Real Estate playbookMOFU
Google Ads for real estate: capture buyers who are already looking
The short answer
Google Search is where property buyers go once they're serious. Someone typing "2 BHK in Thane West under 1 crore" or a specific project name has already done their browsing on Instagram and portals — they're now comparing. Search ads put your project in front of that intent, and when they're optimised toward site visits rather than form fills, they usually produce the best-qualified leads in a real estate account.
The search terms that matter
- Project name searches — your own and competitors'; protect yours, test theirs carefully
- Locality + configuration — "3 BHK in Powai", "flats near Thane station"
- Budget-led searches — "flats under 80 lakh in Navi Mumbai"
- Possession-led searches — "ready to move flats in Andheri"
- Developer name searches — brand defence
- Commercial queries — "office space in BKC for sale", "shops in Malad"
How we structure a real estate search account
- One campaign per project, with ad groups by configuration and search theme.
- Brand and project-name campaigns separated from generic locality campaigns, so their very different economics aren't blended.
- Tight geography — locations of interest where buyers live and work, not just the project's pin code.
- Landing pages per configuration with price, floor plan, RERA number, location map and a WhatsApp option.
- Call and lead-form extensions scheduled for hours when the sales team answers.
- Offline conversions for site visits and bookings imported from the CRM, so bidding learns which searches produce buyers.
Performance Max for property: be careful
Performance Max can generate volume for real estate, but it tends to find cheap form-fillers across Display and YouTube unless it has strong offline conversion data. We usually start with Search and only add PMax once site-visit conversions are flowing back reliably — and we exclude brand terms so PMax can't take credit for existing demand.
Mistakes in real estate search
- Broad match on "flats" or "property" with no negatives, buying rental and PG searches
- All projects in one campaign, so budget flows to whichever is cheapest rather than whichever needs bookings
- Sending clicks to the developer homepage instead of the project page
- No RERA number or pricing on the landing page, lowering trust and Quality Score
- Optimising for lead-form submissions only
High-intent real estate search terms
| Theme | Examples |
|---|---|
| Project name | "[project name] price", "[project] floor plan" |
| Locality + configuration | "2 BHK in Thane West", "3 BHK Baner" |
| Budget | "flats under 1 crore in Andheri" |
| Developer | "[developer] new projects Mumbai" |
| Status | "ready to move flats Powai" |
| Amenity-led | "sea view apartments Worli" |
Landing page requirements
- Project name, configurations and price ranges
- RERA registration number (and MahaRERA QR code in Maharashtra)
- Location map and connectivity facts
- Floor plans and amenities
- Site-visit booking and WhatsApp options
- Fast mobile loading
Budget and bidding approach
Set target cost per site visit from marketing budget per unit and historical visit-to-booking rates. Use maximise conversions initially, then move to target CPA on qualified events as volume grows. Allocate more budget to terms and localities that produce visits, not just leads.
Budget guide for property search campaigns
| Project type | Search focus | Orientation for monthly budget |
|---|---|---|
| Single project, metro | Project name, micro-market and configuration terms | ₹2–6 lakh |
| Multiple projects | Developer brand plus project campaigns | ₹5–15 lakh |
| Plots and villas | Location and land terms | ₹1–4 lakh |
| Commercial property | Office and retail space terms | ₹2–6 lakh |
Search terms that convert for property
- Project names, including common misspellings
- Micro-market plus configuration ("2 BHK in Thane West")
- Possession status ("ready to move", "under construction")
- Price-band searches where permitted
- Builder and developer brand names
A 90-day plan
- Weeks 1–2: Keyword map by project and micro-market, negative keywords (rent, PG, jobs), landing pages with RERA details, call tracking.
- Weeks 3–6: Launch search and brand campaigns; offline conversion uploads for site visits.
- Weeks 7–10: Shift budget to keywords producing visits; test Demand Gen with walkthrough videos.
- Weeks 11–13: Expand to NRI markets and competitor-area terms where profitable.
What to expect, and when
| Phase | Timeline | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| Setup | Weeks 1–2 | Keyword map, landing pages, tracking |
| Learning | Weeks 3–6 | First enquiries; heavy search-term pruning |
| Optimising | Months 2–3 | Bidding toward site visits via offline data |
| Scaling | Month 3+ | Expansion to new micro-markets and NRI markets |
Launch checklist
- Negative keywords for rentals, PG, jobs and free listings
- Call tracking on every number
- RERA details on landing pages
- Offline conversion uploads configured
How a Google Ads for Real Estate engagement with PMG runs
- Audit (week 0–1). Accounts, analytics, tracking, website, CRM flow and competitors reviewed, with a written list of what's broken, what's wasted and the three moves we'd make first.
- Plan (week 1–2). Break-even ROAS or a target cost per lead, a measurement plan and a 90-day roadmap for Google Ads for Real Estate, with owners and dates.
- Launch (week 2–4). Clean structures, verified conversion signals, the first creative sprint and landing-page fixes.
- Optimise (months 2–3). A weekly test cadence, with budget following the cheapest incremental results rather than platform-reported ones.
- Scale (month 3 onwards). New channels, geographies and retention loops, added only when the economics hold.
Every week you get a one-page scorecard, a change log, the test board and a 30-minute call with your strategist. See how we work and pricing for details.
Why teams choose PMG for Google Ads for Real Estate
- Measurement first. Unit economics and clean tracking come before any increase in spend.
- You own everything. Ad accounts, data and creative stay in your name; ad spend goes straight to the platforms.
- Senior hands on the account. The strategist you speak to is the person running it.
- Weekly transparency. Scorecard, change log and test board — every week.
- Short minimum terms. We keep clients with results, not contracts.
- India and international. One Mumbai team running campaigns across Indian cities and overseas markets, Mon–Sat, 7am–9pm IST.
Where we run Google Ads for Real Estate
We manage Google Ads for Real Estate for businesses across India — including Mumbai, Delhi NCR, Bengaluru, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and Ahmedabad — and for companies in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Singapore and Germany. Campaigns are planned market by market, with language, currency, platform mix and privacy rules matched to each. See all Indian locations and international markets.
Free growth audit
Get a written audit for Google Ads for Real Estate.
No sales call required. Tell us where to look; a strategist replies within working hours and sends the written audit within 72 hours.
- Tracking check
- Pixels, Conversions API, GA4 events and offline conversions — what is firing, what is double-counted, what is missing.
- Wasted spend
- Search terms, placements, audiences and overlap that cost money without producing qualified leads or sales.
- Conversion path
- Landing page speed, message match, form friction and follow-up time — where interested people drop off.
- 90-day priorities
- The three changes we would make first, with the metric each one should move.
Frequently asked questions
Is Google Ads better than Meta for real estate?
They do different jobs. Google captures buyers who are already searching; Meta creates interest among people who aren't yet. Most projects need both, judged on cost per site visit.
Should we bid on competitor project names?
It can work, but expect lower conversion rates and higher costs. Test with a small budget and follow Google's trademark rules.
How much should a project spend on Google Ads?
It depends on search volume for the locality and configuration. We estimate from Keyword Planner data and your target site visits, then adjust after the first month.
Should developers bid on property portal terms?
Generally not. Portal-branded searches often indicate portal browsing, not interest in your project. Focus on project, locality and configuration terms.
How do we reduce junk leads from Google Ads?
Specific keywords, negative lists, price ranges in ads, qualification on forms and offline conversion imports.
How quickly does real estate search produce site visits?
Often within the first weeks of launch, as search captures people already researching the locality or project.
Does Google Ads work for under-construction projects?
Yes — many buyers search by location and possession date; landing pages must show RERA details and realistic timelines.
What's a good conversion rate for property landing pages?
It varies widely; we track the rate of qualified enquiries and site visits rather than form submissions alone.
Should property ads run on Performance Max?
Carefully — with good offline conversion data and brand exclusions; otherwise it may chase cheap, low-quality leads.
Is there a long contract?
No. Minimum terms are short, because we would rather keep clients with results than with contracts.
Will we own the ad accounts and data?
Yes. Everything runs in your own accounts with partner access for PMG, and you can see it all at any time.
What do you need from us to start?
Access to ad accounts and analytics, your margins and order values (or deal values), brand assets, and a decision-maker available for a weekly 30-minute call.
Related playbooks
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