What is Pay-Per-Click (PPC)?
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is a digital marketing model where you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. In real estate investing, PPC is used primarily on Google Ads and Facebook/Instagram to generate motivated seller leads. The advertiser creates ads targeting specific keywords ("sell my house fast") or demographics (homeowners in a target area with equity), and pays only when someone clicks through to their website or landing page.
Google Ads for real estate
Google Ads targets people actively searching for solutions. Keywords like "sell my house fast [city]," "cash home buyer," and "we buy houses [city]" indicate high intent. The seller is already looking for what you offer. Cost per click ranges from $5-$50 depending on market competition. Cost per lead is typically $50-$200 for motivated seller leads.
Facebook Ads for real estate
Facebook Ads target demographics rather than search intent. You can target homeowners in specific zip codes, age ranges, income levels, and life events (recently divorced, recently inherited property). The cost per click is lower ($1-$10) but the leads are typically colder because these people were not actively searching for a solution.
PPC metrics that matter
Cost per click (CPC): What you pay per ad click. Cost per lead (CPL): Total ad spend divided by leads generated. Cost per acquisition (CPA): Total ad spend divided by deals closed. Return on ad spend (ROAS): Revenue from deals divided by ad spend. A healthy wholesaling PPC campaign targets a CPA under $5,000 and a ROAS of 5x or higher.
PPC vs other channels
PPC generates higher-intent leads than direct mail or cold calling because the seller is actively searching. But it is also more expensive per lead and requires ongoing management and optimization. The most effective wholesaling operations combine PPC for high-intent leads with direct mail and cold calling for volume.