high-value suburbs:

High-value suburb (e.g., Paddington, Brisbane):

Bid: +30% (high property prices = high commission = aggressive bidding)
Ad copy: Emphasise luxury, exclusivity

Standard suburb (e.g., Gaythorne, Brisbane):

Bid: Normal (standard prices, standard strategy)

Lower-margin suburb (e.g., Logan, Brisbane):

Bid: –10 to –20% (lower property prices = lower margin)
Or: Consider pausing if not profitable

Geographic Boundaries

Set location targeting to only the areas you service.

Don’t bid nationally (waste of budget). Do bid regionally if you have agents across multiple regions.

Seasonal Area Targeting

Some suburbs have seasonal demand:

Coastal areas: Higher demand October–February (summer holidays, school holidays)
Mountain areas: Higher demand May–September (cool weather)
Growth suburbs: Steady demand (young families, first-home buyers)

Adjust budgets by season and suburb.

Video Ads for Real Estate

Video works exceptionally well for real estate (property tours, neighborhood videos, agent introductions).

Types of Video That Convert

Property walk-throughs (30–60 seconds) — Show the home, highlight features
Neighborhood guides (45–90 seconds) — Schools, transport, local amenities
Agent introductions (15–30 seconds) — Build trust, humanise the agency
Market insights (60 seconds) — Current market conditions, selling tips

Video Ads Setup

Create short video (30–90 seconds max)
In Google Ads, create Video campaign
Upload to YouTube (unlisted is fine)
Link in Google Ads
Set call-to-action overlay (e.g., “Schedule consultation”)

Expected CTR: 3–8% (higher than static images)

Real Estate CPCs and ROI

CPC Benchmarks by Market

Market	Buyer CPC	Seller CPC	Market Temperature
Sydney (Harbour-side)	$8–$15	$20–$40	Very hot
Melbourne (CBD adjacent)	$6–$12	$15–$30	Hot
Brisbane (South Bank)	$4–$10	$10–$20	Warm
Perth (Riverside)	$3–$8	$8–$15	Moderate
Gold Coast	$4–$9	$10–$18	Warm

Pricing factors:

Suburb desirability (higher CPC in hot suburbs)
Property price point (higher CPC for luxury real estate)
Seasonal demand (higher CPC during high season)

ROI Example: Mid-Range Buyer Campaign

Campaign: Buyers in Brisbane suburbs, $5,000/month budget

Average CPC: $6
Clicks per month: 833
Conversion rate: 4%
Leads: 33
Conversion rate to sales (from lead): 12%
Sales: 4
Average property price: $500,000
Commission (2.5%): $12,500 per sale
Total revenue: $50,000
Total cost: $5,000
ROI: 900% (10x return)

Seller campaign is even better (smaller volume, higher conversion rate, high commission value).

Seasonal Strategies

Spring (Sept–Nov) — High Season

Budget increase: +30–50%
Focus: Both buyers and sellers active
Strategy: Aggressive bidding on all keywords

Summer (Dec–Feb) — Medium Season

Budget: Normal to slightly reduced (holiday period)
Focus: Holiday home buyers, post-holiday sellers
Strategy: Maintain consistent presence

Autumn (Mar–May) — Moderate Season

Budget: Normal to slightly increased (autumn weddings, relocations)
Focus: Family relocations for school year
Strategy: Seasonal messaging (fresh start, new school year)

Winter (Jun–Aug) — Low Season

Budget: Reduced by 20–30% (fewer buyers active)
Focus: Motivated sellers (job relocations, urgent sales)
Strategy: Emphasise seller benefits, realistic pricing

Conversion Tracking for Real Estate

What to Track

Lead form submission (inquiry, valuation request)
Phone call (call tracking)
Live chat inquiry
Property inquiry (click to enquire on specific property)

Setup in Google Ads

Go to Tools > Conversions
Create conversion: “Lead form submission”
Create conversion: “Phone call”
Link to Google Analytics 4

Assign Value

Lead (buyer): $100–$300 (depending on average deal size)
Lead (seller): $500–$1,500 (higher value, fewer conversions)
Valuation request: $250–$500

This lets Google optimize for high-value actions.

Integration with Domain & REA

Domain and Real Estate Australia (REA) are where most property seekers start. Google Ads complements these channels:

Domain/REA = passive (people browse your listings)
Google Ads = active (you find people searching for properties)

Strategy: Don’t rely solely on Domain/REA. Use Google Ads to capture people earlier in the journey (before they get to property sites).

Common Real Estate PPC Mistakes

1. Mixing Buyer and Seller Campaigns

Different intent, different conversion paths, different budgets. Separate them.

2. Poor Landing Pages

Sending all traffic to homepage. Real estate searchers want to see properties or get valuations immediately.

3. Not Bidding on Competitor Keywords

If you’re a top agent, other agents bid on your keywords. Bid on theirs too (legal and effective).

4. Ignoring Seasonality

Spending equally year-round ignores natural demand cycles. Adjust budget quarterly.

5. Overlooking Mobile

Real estate searchers are heavily mobile. Ads and landing pages must work on phones.

6. No Video

Video is massive in real estate. Text ads alone underperform.

Real Estate PPC Checklist

[ ] Buyer and seller campaigns created separately
[ ] Keywords split by suburb with appropriate bid adjustments
[ ] Geographic targeting limited to service areas
[ ] Buyer landing pages show properties/listings
[ ] Seller landing pages feature valuation form
[ ] Ad copy includes location specificity and value propositions
[ ] Video ads created (property tours, agent introductions)
[ ] Conversion tracking set up (form submissions, phone calls)
[ ] Mobile landing pages tested and optimised
[ ] Seasonal budget adjustments planned
[ ] Competitor bidding strategy implemented

Summary

Real estate Google Ads works when you:

Split buyer and seller campaigns (different intent, different strategy)
Target by suburb (hyperlocal bidding, specific landing pages)
Bid seasonally (high season = high budget, low season = lower budget)
Create vertical landing pages (properties for buyers, valuations for sellers)
Use video (property tours, agent introductions)
Track conversions properly (leads and their source)

ROI is exceptional for real estate Google Ads (often 5–15x return) because property sales are high-value. A single lead can be worth thousands in commission.

The key is separating intent and matching ad/landing page to what each audience is looking for.

Anitech manages Google Ads for real estate agencies across Queensland and nationally. We build separate buyer and seller campaigns, handle seasonal adjustments, and optimise for conversions that actually matter. Get a real estate PPC audit and see what’s working—and what’s wasting money.

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May 22, 2026