Podcast Summary: Marketing Matters with Ashley Brock Episode #61: What Real Estate Agents Can & Can’t Do with Paid Ads Release Date: March 25, 2025

Introduction

In Episode #61 of the Marketing Matters™ Podcast for Small Business Owners, host Ashley Brock delves into the intricacies of using paid advertisements specifically tailored for real estate agents. Aimed at empowering realtors to effectively navigate the advertising landscape, Ashley provides actionable insights, dispels common myths, and shares success stories to illustrate the potential of paid ads in the real estate sector.

Overcoming Resistance to Advertising

Timestamp: [08:30]

Ashley begins by addressing a prevalent issue among real estate professionals: resistance to utilizing paid advertisements. She shares a personal anecdote about her struggle with a sophisticated coffee maker to parallel the hesitation many agents feel towards ads.

Ashley Brock (08:45): "What you Resist, you should persist. And I was writing this down when I was thinking about my notes for this episode. [...] You're resisting homeo, like, resisting change because it wants to stay in home."

Key Points:

• Understanding Resistance: Ashley emphasizes that resistance often stems from unfamiliarity and discomfort with new tools or strategies. Just as she struggled with her coffee maker, many agents find ads intimidating due to perceived complexities.
• Embracing Discomfort: The breakthrough moment comes when one decides to push through the initial challenges. Ashley encourages agents to adopt this mindset, reassuring them that the effort invested will yield substantial rewards.

Limitations of Paid Ads for Real Estate Agents

Timestamp: [18:00]

Ashley shifts focus to the specific constraints that real estate agents face when using paid advertising platforms, particularly Meta (formerly Facebook).

Limitations on Meta:

1. Restricted Targeting: Under the housing special ad category, certain audiences are off-limits to prevent discrimination. This includes restrictions on targeting based on specific demographics like age, gender, or postal codes.

   Ashley Brock (22:15): "You can't target by gender or postal code, so you can't say I only want men or women and you can't say I only want this zip code."

2. Minimum Radius Targeting: Agents must target audiences within a minimum radius of 15 miles, limiting hyper-local precision.

   Ashley Brock (24:10): "You can still target people locally to you. You just can't do postal codes."

3. No Lookalike Audiences: The inability to use Facebook’s third-party tools like lookalike audiences restricts the expansion of targeted reach.

   Ashley Brock (25:30): "You can't do lookalike audiences. You can use custom audiences, so you can do retargeting."

4. No Audience Exclusions: Agents cannot exclude certain demographics or behaviors, potentially diluting ad effectiveness.

Key Takeaway: While Meta imposes several restrictions, Ashley reassures agents that these limitations do not negate the platform's potential. Instead, they necessitate a strategic approach focused on available targeting options and retargeting mechanisms.

Strategies and Opportunities for Real Estate Agents

Timestamp: [28:45]

Despite the constraints, Ashley outlines numerous strategies that real estate agents can employ to maximize their advertising efforts.

1. Leveraging Retargeting:

• Custom Audiences: Using data from previous interactions, agents can retarget individuals who have engaged with their content, ensuring that ads reach a warmer audience.

  Ashley Brock (30:20): "With retargeting, what's really cool is anyone who found you, no matter how they found you, you can be in front of them again."

2. Diversifying Advertising Platforms:

• Google Ads and YouTube: Expanding beyond Meta allows agents to capture audiences actively searching for real estate services.

  Ashley Brock (35:10): "Did you know if someone's on YouTube and they're searching like, should I move to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas? You could have a video on all the, you could say, hey, I want my videos to show when someone's searching that."

3. Optimizing Ad Content:

• Keyword Integration: By embedding relevant keywords in ad captions, agents can enhance the algorithm's ability to understand and serve their ads to the appropriate audience.

  Ashley Brock (42:00): "When you put keywords in your caption or on your ad, the algorithm crawls it organically."

4. Simplifying Ad Strategies:

• Minimalist Approach: Ashley advocates for straightforward advertising strategies, such as creating a simple website paired with targeted ads, which can yield significant results without overcomplicating the process.

  Ashley Brock (50:00): "A three-page website and $3,000 on ads got a real estate agent, three listings. So you, I'll say it once, I'll say it again. Your strategy doesn't have to be complicated for your revenue to be elevated."

Key Takeaways:

• Multi-Platform Presence: Diversifying ad platforms enhances visibility and captures a broader audience.
• Simplicity and Tracking: A streamlined approach, combined with diligent tracking, can lead to substantial returns on investment.
• Consistency: Persistence in advertising efforts is crucial. Immediate results might not be evident, but sustained efforts lead to exponential growth.

Success Stories Illustrating Effective Ad Use

Timestamp: [30:50]

Ashley shares compelling success stories from real estate agents who overcame initial setbacks and achieved impressive results through persistent advertising.

1. The McDonald Group (Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas):

• Initial Struggles: The group invested a couple of thousand dollars without immediate leads but maintained a positive and proactive attitude.

  Ashley Brock (32:15): "They did not get instant results. In fact, they got the opposite. They spent a couple thousand dollars and hadn't gotten a lead yet."

• Breakthrough: Persistence paid off with a $1 million listing and subsequent commissions totaling over $56,000 from a $3,700 ad spend.

  Ashley Brock (37:20): "They spent $3,700 on ads, signed four clients, resulting in over $56,000 in commissions. [...] That is a 15 to 1 return."

2. Therapist Client Example:

• Lead Generation: A therapist invested $3,500 in Google Ads, resulting in three new listings, demonstrating the potential for significant returns with proper ad management.

  Ashley Brock (47:30): "A three-page website and $3,000 on ads got a real estate agent, three listings."

Key Takeaways:

• Long-Term Commitment: Success with paid ads often requires sustained investment and perseverance.
• High Returns: Effective ad strategies can lead to returns multiple times the initial investment.
• Skill Development: Mastery of advertising tools and strategies amplifies consistent success, allowing agents to replicate and scale their achievements.

Practical Tips and Hacks for Real Estate Advertising

Timestamp: [43:00]

Ashley offers actionable tips to enhance the effectiveness of paid ads for real estate agents.

1. Messaging and Targeting:

• Clear Messaging: Crafting compelling messages that resonate with the target audience is paramount.

  Ashley Brock (44:00): "One of the things I teach in my programs is messaging. [...] We talk about messaging the whole day."

• Strategic Placement: Deciding where to place ads (setting) and who to target (targeting) ensures that the right message reaches the right audience.

  Ashley Brock (45:10): "Day one is messaging. Day two is setting. Day three is targeting."

2. Testing and Scaling:

• Continuous Testing: Regularly testing different ad elements helps in optimizing performance.

  Ashley Brock (46:30): "Day four is testing, which is how do you know how to test and optimize."

• Scaling Profits: Once effective strategies are identified, scaling them can exponentially grow commissions and client acquisition.

  Ashley Brock (47:50): "Day five is scaling and profiting every single day in the Win with Paid Ads Challenge."

3. Participation in Challenges:

• Win with Paid Ads Challenge: Ashley promotes her five-day challenge, which offers personalized training and feedback, promising substantial returns on investment.

  Ashley Brock (54:00): "If you are a real estate agent or a local service provider and you have not joined the Win with Paid Ad Challenge, [...] I offer a 10 times your money back guarantee when you join the challenge."

Key Takeaways:

• Structured Learning: Participating in focused training can accelerate learning and implementation of effective ad strategies.
• Optimized Workflow: A systematic approach to messaging, setting, targeting, testing, and scaling ensures comprehensive ad management.
• Community and Support: Engaging with other business owners and receiving expert feedback enhances the learning experience and fosters success.

Conclusion and Call to Action

Timestamp: [55:30]

Ashley wraps up the episode by reiterating the transformative potential of paid ads for real estate agents. She emphasizes that while challenges exist, the rewards far outweigh the initial hurdles for those who commit to learning and persisting.

Ashley Brock (57:00): "You have to become findable for the people that are already searching for you. [...] The investment of learning ads can pay for itself in the very first month when you know what you're doing."

Final Encouragement: Ashley urges real estate professionals to embrace paid advertising as a powerful tool to enhance visibility, generate leads, and ultimately elevate their business to new heights.

Call to Action: Listeners are encouraged to join the Win with Paid Ads Challenge by visiting ashleybrock.com/challenge to receive personalized training and support, backed by a 10x money-back guarantee.

Key Takeaways from Episode #61:

• Understanding Limitations: Awareness of platform-specific restrictions is crucial for effective ad strategy formulation.
• Persistence Pays Off: Consistent and patient investment in paid ads can lead to significant returns.
• Diversify and Optimize: Utilizing multiple advertising platforms and continuously optimizing ad content enhances reach and effectiveness.
• Structured Learning: Engaging in dedicated training programs can accelerate mastery of advertising strategies.
• Success Stories Inspire: Real-world examples demonstrate the tangible benefits of persistent and strategic ad usage.

This episode serves as a comprehensive guide for real estate agents striving to harness the full potential of paid advertisements. By addressing common fears, outlining practical strategies, and showcasing success stories, Ashley Brock empowers agents to transform their marketing efforts and achieve remarkable business growth.