For a very long time now, Facebook has been one of the most popular ways for real estate agents to connect with clients through targeted ads.

And that’s showing few signs of slowing down—especially as more agents enter the fray every year, and it becomes more difficult to reach relevant leads organically.

If you’re a real estate agent looking to stand apart from the herd this year, you need to be deliberate about your Facebook marketing efforts and spend your advertising budget where you’re likely to see the most return on your investment.

In no particular order, here are the top five things you should be advertising on Facebook this year.

Listings

Sure, plenty of buyers still find their homers through sites such as Zillow and Redfin. But Facebook’s targeted advertising makes it easy for you to get the right properties in front of the right people.

Through Facebook Ads Manager, you can define your target audience by age, interests, and location (down to the individual zip code). Plus, you can choose how much you’re willing to spend per day, and even specify whether your ads are optimized for reach (getting in front of the widest audience) or impressions (connecting with relevant leads multiple times).

Listing ads on Facebook can be incredibly effective because they allow you to lead with a compelling image, along with descriptive text and a link to the full listing on your website.

One of the best ways agents can advertise listings is through a carousel ad. You can use this dynamic format to show off multiple photos from the same listing or to advertise multiple listings in the same area. To learn more about how carousel ads work, click here.

Open houses

Of course, you don’t have to stop at simply advertising your listing—you can also use Facebook to drive good ol’ fashioned foot traffic.

One way to do this is to use the same approach you’d take for a listing ad, showcasing your best photo of the outside of the property and targeting a local audience of prospective buyers. The main difference will be the copy you include in the description, which will focus on the upcoming open house.

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Another effective approach you can take is to create a Facebook event, then boost it. A boosted Facebook event is great, because it allows you to not only reach a wide audience, but also to get a rough idea of how many attendees you’ll have through the RSVP feature.

Webinars

Not every event has to be about making a sale. You also need to focus on building relationships.

By hosting a webinar, you can use your professional expertise to connect with people in your community.

Let’s say you’re looking to reach first-time home buyers. You can host a webinar offering an overview of the buying process, and then target your prospective attendees through Facebook.

In this case, your audience is probably on the younger side, and they’re looking for a qualified agent to work with. They might have a lot of questions that they’re afraid to ask. When you give them that information in a convenient, virtual setting, you’re offering value and building trust.

Depending on your ideal client group, your approach to webinars will vary—and maybe you’d prefer to host a seminar in a physical location. Whatever approach you take here, the important thing is that you’re proving your worth as a professional without trying to close a deal right away. This approach will pay major dividends for you in the long run.

Seller ads

If you’re looking to work with sellers, Facebook is also an effective platform for connecting with relevant leads.

Because you’re advertising your services and not a listing, your focus should be on demonstrating your expertise and offering value. While you could create a carousel or video ad touting all the properties you’ve sold recently, there’s something to be said for giving your prospects something for free.

This could be a short video or an e-book that provides an overview of the selling process. Maybe it’s a blog post that tells would-be clients about inexpensive upgrades they can make before listing their home.

The idea is to create an ad that gets the attention of your leads by providing them with something they can really use. When you start by establishing trust, you’re far more likely to walk away with a listing.

Your brand

Speaking of establishing trust, it’s the single most important factor in creating any kind of lasting relationship with your clients. If you want someone to work with you again and again—while also providing you with valuable referrals down the line—you need to build rapport and maintain good feelings around you and your business.

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Good news! In addition to connecting you with new leads, Facebook also allows you to target ads to your existing followers. This can be incredibly useful, because your organic posts typically only show up in the feeds of a small portion of your audience.

So, what do you advertise to your existing followers?

• Blog posts about community events
• Market reports
• “Behind the scenes” videos
• A general “thank you” message
• Testimonials from satisfied customers
• A copy of your magazine’s digital edition from ReminderMedia

Of course, the list goes on. But the idea is to put a human face on your brand, remind customers of your value, and encourage feelings of reciprocity.

At the end of the day, you can accomplish any marketing objective you might have through Facebook. The key is to begin with the end in mind—and that end is the complete satisfaction of your clients.