Let’s face it. Most real estate ads are pretty bad. Dated design, cheesy copy, and awkward headshots are everywhere in our industry. In you want to stand out, you need to up your ad game. That’s why we put together this list of 37 aspirational, engaging, and inspiring real estate advertisements from top producing agents and brokerages from around the country.
A ton of inspiration from deep pocketed brokerages and Mad Men caliber ad agencies here, so grab a cup of coffee, turn your phone off (okay, okay, at least put it on vibrate…) and dig in.
Real Estate Ads
1. Zillow Premier Agent Direct & Seller Boost
For decades the gold standard advice for newer agents was that the only ways to get seller clients were cold calling (blah), carpet bombing a neighborhood with flyers, or having rich friends in your sphere. Buyer leads came from babysitting open houses and taking over cold leads from coworkers. Not exactly inspiring for agents that need leads NOW.
Luckily, Zillow understands what today’s agents want and designed two new advertising programs to help them get it. With Premier Agent Direct Zillow partners with Facebook to advertise you and your services on the world’s largest and most powerful social media site; Facebook. Seller Boost sends you leads from homeowners logging in to Zillow to claim their homes they’re planning to sell. Both programs allow you to focus on selling instead of constantly hunting for leads.
Want to learn more? Click the link below to visit Zillow and learn more about their new advertising programs.
Real Estate Brokerage Advertising Campaigns
Okay, I know what you’re thinking. You’re an individual Realtor on a budget, not a giant brokerage with millions to spend on advertising campaigns. What can you learn from how big agencies advertise? Everything.
Think about it. Are you selling three bedroom ranches or are you selling peace of mind? Are you selling investment properties or in-depth market knowledge and negotiation skills? If you ask any top producing Realtor from the Real Trends 500, they’re almost always going to say the latter.
You may not have the budget, you may not have access to a Hollywood producer, world class branding agency, or Magnum quality photographers, but you can and should look for inspiration from those that do! Here’s how some of the top players in the industry sell their services.
2. Signature Sotheby’s “Carpe Diel”
Agency: Strada
Featuring an envy inducing and daydream worthy shot of of a private dock and speed boat on the Gulf of Mexico, this ad from Signature Sotheby’s will stop any page turner in their tracks.
It’s also not just a pretty picture. It’s clever too. The tagline “Carpe Diel” loosely translates to “seize the deal;” a play on “seize the day.” While great deals and multi million waterfront trophy properties might not seem to go together at first, understand that competition for the most coveted luxury real estate is fierce. Remember, the kind of people who compete for these properties have billions, not million at their disposal!
3. Baird & Warner: Easier Campaign
Agency: Jacobs Agency
Chicago brokerage Baird and Warner has always had engaging real estate ads. Their “Easier” campaign, produced in collaboration with Jacobs Agency is no exception. It hits the nail on the head for both potential buyers and sellers who are looking to hire someone to help demystify the confusing and complicated process of buying or selling a home. Here’s Baird & Warner’s Vice President for Marketing and Communications Peter Papakyriacou, on the campaign and why it works:
“Our collaboration with Jacobs Agency has resulted in breakthrough creative that brings home our historical point of difference, Very simply we make buying and selling homes easier. Easier for our customers. Easier for our agents. We’ve worked hard to give our agents the right tools to simplify the process, resulting in more time for both parties to enjoy their lives and less time stressing.”
The ad campaign brought to life the message of easier through engaging graphic treatments and simple copy using Baird & Warner’s black and yellow logo colors. From showing how easy it is to solve an all yellow Rubik’s Cube to finding a giant needle in a haystack, the campaign communicates how Baird & Warner takes a process that is often thought of as challenging and makes it much easier. Baird & Warner also is using the campaign’s easier message to reinforce why it is consistently named as one of the best places to work in Chicago.
4. Hawai’i Life: Summit Magazine Ad
Hawai’i luxury brokerage Hawai’i Life has an amazing brand, and as you might imagine, amazing ads to go along with it. Fresh and clean design, simple, direct copy, and photography that highlights Hawai’i’s natural beauty go a long way in helping define the lifestyle people aspire to in Hawai’i.
Since many of their clients are purchasing luxury vacation homes, that lifestyle branding is crucial to helping their audience turn their daydreams about owning an oceanfront Maui property into a reality.
5. Sotheby’s International Realty: “Houseguest” ft. Kevin Red Star
How do you create a real estate ad for a luxury home with a jaw dropping view? The creative team for Sotheby’s International decided to show that the view wasn’t just inspiring for the lucky new owners, but for artists as well. After all, if an internationally famous artist like Kevin Red Star was inspired to create beautiful art from the view, that might make gazing at the same view over morning coffee even more awe inspiring.
6. Ebby Halliday Campaign
Like Baird & Warner, Texas real estate powerhouse brokerage Ebby Halliday focuses on every Realtor’s core competency; helping people navigate the often complex process of buying or selling a home.
7. Douglas Elliman: “Ask Elliman” & “It’s Time for Elliman”
Agency: Alfred Assin/Mr Grey Design
Since we already chose “Ask Elliman” as our favorite real estate slogan, it should come as no surprise to regular readers that we’d feature it here as well. Once again, Douglass Elliman manages to distill the reason why everyone from billionaires to first time homeowners seek out real real estate professionals; market knowledge and expert advice.
As you can see from these examples, the design, taglines and copy for Elliman’s campaign work amazingly well for print, digital, and even New York City buses. Even if you’re selling homes that are 1/10th the price of their average listing, you can learn a lot from Elliman’s campaign.
8. Nourmand and Associates “Fools Gold” in the LA Times & “2.0” in LA Weekly
Agency: Chengxi Tian, Michael Nourmand
While most Realtors don’t associate “advertorials”- the special advertising sections in magazines that mimic articles— with real estate, Nourmand & Associates think outside the box. From skewering the “Fool’s Gold” of trusting dishonest Los Angeles Realtors, to highlighting the brokerages storied past, these creative ads help keep Nourmand & Associates in the upper echelons of the cut throat LA real estate market.
9. Compass: “Guiding You Home”
Like Douglass Elliman’s excellent ad campaigns, we’ve always loved Compass’ branding and advertising. Since Compass bills itself as more of a disruptive tech company rather than a traditional brokerage, their sleek branding and cutting edge design help them stand out in a sea of boring real estate ads.
Key takeaways here are the minimal design and layout, gorgeous photography, and simple, direct copy that once again boils down the core idea of the value Realtors offer buyers and sellers in 2017. Expert knowledge and guidance. There’s a high end lifestyle element here as well that fits their brand and client base like a glove.
10. Corcoran: Live Who You Are campaign
Photos via Adweek
Shot by lauded celebrity photographer and art world luminary Annie Leibowitz, Corcoran’s “Live Who You Are” ads help underscore that great Realtors aren’t just helping you through a complicated transaction, they’re helping you find a place to create memories for your family.
Key takeaways here include the idea that your audience will respond well to highlighting them as individuals rather than dollar signs.
11. Sereno Group: 1% For Good. “We’re Here for Good”
Designer: Leslie Schmidt
So far we’ve looked at real estate ads that highlight the core strengths of Realtors and how important lifestyle and individuality are to your potential clients. Both are great ways to draw your audience in and build positive associations with your brand. Showing off your charitable side is another great way to remind your audience that you’re in the game for more than just the GCI.
This ad from Sereno Group highlights their charitable contributions to a local conservation agency. Something both Sereno and their potential clients strongly support.
Want to learn more about how important wetlands are to our environment? Check out Watsonville Wetlands Watch to learn more.
12. Halstead: Print Ads
Agency: Pool NYC
Like Corcoran, luxury brokerage Halstead chose to emphasize the individuality of their potential clients in their ads. This particular example focuses on an entrepreneur who doesn’t want to be treated like a dollar sign by her real estate agent. Something anyone who has dealt with pushy luxury salespeople can empathize with.
Psst! Want to make fridge worthy postcards and flyers to mail out to your farm area? Check out ProspectsPlus. They have easy to use templates that will get you generating leads in no time flat. They also have “set it and forget it” automated direct mail marketing plans that take the guesswork out of generating leads with direct mail.
13. Coldwell Banker Schmidt: This is Where Awesomeness Happens
Michigan Realtors Coldwell Banker Schmidt went straight to the core of why most people want new homes; they want a place where their families can grow and prosper. Perfect for their midwestern market, these laid back and often heartwarming ads featuring real family photos are easy for pretty much anyone to identify with. This is what great advertising is all about.
While these ads may not look as sleek or “creative” as many of the others on our list, that’s totally besides the point. Great advertising is not meant to impress snooty Brooklyn graphic designers, it’s meant to make the phone ring. If there’s one thing you take away from this article when designing your own ads, let it be this:
“If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.” — David Ogilvy. Click to Tweet
14. Linda May Properties: “Telling the Story”
Combining elements from several; of the ads here , Beverly Hills Realtor Linda May went with classic ad copy and design elements to craft these lovely ads highlighting her property marketing skills.
The elegant and timeless layout, great headshot, and concise tagline all help highlight her skills in marketing eight digit trophy properties in Beverly Hills.
15. Berkshire Hathaway “Places”
I know, I know. Berkshire Hathaway’s ad looks like it was produced by Steven Speilberg and probably cost a few million to make. You have at best, a few grand. Don’t sweat it. Instead focus on what you can learn from the message here. You’re not just helping your clients through a transaction, you’re helping them find a place to create lifelong memories.
16. Berkshire Hathaway Blake “Happily Ever After”
Here’s a great campaign from a Berkshire Hathaway franchisee, this time from Blake, Realtors. Once again the focus is not on the transaction but the memories and peace of mind that you’’ll help your clients create by helping them find a home.
17. Pam Golding Properties: The Best Seat
Now let’s switch gears a bit and see what we can learn from the top Realtor in New Zealand, Pam Golding. Once again, instead of focusing on the market or the deal, Pam chose to focus on something far more important to her potential clients. Finding home. The tagline, “Discover the Place that Makes You Happiest” sums up that aspirational message perfectly. Good stuff!
18. Streeteasy: Find Your Formula
Creative: Phillip Cheaney
Since they’re not really marketing individual properties directly but like Zillow aggregating listings, New York City based Streeteasy can have a little bit of fun at the expense of typical New York City apartments. While these aren’t aimed at the top of the market, they’re clever enough to get noticed by all New Yorkers, even those with indoor swimming pools and chauffeured Bentleys.
19. Ivester Jackson: “Unveil”
Christie’s Ivester Jackson Distinctive Properties chose an elegant and bespoke spiral staircase to highlight how unique and beautiful their listings are. This works for potential seller at all levels of the market. Owners of utlra high end properties are reassured their homes will be marketed well, and mid level homeowners will be impressed by the caliber of listings they’ve represented in the past.
20. Windmere Real Estate: Your Story is Our Story
Like Coldwell Banker, Windmere went with a heartwarming and personal take on advertising their services to families young and old.
21. 250 North 10th Street
For an amenity laden new luxury development in Williamsburg Brooklyn, luxury developer Greystar went with an irreverent and sleek branding campaign that mirrors the ever changing neighborhood. This fun street art style logo with a parachute exemplifies the great branding and advertising for the building.
22. 10 Rittenhouse Square
Agency: Kellyco.
For the record breaking Philadelphia luxury development 10 Rittenhouse Square, agency Kellyco. Wisely decided to highlight the lifestyle that living in a new luxury development offers prospective buyers.
23. Kalahari Harlem
Agency: Kellyco.
For The Kalahari in Harlem, Kellyco went with a hip, young design that echoed the development itself. Great taglines here as well.
24. Realtor.com New York City Campaign
Simple bold design and knife edge cool taglines and copy makes these Realtor.com ads for the New York City market really hit home in a cut throat market. This isn’t your grandmother’s Realtor.com!
25. Park + Garden
Agency: New World Group
For a jaw dropping new luxury development in Jersey City, New World Group Creative Agency went with a tongue in cheek and memorable tagline, and a layout that shows off the cutting edge design of the building itself.
26. Howard Hanna: Home Happens Here
Great tagline with a simple easy to get message, and photography that shows a happy kid moving into her new bedroom in this ad from Howard Hanna. What’s not to love here?
Real Estate Facebook Ads
Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about Facebook ads. Realtors have been using Facebook on their own and with the help of Zillow, Placester, or Real Geeks for a few years now and seeing great results. Here’s why. Facebook allows you to not only target leads in your zip code, but by dozens of other criteria like interests, hobbies, or even how likely they are to move. Here are a few examples of well crafted Facebook ads for Realtors that convert.
If you want to learn the ropes and start advertising on Facebook yourself, check out Fit Small Business’ Maggie Aland’s in-depth how to guide for Facebook advertising here. Just remember to come back, you still have ten more amazing real estate ads to check out!
27. Keller Williams Realty Palo Alto
Home valuation ads like this one from Keller Williams Palo Alto are what makes Facebook advertising really shine for Realtors. Finally, a way to get seller leads without cold calling! Once you land your listing appointment, you’re going to need to learn the basics of creating a killer pre listing package CMA, and listing presentation to seal the deal. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.
28. Placester Facebook Ads: Tristan and Associates
Ventura County Realtor Tristan Ahumada used Placester’s platform to advertise on Facebook.
He’s getting an enviable 4% conversion rate, and managed to land 360 leads in his first month!
If you want to learn more about how Placester can help you advertise on Facebook, check out their guide here.
29. Tom Waring
Okay, okay. Full disclosure, we created this Facebook ad for Fit Small Business’ founder David Waring’s father Tom Waring. If you ever need property in the gorgeous Lake Gaston area, call Tom! He has over 20 years of experience and expert level local knowledge. Also check out this article from our friends over at Point2Homes on 15 places to advertise your website.
Bonus: 8 Inspiring Real Estate Video Ads from The Pros
If you want to learn real estate advertising from the best, there’s no better teacher than the big real estate portals. After all, they’re selling exactly what you are, only with bottomless pockets and some of the most talented creatives in the country.
If you want to create a great video ad for yourself, or your brokerage, pay attention to the way these ads use emotion and humor to endear themselves to their audience. A lot to learn here.
30. RE/MAX: A RE/MAX Agent Knows
31. Nakedapartments.com: Roller Cat
32. Realtor.com Elizabeth Banks Ads “Mortgage Lending 101”
33. Realtor.com: Doghouse Architects
34. Trulia: Your Moment of Trulia (like your moment of truth)
35. Zillow Family Search TV ad “You’re not just looking for a house, you’re looking for a place for your life to happen”
Zillow “Family Search” from scott hidinger on Vimeo.
36. Apartments.com: Staircase to Your Place
37. The Pam Golding Properties TV Commercial
Over to You
Have an example of killer real estate ads that convert amazingly well or better yet, made you smile? Let us know in the comments.
Uche Patrick
I just stumbled on these site through Google and am glad I did and would love to get more enlightenment and more about real Estate cos am trying to be a real estate Guru here in the West Africa and would find your article and post helpful,Thanks
Uche,
No problem. Good luck with your business!
Jason
Sherman Milton III
Loved the article! You provided some great examples that I found helpful.
Sherman,
Glad it was helpful. Thanks for stopping by and commenting!
Jason
Mike Toste, Realtor®
Excellent Resource – thanks so much for providing all these examples!! I bet this took a while to compile, much appreciated. It gave me some inspiration 🙂
Appreciate that Mike! I’m glad you liked our article! We have many more resources for realtors that you may find helpful.
Best,
Priyanka