Google Ads is an excellent resource for generating motivated seller leads. When done right, this marketing channel can become a predictable source of lead generation. You can start with a small budget, scale as your profit grows, and continue expanding as long as your business can handle additional leads.
In this guide, we cover
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A motivated seller is actively searching for a solution. They may be facing foreclosure, going through a divorce, or owning an inherited property that requires all kinds of repairs. Motivated sellers reveal themselves through intent-driven, problem-based keywords.
A classic example is:
“Sell my house fast”
When combined with strict geographic targeting, audience control, and a conversion-focused landing page, this keyword can deliver hundreds of leads directly to your inbox.
People typing these keywords are motivated sellers ready to engage with your company. They want to sell their house quickly. They are already searching for your services. You simply need to appear in the search results and convince them.
It’s important to always use local keywords because you are speaking to sellers in specific markets. It’s best to target ZIP codes instead of entire cities and exclude affluent or new-construction areas.
Choose 10–30 locations to start. Begin with the initial 10 and expand as performance data becomes available.
At the same time, research and build a negative keyword list. These are search terms you do not want to bid on. Examples include “off-market properties near me,” “how to reduce mortgage interest rates,” “home value,” “sell with a realtor,” and similar queries.
The most common keywords typed by distressed sellers include:
There are two types of keywords for our purposes: high-intent keywords and research keywords.
A high-intent keyword represents urgent demand. “I need to sell my house quickly” is a high-intent long-tail keyword. The seller has already made the decision to sell. Now they just need the buyer.
“How much is my house worth?” is a research keyword. The person is collecting information regarding the value of their property. They have not decided about the next steps yet. They might choose a cash buyer or they might want to list with an agent.
Create a Google Ads account and review the guidelines before you create your new campaign. You can use your new campaign to:
It’s a known fact that most sellers don’t convert until you communicate with them 5–9 times. Communication becomes easier if you can capture the email address and send follow-up emails. Otherwise, it’s best to use retargeting ads. Retargeting ads are display ads on websites. The language of the ad must be different from the original Google Ad.
Google Ad could be:
Sell Your House Fast for Cash | Highest Cash Offer | 72-Hour Closing
A targeted ad could say, "Still looking to sell your house fast? We offer the highest cash offer and close within 72 hours".
You can also use Impression Share to:
Our discussions with 40+ seasoned investors reveal an interesting fact. Many newbies want results within 3–6 weeks, but marketing doesn’t work that way. You must continue marketing for at least 6 months before you can see results.
Trevor Mauch suggests spreading out your budget over 6–12 months. Suppose you have $10k as your PPC budget. Spread it over 12 months and you have $800 to spend every month. Your daily limit in that case is $27, which gives you enough room to experiment with different ad types, retarget, and build brand awareness.
Unlike e-commerce transactions that close immediately, motivated seller deals typically require 30–90 days from initial lead contact to closing. This lag time means your monthly ad spend may not generate revenue until two or three months later.
A/B test different headlines, descriptions, and landing pages to see what works best for your audience.
Bidding strategy is chosen based on lead volume requirement, conversion tracking, and risk tolerance.
Manual CPC Bidding allows you to enter a cost-per-click. It works best when you don’t have historical conversion data. You need to dedicate time for regular bid adjustments and tight spending control. For real estate investors just entering the PPC space, starting with manual CPC allows you to learn which keywords generate quality motivated seller leads before committing to automated strategies.
Enhanced CPC (eCPC) represents a hybrid approach that automatically adjusts your bids for clicks. You can track conversion rate and adjust accordingly while leveraging Google’s machine learning capabilities.
Target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition): You can set a target cost per lead and the bid will be adjusted automatically. It’s best to have at least 30 conversions in the past 30 days to allow Google’s algorithm to optimize efficiently.
Maximize Conversions instructs Google to generate as many conversions as possible within your daily budget, regardless of individual lead cost. This approach can drive leads quickly. Just make sure that you are not receiving a high volume of low-intent leads that never actually convert.
You can begin with manual CPC to accumulate data and then transition to target CPA.
Gross Marketing ROI = ((Total Revenue - Total Ad Cost) ÷ Total Ad Cost) × 100)
For a practical example: You invest $10,000 in Google Ads over 6 months, generate 60 leads, close 5 deals, and net $60,000 in assignment fees. Your ROI calculation:
($60,000 - $10,000) ÷ $10,000 × 100 = 500% ROI
Studies suggest Google Ads generates approximately $2 in return for every $1 spent across industries, though real estate often exceeds this benchmark due to high-value transactions.
Last-Click Attribution:
Motivated sellers often research multiple options before contacting investors. A homeowner might see your Google Ads, visit your website, leave, see your Facebook retargeting ad, then finally call after seeing another search ad. Google’s default "last-click attribution" assigns full credit to the final touchpoint, potentially undervaluing or overvaluing specific campaigns.
Hidden Campaign Expenses:
You must consider the cost of developing your website, landing pages, call tracking subscriptions, and CRM systems. You might be spending $1,500 on ads but another $500 on associated tools. Your total campaign cost would be $2,000.
PPC ads only perform well when paired with a highly focused landing page. Each ad group should target a specific seller life stage or pain point, and the landing page must directly mirror that intent.
The most important rule of landing page copy is one problem, one page. If an ad targets inherited homes, the landing page should speak exclusively to inherited property owners. Avoid multiple offers or mixed messaging. Misalignment lowers conversion rates and Quality Score.
The primary goal of the page is to either convert the seller immediately or capture their contact information for follow-up.
Focused messaging improves:
This structure aligns buyer intent with page experience, which is exactly what Google rewards.
Integrate Google Ads with a CRM for Lead Nurturing and Follow-Up
Manually tracking Google Ads leads is inefficient and error-prone. Integrating Google Ads with a CRM enables instant lead capture, faster follow-up, and accurate performance tracking. Research consistently shows that leads contacted within the first 5 minutes are far more likely to convert than delayed responses.
A CRM allows you to track and optimize:
More importantly, CRM data helps you identify which keywords and ads generate actual deals, not just form fills.
Generic “We Buy Houses” ads blend into the market. Ads that directly reflect a seller’s situation signal relevance and urgency.
Examples:
By using specific language, you can filter casual browsers and attract high-intent sellers.
Conclusion
The results from a Google PPC campaign depend on execution, not ad spend alone. A high-performing campaign is built around intent-driven keywords, geographic targeting, compliant ad copy, and supporting landing pages.
What happens after the click will drive profit. You can enhance your ROI through fast response time, structured follow-up, and optimization. Monitor your true acquisition cost, refine negative keywords, and align ads with seller psychology.
Google Ads should be treated as a system, not as a tactic.
Success in real estate starts with the right leads. At MotivatedSellers.com, we provide the quality and consistency you need to close more deals.
Motivated sellers are looking for investors like you!
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