The fundamental difference: intent
The most important difference between the two channels is the user's intent at the moment they see your ad.
On Google Ads, you reach people who are actively looking for something. When someone types “house for sale Laval” into Google, they're actively searching. They're looking for exactly what you offer, at that very moment.
On Facebook and Instagram, you interrupt someone scrolling through their feed. That person isn't looking for a real estate broker. Your ad first has to catch their attention, then spark interest, then create intent.
This difference explains why leads from Google Ads are usually more qualified and closer to a transaction than leads from Meta Ads.
Comparison, point by point
Lead quality
Google Ads usually brings leads with a more immediate intent to buy or sell. Forms received through Google Ads come from people who took an active step. Meta Ads often brings colder leads that need longer follow-up before they convert.
Cost per lead
The cost per lead varies a lot with the territory and the competition. In general in Quebec, a residential real estate lead from Google Ads costs between 30 and 120 dollars depending on the region and the type of lead. Meta Ads leads can cost less to generate, but their conversion rate into a real transaction is often lower.
Ease of management
Meta Ads is usually easier for beginners thanks to its visual interface and intuitive ad formats. Google Ads is more complex: campaign structure, keyword match types, bidding, extensions. The learning curve is steeper.
Time to see results
Google Ads can generate leads in the first few days if the campaign is set up properly. Meta Ads often needs several weeks of optimization before reaching a stable cost per lead.
Possible campaign types
Google Ads is ideal for buyer and seller campaigns with strong intent. Meta Ads works better for awareness, broker recruiting, event promotion or retargeting campaigns.
Which one should you start with?
If you've never run paid ads and you want qualified leads quickly, Google Ads is usually the best starting point for a real estate broker in Quebec.
If you already have an established client base and you want to build local awareness or stay visible in your territory's feeds, Meta Ads is a useful complement.
The best medium term strategy is to combine the two: Google Ads to capture active intent, Meta Ads to nurture the relationship and stay visible in your market.
Handing off the Google side
Running Google Ads and Meta Ads campaigns at the same time takes a lot of time and expertise. For teams that want to hand off the Google side, ScaleSuite manages the campaign every week, replies to the seller within a minute and follows up with those who aren't ready yet.