Thane is one of the busiest residential markets in the Mumbai region, with new launches along Ghodbunder Road, Kolshet, Majiwada, Balkum and beyond. For developers, channel partners and brokers, the question is rarely whether to advertise online, but where: Google Ads or Meta (Facebook and Instagram) ads?
The honest answer is that they do different jobs. This guide explains how each works for real estate, what kind of leads to expect, and how to reduce the junk enquiries that waste a sales team's time.
How Google Ads works for real estate
Google Ads shows your ad to people who are actively searching, for example "2 BHK in Thane West", "flats near Viviana Mall" or a project's name. These buyers already know what they want, so their intent is high.
- Strengths: high-intent buyers, searches for specific configurations and locations, people searching your project or competitors by name.
- Limitations: search volume is limited, clicks are expensive in competitive areas, and you cannot create demand that does not exist yet.
- Best for: ready-to-move and under-construction projects with a clear location advantage, and capturing people who saw your hoarding or newspaper ad and then searched online.
How Meta ads work for real estate
Meta ads show your project to people who are not searching yet, based on location, age, interests and behaviour. A visually strong reel or carousel of the show flat, amenities and location can create interest among people who were only thinking about upgrading.
- Strengths: large reach, lower cost per lead, strong visuals and video, good for launches and site-visit drives.
- Limitations: many leads are curious rather than ready, instant forms make it very easy to submit details without real intent.
- Best for: new launches, building awareness in a specific catchment area, and retargeting people who visited your website.
Lead quality: the number that matters
Cost per lead is misleading in real estate. A Meta campaign might bring leads at a fraction of the Google cost, but if only a few of them pick up the phone or book a site visit, the real cost per site visit can be higher. Track every lead to the stage it reached:
- Lead received
- Contacted and qualified (budget, configuration, timeline)
- Site visit done
- Booking
Then compare platforms on cost per site visit and cost per booking, not cost per lead. This single change usually reshapes where the budget goes.
How to cut junk leads
- Ask qualifying questions: budget range, configuration, and when they plan to buy. Fewer people fill the form, but far more of them are genuine.
- Use higher-intent forms on Meta: forms with a review step or a short custom question filter out accidental submissions.
- Call within five minutes: a lead called immediately is much more likely to answer and remember your project than one called the next day.
- Send leads to a landing page, not the homepage: one project, clear price range, configuration, location map, amenities and a single enquiry form.
- Exclude irrelevant searches on Google: terms like "rent", "PG", "jobs" or "resale" if you are selling new inventory.
Follow MahaRERA advertising rules
For projects registered with MahaRERA, every advertisement, including digital ads and social media posts, must prominently display the project's MahaRERA registration number and QR code. MahaRERA made the QR code mandatory from 1 August 2023 and has since penalised hundreds of projects for missing or barely visible details. Make the QR code and registration number clearly readable in every creative and on the landing page, and keep claims about possession dates, amenities and prices accurate.
A simple plan that works for most Thane projects
- Google Search ads on project name, location and configuration searches, capturing the highest-intent buyers.
- Meta ads with video and carousel creatives for reach, targeting a tight catchment around the project and areas buyers usually come from.
- Retargeting on both platforms for people who visited the landing page but did not enquire.
- A dedicated landing page with fast loading, WhatsApp and call buttons and conversion tracking for both platforms.
- Weekly review of cost per site visit by platform and campaign, with budget moved towards what brings visits.
Brokers and channel partners can follow the same approach, with one extra step: a strong Google Business Profile and genuine client reviews, because buyers often check the broker before calling.
Get better real estate leads
We run Google Ads and Meta campaigns for developers, channel partners and brokers in Thane and Mumbai, with landing pages, lead qualification and tracking from enquiry to site visit. See our approach for real estate, build tracked campaign links with our free UTM Link Builder, or ask for a free campaign review.
Source: MahaRERA orders on display of QR code and registration number in advertisements, reported by Housing.com.
