Cutting Marketing Spending Without Losing Leads
Spending less on ads can yield better results. One expert says cutting waste, auditing expenses and improving conversions drive sustainable real estate growth.
NEW YORK — Spending more on advertising isn't always the path to growth. In fact, agents may see better results by trimming waste.
Josh Ries, a real estate broker and lead generation consultant, told Inman there are five cost-cutting strategies that can improve profitability without reducing lead flows:
- Auditing expenses and eliminating unnecessary costs, even small ones
- Moving away from generic boosted posts on platforms that include Facebook and Instagram
- Leveraging open houses for free national marketing on Zillow, Realtor.com, Redfin and others
- Testing content organically before paying to promote it
- Fixing conversion systems before investing in more leads
The true cost of lead acquisition includes not only the cost of generating the leads but also getting a buyer to the closing table. In some instances, weak processes and poor follow-up can erase the gains made with additional advertising expenditure.
Referral-based lead services can generate more leads, but they also can cost more and reduce commission checks in the long run. Using these five strategies can help a real estate firm have leaner, more sustainable businesses.
Profitability depends on discipline, smarter testing and efficient systems, not simply bigger ad budgets.
Source: Inman (08/26/25) Ries, Josh
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