Using TikTok ads for real estate offers a direct line to the next generation of property buyers. The platform’s algorithm excels at placing authentic video content before highly engaged users. This process can turn simple property tours and market updates into qualified leads.
Why TikTok Is a Strong Source for Real Estate Leads
Many property developers and agents view TikTok as an entertainment app, not a serious business tool. This is an outdated perspective. The platform has become a powerful discovery engine where users research major life decisions, including buying a home. Its user base is maturing, and its purchasing power is growing.
TikTok’s algorithm rewards authenticity, not high-production gloss. Users respond better to genuine, informative content that feels native to their «For You Page.» This creates a significant opportunity for real estate professionals who present themselves authentically.
The Power of Authentic Connection
The most successful real estate TikToks feel like a direct conversation. This might be an agent walking through a new listing on their smartphone or a quick update on local interest rates. This raw format builds trust more effectively than a traditional corporate video.
Our campaign data at Adwebmart supports this. For a residential developer client in Limassol, we ran an A/B test with two creative approaches:
- A highly polished, professionally shot video with drone footage and cinematic music.
- A simple, agent-led tour filmed on a phone, where the agent pointed out practical features and neighbourhood benefits.
The results were clear. The agent-led tour generated a 35% higher click-through rate and a 42% lower Cost Per Lead (CPL) (Adwebmart, 2023, internal campaign data). The audience responded to the direct, authentic style, showing that on TikTok, connection often outperforms high production value.
Key Takeaway: On TikTok, your expertise and personality are your greatest assets. Viewers connect with people, not just properties. Authentic, helpful content positions you as a trusted advisor, which is the foundation for generating high-quality leads.
Reaching an Engaged and Growing Audience
TikTok’s user base is large and active. The platform has surpassed 1.5 billion global monthly active users (Business of Apps, 2024, citing TikTok official reports), with users spending significant time on the app daily. Real estate agents can tap into this by sharing educational content, like market analyses and design trends, to attract potential buyers and sellers. You can explore more statistics about TikTok’s growing influence on Tekrevol.
This high engagement means your property content gets seen, saved, shared, and discussed. Strong on-platform metrics like saves and shares are reliable indicators of genuine interest. Our internal data consistently shows a direct correlation between high engagement rates on TikTok and increased off-platform actions, such as website visits and lead form submissions for property viewings.
For real estate marketers, the shift to platforms like TikTok is a strategic move towards higher engagement and potentially better ROI.
TikTok vs. Traditional Real Estate Ad Channels
| Metric | TikTok Ads | Traditional Channels (e.g., Zillow, Print) |
|---|---|---|
| Audience Engagement | High (comments, shares, saves) | Low (passive viewing) |
| Cost Per Lead (CPL) | Generally lower due to viral potential | Typically higher, fixed costs |
| Lead Quality | Varies, requires good targeting | Often high-intent but smaller pool |
| Content Format | Authentic, short-form video | Polished photos, long descriptions |
| Targeting Precision | Advanced (interests, behaviour, lookalikes) | Broad (geography, property type) |
| Speed to Market | Fast (can launch campaigns in hours) | Slow (long lead times for print/portals) |
The table shows that while traditional channels capture high-intent buyers, TikTok excels at creating demand and building a community. It focuses on connection first and conversion second. This approach can build a more sustainable pipeline of future clients who already know and trust you.
Laying the Groundwork for a Winning Campaign
Even excellent creative will fail if the technical foundation is weak. Before creating videos, build the data framework that makes your TikTok ads for real estate effective. This ensures every pound spent is measurable, optimisable, and focused on generating qualified leads.
First, create a TikTok Ads Manager account. This is the gateway to all advertising tools.
Once inside, the most important task is to install the TikTok Pixel on your website. This code connects website activity-like property listing views-to your TikTok campaigns. Without it, you operate without clear data, unable to measure what works. The pixel lets you measure ROI, not just vanity metrics like views and likes.
Getting Your Conversion Events in Order
Installing the pixel is not enough. You must define what it tracks. These specific actions are called conversion events. For a real estate business, a few are essential. Correct setup provides clean, actionable data instead of a confusing mess.
Here are the essential events to configure for a real estate website:
- ViewContent: Fires when a user lands on a specific property listing page. It helps build audiences of people interested in particular home types.
- SubmitForm: Triggers when a user successfully fills out a lead form to request a viewing, download a brochure, or ask a question. This is your primary measure of lead generation success.
- Contact: Tracks clicks on your phone number or email address. It captures high-intent leads who prefer direct communication.
Configuring these events is critical. The Ads Manager interface guides you through the process.
The platform helps you create standard events, ensuring your tracking is organized from the start.
Case Note: We audited a campaign where the ‘SubmitForm’ event fired on page load instead of the submission click. This mistake corrupted the data, making it impossible to calculate an accurate Cost Per Lead (CPL). Always double-check your event triggers with TikTok’s Pixel Helper tool before launching.
Mapping Your Ads to the Buyer’s Journey
With a solid technical setup, you can map your ads to a potential buyer’s journey on TikTok. The process starts with broad attention and narrows down to converting a high-intent lead.
This guides a user from casual scrolling to active inquiry, moving them from awareness to consideration and finally to action.
With your Ads Manager account, pixel, and conversion events ready, you have built the essential infrastructure. This technical backbone feeds website data to TikTok’s algorithm, teaching it who your ideal buyer is and helping it find more people like them. Your website is now an intelligent data source for your ad campaigns.
How to Target High-Intent Buyers and Sellers
Perfect creative reaching the wrong audience wastes money. Successful TikTok ads for real estate require getting the right video in front of genuinely interested buyers and sellers.
This means moving beyond broad targeting. Our agency uses a layered approach that consistently connects our real estate clients with high-intent prospects.
Layering Geographic and Demographic Data
Real estate is about location. The foundation of any campaign is geography. TikTok’s tools allow for granular targeting, far beyond a city-wide pin drop.
Instead of targeting an entire city for a new apartment development, zero in on specific postcodes or a tight radius around your listing. We often begin with a 5-10 kilometre radius around the project. We then layer in surrounding, affluent postcodes where potential move-up buyers might live.
Once the geographic area is set, we add demographic filters:
- Age Brackets: For a first-time family home, we might focus on an age range like 28-45.
- Income Indicators: While direct income targeting is unavailable, you can use powerful proxies. Targeting users interested in luxury goods, frequent travel, or financial services helps filter for higher-income households.
This initial layering removes much of the irrelevant audience, ensuring your first impression has a higher chance of landing with a qualified individual.
Moving Beyond Obvious Interests
Many marketers target the «Real Estate» interest and stop. This audience is saturated with other agents, casual browsers, and competitors, not serious buyers.
To find high-intent users, think like them. What actions do people take when preparing to buy or sell? We build audience segments based on these related behaviours.
Instead of the obvious, try targeting users who have engaged with content about:
- Mortgage Loans
- Financial Planning
- Moving Services
- Home Renovation
- Interior Design
- Local Schools or Businesses
Our Internal Data Shows: Campaigns targeting interests like ‘Mortgage Loans’ and ‘Moving Services’ consistently deliver a 15-20% lower Cost Per Lead (CPL) than those targeting only ‘Real Estate’ (Adwebmart, 2023, aggregate campaign data). This shift pre-qualifies your audience based on actual behaviour.
Building Powerful Custom and Lookalike Audiences
This is the final, most powerful layer. It turns your data into a sharp targeting tool. Custom and Lookalike Audiences let TikTok’s algorithm find people who resemble your best existing clients.
First, build Custom Audiences from your data sources. The two most valuable for real estate are:
- Website Visitors: Create lists of people who viewed specific property pages or spent significant time on your site. They have already shown interest.
- Client Lists: Upload an anonymised list of past buyers or sellers. TikTok will match these individuals to their profiles.
Once you have a solid Custom Audience (we suggest at least 1,000 matched users), you create a Lookalike Audience.
You tell TikTok to find more people who look and act like your best customers. The algorithm analyzes thousands of signals to build a new, larger audience with shared characteristics. A well-built Lookalike Audience often becomes the top-performing targeting option for scaling a campaign. For a deeper dive, check out our guide on how to define the right target audience for your real estate project.
Combining precise geo-demographics, smart interest targeting, and powerful Lookalike Audiences creates a repeatable system. This ensures your ads consistently reach the people most likely to become your next client.
Creating TikTok Videos That Stop the Scroll
On TikTok, you have about two seconds before a user swipes away. Users can detect anything that feels like a traditional ad. To make TikTok ads for real estate work, your videos must feel native, authentic, and immediately useful.
The platform rewards content that looks made for the «For You Page,» not a TV commercial. This means replacing high-production gloss with genuine, phone-shot videos. Authenticity consistently outperforms polished corporate content because it builds an instant, human connection.
Frameworks for Authentic Property Videos
Forget cinematic drone shots and slow videos with generic music. The TikTok videos that generate leads are direct, personal, and tell a property’s story in a way that resonates. They answer the viewer’s unspoken question: «What would it feel like to live here?»
Here are three proven video frameworks:
- The Problem-Solving Tour: Frame the tour around a buyer’s pain points, not just features. For example: «Tired of zero storage space? Check out the custom closet system in this entryway-it fits everything.»
- The Agent-Led Market Update: Shoot a quick, vertical video sharing a useful market insight. For example: «Interest rates just shifted. Here’s what that means for buyers in Paphos this month.» This positions you as the local expert.
- The Day-in-the-Life Glimpse: Show, don’t just tell. A short clip of morning sun in the kitchen or the five-minute walk to a local café makes the lifestyle feel real.
These ideas are straightforward, require no fancy equipment, and focus on delivering value first. They feel less like a sales pitch and more like a helpful tip.
Scripting and Production Tips for Native Content
To make your videos feel at home on TikTok, you must speak the platform’s language. This requires specific scripting and production choices.
First, your script needs a powerful hook within the first two seconds. Start with a bold claim or a question. For example: «This is the most affordable sea-view apartment in Limassol right now.»
Next, keep the pace snappy and conversational. Use quick cuts, dynamic camera movements, and on-screen text to highlight key points. A large number of users watch with the sound off, so clear, easy-to-read captions are essential.
Internal Case Study: For a new development, we tested a professionally shot video against a simple agent-led tour filmed on an iPhone. The iPhone video, which used quick cuts and bold text overlays, achieved a 55% higher video completion rate and delivered leads at a 30% lower cost (Adwebmart, 2023, anonymized client data). Viewers found the authentic format more engaging and trustworthy.
Using Interactive Formats to Boost Engagement
A static video tour is only a starting point. TikTok’s interactive features can turn passive viewers into active participants, making your listings more memorable. These formats invite engagement, which the algorithm rewards with better reach.
One effective strategy is the ‘This or That’ challenge. Use it to compare two different properties or highlight specific features. An agent could show two different kitchen layouts and ask viewers to comment on which they prefer.
This simple trick starts a conversation. Agents are now using ‘This or That’ to compare neighbourhoods or showcase unique features like waterfront access. According to a 2023 survey by the National Association of Realtors, 14% of realtors now use TikTok for their business, creating an opportunity to stand out.
You can also use other interactive elements:
- Poll Stickers: Ask direct questions. «Is a home office a must-have for you?»
- Q&A Feature: Encourage questions about a property in the comments, then answer them in your next videos.
These formats shift your marketing from a monologue to a dialogue. By inviting participation, you boost engagement metrics and gather feedback on what your audience wants in a home. For more ideas, check out our guide on creative options for performance marketing.
Managing Your Budget for Maximum ROI
Allocating your budget for TikTok ads for real estate is not a one-time task. Smart spending ensures every euro works to bring you qualified leads and a clear return. This starts with picking the right bidding strategy.
TikTok offers several ways to manage ad spend, but for property marketing, two core strategies are most relevant. Knowing when to use each is key to controlling costs and achieving results.
Choosing Your Bidding Strategy
The two main options are Lowest Cost and Cost Cap.
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Lowest Cost: This strategy tells TikTok to get the most leads possible within your budget. It is effective for the first one to two weeks of a new campaign when you are gathering data to establish a baseline Cost Per Lead (CPL). The system will aim to spend your full budget to find the cheapest conversions.
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Cost Cap: This strategy provides more control. You set a maximum average CPL you are willing to pay. TikTok then only bids in auctions where it believes it can get a lead at or below that price. It offers more predictable costs. However, if your cap is too low, your ads might not run frequently, and you may not spend your full budget.
Our agency almost always starts new real estate campaigns on Lowest Cost for the first one to two weeks. This establishes a benchmark CPL. Once we have that number, we often switch to Cost Cap, setting it slightly higher than our initial benchmark. This approach helps maintain a steady flow of leads while keeping spending in check.
Setting Realistic Budgets and Calculating CPL
A common question is, «How much should I spend?» There is no single answer, but you can approach it logically. A 2023 survey from The Close, a real estate strategy publication, found that successful agents often allocate 10% of their gross commission income to marketing. If you want to dive deeper into industry trends, you can explore real estate marketing insights on Taboola.
For a new TikTok campaign, we advise starting with a modest daily budget, such as €20-€50 per day. This is enough to collect meaningful data without a large financial risk.
Next, determine your target Cost Per Lead. This is a critical business metric.
Simple CPL Calculation: Start with the commission from a typical property sale. Then, estimate how many qualified leads you need to close one deal. If a sale nets a €10,000 commission and it takes 20 good leads to secure that sale, your absolute maximum CPL is €500. Your goal should be a CPL well below that figure to ensure profitability.
Understanding these numbers is fundamental. We’ve written a detailed guide on this, which you can read here: understanding key metrics like ROMI, ROI, CPL, and CPA. This framework helps you justify ad spend and make data-driven decisions on when and where to scale.
Analysing Performance to Turn Clicks Into Clients
Launching your campaign is the first step. The real skill is in the subsequent fine-tuning that turns a decent campaign into a predictable lead generation engine.
Vanity metrics like views and likes are not business outcomes. Your focus should be on numbers that directly influence your bottom line. We have found that tracking a few core metrics provides all the necessary information about a TikTok real estate campaign’s health.
The Metrics That Actually Matter
Your TikTok Ads Manager contains a lot of data, but you only need to watch a handful of key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): This shows how effective your video is at stopping the scroll. If your CTR is below 0.8%, your creative may not be grabbing attention, or your call-to-action may be too weak.
- Cost Per Lead (CPL): This is your most critical financial metric. It tells you exactly how much you paid for a potential buyer’s contact details.
- Conversion Rate: This measures your landing page’s effectiveness. It’s the percentage of people who click your ad and fill out the form. A low conversion rate often indicates a problem with the landing page, not the ad.
These KPIs tell a story together. For instance, a high CTR paired with a high CPL often indicates an engaging video shown to the wrong audience or a landing page that fails to convert.
Key TikTok Ad Metrics for Real Estate
This table provides a quick reference for the metrics we monitor. Keep these benchmarks in mind as you review your campaigns.
| KPI | What It Measures | Good Benchmark Range |
|---|---|---|
| Click-Through Rate (CTR) | The percentage of viewers who clicked on your ad. | 0.8% – 1.5% |
| Cost Per Lead (CPL) | The average cost to acquire one lead. | €25 – €75 (highly variable by market) |
| Landing Page Conv. Rate | The percentage of visitors who become a lead. | 3% – 8% |
| Cost Per Click (CPC) | The average cost for a single click on your ad. | €0.20 – €0.80 |
Use this table as your campaign’s health check. If your numbers fall outside these ranges, investigate further.
A Simple Weekly Optimisation Routine
Data is useless without action. We run a straightforward optimisation check every week to make evidence-based adjustments. This rhythm prevents impulsive reactions and builds a methodical path to better results.
Adwebmart Case Study: For a new development in Nicosia, our initial CPL was €65. Our weekly check-in showed that one video was outperforming all others. We paused the underperforming ads and shifted the entire budget to the winner. Within four weeks, we reduced the client’s CPL by 40%, bringing it down to €39.
This routine is built around asking three questions every Monday morning while reviewing the previous week’s data:
- Is our CPL on target? If it’s too high, we first examine the audience. Is one interest group or lookalike audience driving up the cost? If so, we pause that ad set.
- Is our creative getting stale? A declining CTR is a classic sign of ad fatigue. It means the audience has seen the video too many times. We then introduce fresh creative.
- Are our landing page conversions solid? If we are getting many cheap clicks but few leads, the problem is likely the destination page. We then audit the landing page for mobile loading speed, form length, and headline-ad message match.
This structured approach forces continuous improvement and turns ad spend into a predictable source of qualified leads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to common questions from real estate professionals using TikTok ads.
How Much Should I Budget for TikTok Ads per Month?
For most real estate agents, a starting budget between €300 to €1,000 per month is a realistic range. This provides enough funds to test different audiences and ad creatives.
We advise starting on the lower end of that spectrum. Gather initial performance data first. Once a campaign consistently delivers qualified leads at an acceptable Cost Per Lead (CPL), you can scale the budget confidently.
What Kind of Properties Work Best on TikTok?
Any property can find an audience on TikTok. We have seen strong results for new developments, rentals, and properties appealing to first-time buyers, as this aligns with the platform’s core user base.
Success depends less on the property type and more on how you tell its story. The key is to showcase the unique lifestyle benefits. An authentic, engaging video can connect with the right audience.
Do I Need Professional Video Equipment for My Ads?
No. Professional camera equipment can sometimes be a disadvantage on TikTok. The platform’s algorithm and users favour authentic, native-style content that feels genuine, not overproduced.
Your smartphone is your most important tool. A modern phone with a good camera is all you need. Focus on clear audio, good lighting, and a compelling story. On this platform, authenticity is often more effective than polish.
The goal is to connect with potential buyers on a human level. A simple, well-shot video from your phone can build trust more effectively than a cinematic production, making your TikTok ads for real estate more relatable and successful.
Ready to turn TikTok views into qualified property leads? The team at Adwebmart builds data-driven social media campaigns that deliver measurable results for real estate developers and agencies. Let’s build your lead generation engine today.
