Property insights for digital marketing, March 2025

Despite common assumptions, our data consistently shows:

• Image ads consistently outperform video ads for lead generation
• People have just 1-3 seconds of attention for ads – images tell your story faster
• Video works for brand / project awareness, but images drive more conversions and leads

The takeaway here is video is still great to have as it allows you to build up an audience of people interested in your project. This audience can then shown a more tactical image ad to drive leads.

TOF (top of the funnel) use videos ads to build an interested audience. The goal of video campaigns is video views and specifically frequency of the views.

BOF (bottom of the funnel) show tactical image ad to drive leads. The goal of in the image campaign is high-quality leads.

Good news for developers concerned about lead quality:

• Meta’s new mobile 2FA verification is finally rolling out, requiring form-fillers to verify via SMS
• Instant Forms consistently deliver more leads at lower costs than website conversions
• Key tip #1: Include qualifying questions in forms, not just contact details on your website
• Key tip #2: remove ‘how did you hear about us’ firstly this will be known from Google Analytics data and secondly (most importantly) no one answers that truthfully, so your data is not accurate. In our opinion, it’s a waste of a question and could be substituted with a better qualifying question.

Time to eliminate these ineffective practices:

• Overloaded messaging with marketing fluff
  • Focus on location, price, and amenities instead of creative copy
• “Set and forget” campaigns – algorithms and behaviours change constantly
  • Continuous monitoring and optimisation are essential
• Banner ads to drive leads
  • Programmatic ads or banner ads on other websites are white noise
  • The ads are rarely seen or taken in, so the number of impressions and reach are quite frankly, rubbish numbers.
  • Ask yourself this question, when was the last time you saw a banner ad on another website and clicked on it? Most common answer would be ‘never’.

For maximum impact and accessibility:

• Keep it simple – legible fonts and clear images improve responsiveness across devices
• Make messaging tactical and solution-focused – what problem are you solving?
• Feature the property, not the brand – show potential buyers what they’re purchasing
• Prioritise quality over quantity in visual assets

Convert more of your website traffic with these strategies:

• Design for mobile first – most paid ad clicks come from mobile devices
• Include longer form videos on landing pages (unlike in ads) since visitors have shown intent
• Implement proper GA4 tracking for data-driven decisions
• Use sticky CTA buttons to maximise visibility
• Remove irrelevant form questions that lower completion rates
• Include your most compelling content at the top.
  • This would be the main buyer content such as price, amenities, location, project status