Why Real Estate Agents Miss Out on Leads and Clicks Using Facebook’s “Boost” Button

When you share a post on Facebook, you’ll notice an option to “Boost” it. (This is different from Boost by Lone Wolf!) By choosing to boost your post, you can amplify its reach to a larger audience with spending as little as $1 a day.

At first glance, the Facebook Boost button might seem like a quick win. But here’s the reality: boosted posts can end up costing you more than they deliver.

• Boosted posts often promote your content to the wrong audience, wasting your budget.
• They’re designed to keep users on Facebook rather than guiding them to your website, where real connections and conversions happen.

Even Scott Shapiro, Facebook’s Real Estate Industry Relations Partner, pointed out that partnering with an ad vendor delivers “far better than boosting, especially for the things that [agents] need — [like] trying to generate need, trying to generate demand.”

Think of Facebook Boost posts as the digital equivalent of a bus bench ad—they provide broad, random exposure but don’t drive the meaningful connections agents need. In the following examples, we’ll break down why the Boost button isn’t built to serve the unique demands of the real estate industry and how smarter solutions can help you achieve better results.

Why the Facebook Boost Button Falls Short for Real Estate Agents

The Facebook Boost button might seem like a quick win, but it’s simply not designed with real estate agents in mind. Here’s why: when you hit the Boost button, Facebook’s algorithm focuses on finding people most likely to engage with your ad. It starts by targeting your “fans” (those who’ve liked your page) and then expands to friends of your fans.

For some industries, this approach works well. Think of a Coke Zero ad—it makes sense to show it to someone who already liked the Coke Zero page or their friends. But for real estate, this strategy misses the mark.

Consider who has liked your Facebook business page. For most agents, it’s a mix of friends, family, and past clients—not exactly a large pool of active, local buyers and sellers. So when you boost a post about a new listing or open house, your ad isn’t reaching the people you need. Instead, it’s being shown to your network—people who might support you personally but aren’t in the market to buy or sell. Sure, your cousin Janice might give your ad a like (we love Janice, too!), but that’s not a meaningful return on your marketing budget.

The bottom line: Running ads for new listings, open houses, or price reductions works best when you’re reaching an engaged, local audience. Unfortunately, relying on the Facebook Boost button won’t get you there unless you’ve already built and refined a targeted audience of active local buyers and sellers—a time-intensive and imperfect process.

The Facebook Boost Button: Why It’s Not Built for Clicks (and What That Means for You)

The Facebook Boost button might seem like a quick solution for promoting your business, but it’s not designed to deliver meaningful results—especially if your goal is to connect with the right buyers and sellers.

Here’s why:

When you run a Facebook ad through the more advanced Ads Manager, you’re in control of your campaign’s objective. Think of it like setting a destination on a GPS—you can choose where you want to go:

• Post Engagement — The algorithm focuses on likes, shares, and comments.
• Website Clicks — The algorithm prioritizes visits to your site or meaningful conversions.

But when you use the Boost button, Facebook automatically sets your goal to post engagement by default. This means your ad will reach people who are more likely to engage with your post rather than click through to your website. Engagement is great for visibility, but it won’t drive action if you're promoting an open house or trying to attract serious buyers. (Spoiler alert: Cousin Janice liking your post won’t sell your listing.)

The bottom line: Investing in Facebook ads might make your listings stand out visually, but without the right strategy, they’re unlikely to generate meaningful client engagement. This becomes a significant issue when your goal is to capture the attention of local buyers with a listing ad or bring in foot traffic for an open house.

The Facebook Boost button doesn’t help agents follow best practices for digital advertising

Using Facebook’s Boost button to promote a listing may feel like an easy win. You might quickly pull in images and details from your IDX site, add a touch of copy, and hit Post. While this approach is better than nothing, it doesn’t align with best practices for digital advertising—and it’s not designed to help you get the most out of your efforts.

Let’s face it: expecting agents to master Facebook’s evolving algorithms and advertising standards is unrealistic. It’s a full-time job—and lucky for you, it’s ours.

With Boost by Lone Wolf, you get campaigns that are engineered for success. By leveraging advanced tools and thoughtful strategies, we ensure your ads are optimized for clicks, leads, and meaningful engagement. Here’s how:

• Eye-catching design and copy: Leveraging proven techniques like corner flags, emojis, and compelling content designed to draw attention and drive traffic.
• Focused landing pages: A dedicated, “gated” landing page encourages visitors to share their contact information, turning interest into actionable leads.
• Seamless lead generation: Built-in tools integrate directly into top CRMs, making follow-ups effortless and efficient.

Think of it like this: an ad campaign that sends users to a general IDX property page is like leading them into a maze with multiple exits. Visitors can wander in any direction, and your chance to connect can easily slip away. Boost by Lone Wolf creates a clearer path—a smarter campaign that drives clicks to a focused, engaging experience. The result? More leads and a stronger starting point for building those valuable connections over time.

The bottom line: Driving traffic to a general IDX property page often leads to scattered user journeys with low engagement. By launching targeted ad campaigns that guide visitors to a more tailored and focused landing experience, you can not only boost clicks but also capture high-quality leads and start building lasting client relationships effortlessly.

Additional limitations of the Facebook Boost button

The Facebook Boost button may seem like a quick fix, but it often falls short of delivering the results businesses truly need. Here’s why it might not be the best tool for your marketing strategy:

1. It limits your flexibility. You can only promote posts that already exist on your Facebook page, meaning every ad has to sit on your timeline before it can be boosted. If you’re frequently boosting posts, this could lead to an overload of self-promotional content that might push away your loyal audience rather than engage them.
2. Targeting options are narrow. While you can target by interests, more granular options like behaviors or specific email lists aren’t available. This means you miss out on connecting with the right audience at the right level of precision.
3. You lose control over where your ads run. The Boost button doesn’t let you choose between desktop and mobile placements. Since desktop ads often drive higher conversion rates, this lack of control can significantly impact your ad performance.

The bottom line: When industry leaders discuss smart, highly tailored marketing strategies, they’re not referring to campaigns created with the Boost button. This tool doesn’t provide the customization, control, or results-driven capabilities you need to truly succeed in today's competitive real estate market.

What if I’m not sure how to run smarter, more effective campaigns?

Logging into Facebook Ads Manager can feel like stepping into a maze — overwhelming and full of options that make it hard to know where to start. It’s no surprise many agents turn to the Facebook Boost button for a quick, simple solution.

But you deserve more than “good enough.” Lone Wolf Boost is a powerful digital ad platform designed specifically for real estate agents who want to get ahead. Think of it as your shortcut to smarter advertising. Boost by Lone Wolf pairs cutting-edge technology with an intuitive interface to help you connect with the right audience on Facebook and Instagram — fast.

Let’s get your business the real boost it deserves.