Your Best Guide to Mortgage Advertising

Mortgage advertising stands out with two main differences from organic traffic acquisition: it’s much quicker – you get the mortgage leads quickly after initiating the campaign – and you can bring in more high-value borrowers (mortgagors) as long as the budget allows.

The possibilities are endless when it comes to lead generation for companies, loan officers, and brokers. From conventional Facebook mortgage advertisements to offline partnerships, there are dozens and dozens of mortgage marketing strategies to leverage depending on your goals, audience, and budget.

This article will help you learn everything you need about mortgage advertising and specific strategies that may fit your business.

Is Mortgage Advertising Effective?

There’s good news and bad news about mortgage advertising – and the good news you already know: mortgage advertisements attract customers quickly, and you can have as many of them as the size of your advertising budget. The bad news is that mortgage lead generation is not necessarily as rosy as it sounds: the market is more complex than it appears, and the regulatory environment doesn’t make it better.

On the other hand, your success also depends on defining your target audience and choosing the most effective ad types and channels. So, for instance, if your target audience is seniors, and you’d like to advertise reverse mortgage loans or similar mortgage offerings, Facebook mortgage ads will be more effective than TikTok.

Your mortgage broker advertising is as good as your timing, platform choice, and segmentation. It is the right message in the right place to the right mortgage lead at the right moment that creates interest and makes them purchase – a formula which extends quite easily to organic lead generation.

Types of Paid Ads for Mortgage Brokers

Pay-Per-Click Mortgage Ads	PPC ads are most targeted because you can choose to whom you wish to present your ads: location, device, keywords, timing, and other psychographic and demographic criteria.
Display Mortgage Ads	Display ads are most appropriate for creating brand recognition, staying at the top of the mind with a larger audience base, and designing visuals. Just like PPC advertisements, you can choose your target psychographics and demographics.
Video Mortgage Ads	Video ads range from brief attention-grabbing spots to non-skippable in-stream videos, with several options and formats to generate the mortgage loan leads you need.
Text Mortgage Ads	Textual advertisements are the simplest and most affordable to set up, with success dependent upon the quality of the writing in the ad, the timing of the display, and the audience.
Audio Mortgage Ads	Audio advertisements can be streamed over radios, podcasts, or digital streaming platforms like Apple Music or Spotify to raise awareness among the entire audience (e.g., real estate podcasts) or target motivated mortgage leads (e.g., mortgage loan podcasts).
Native Mortgage Ads	Blended into the context, native ads leverage a seamless user experience and unbroken flow. Native ads may appear as images, videos, text, etc.

With a good grasp of digital ad tech, you can use programmatic ads to automate mortgage lead acquisition using any of the ads mentioned. Programmatic technology deploys real-time bidding and AI-driven algorithms to purchase the best-performing ad space on a wide variety of sites, considering your target audience.

For example, using Google Ads for mortgages conventionally usually involves targeting specified keywords like “reverse mortgage loans” or “lowest mortgage interest rates UK.” This conventional approach can be effective, but far from programmatic ads, which optimise in real-time according to dynamic campaign parameters like performance, cost, available ad space, etc.

Platforms, Target Audiences, and Mortgage Advertising Types

Ad Type	Target Buyer	Platforms	Advertiser Pays For	Ad Cost
PPC	An active, high-intent, highly educated mortgage loan searcher in their late 20s to early 50s	Bing AdsGoogle Ads	Clicks	Medium to high, keyword-dependent
Display	A passive search of a broad age group with moderate interest and knowledge	Social Media PlatformsGoogle Display Network	ImpressionsClicks	Cheaper than PPC
Video	A seeker of detailed information related to mortgages, including younger, video-oriented audiences	YouTubeInstagramFacebook	EngagementsViewsClicks	Depends on the video production costs and/or the publisher
Text	High-intent borrowers in their late 20s to 60s	WebsitesBing AdsGoogle Ads	ImpressionsClicks	Low
Audio	Busy professionals and older adults who listen to podcasts	Apple PodcastsPandoraSpotify	EngagementsListensImpressions	Medium
Native	Mortgage leads who value immersive, uninterrupted experiences	Social MediaBlogsWebsites	EngagementsClicksImpressions	Medium

Mortgage Advertising via Social Media

In most cases, mortgage broker advertising boils down to the use of social media sites, and there’s a reason for that. Social media platforms have been repeatedly demonstrated as effective lead-generating mediums for traditional business categories like finance, insurance, home repair, and mortgage.

Here are the 10 biggest social media platforms, each of which can be leveraged for mortgage advertising:

Source: Statista

Now, the issue is: What are the very specific social media platforms that you must target with your mortgage ad campaigns? You can’t put ads everywhere.

With that in mind, I’d suggest focusing on these five:

• Facebook
• LinkedIn
• YouTube
• TikTok
• Instagram

And if you think mortgage leads don’t stick around on TikTok, let me tell you a secret: they do. With TikTok growing like wildfire, you can advertise mortgage loans in high demand for the younger generations, like FHA loans. Also, if you’re long-term focused, here’s a factoid: younger audiences will grow up with time and become receptive consumers of new types of mortgage products.

LinkedIn

With over 44 million users in the United Kingdom alone utilising it, LinkedIn unites solvent, educated mortgage leads between the ages of 25 and 34 years, with 56% having a bachelor’s or master’s degree or equivalent. Linked-inspired marketing ideas popular among mortgage loan officers typically include expert content, research papers, case studies, and other materials that appeal to mortgage professionals.

LinkedIn Mortgage Advertising at a Glance

Audience	LinkedIn is effectively a business talent search platform with a significant B2B component, which means you can target investment firms, real estate agencies, and related organisations with tailored mortgage ads.
Types of Ads	Sponsored content – articles that appear in the news feedSponsored InMail – messages delivered to target usersText advertisements – text ads that appear along LinkedIn pagesDynamic advertisements – Job Ads, Spotlight Ads, and Followers Ads, customised based on user interests
Advantages	LinkedIn is likely the best platform for B2B mortgage loan advertising, with the highest proportion of real users, like high-income individuals and serious businesses. LinkedIn has room for every content type. Therefore, you can generate leads using what you can do best.
Disadvantages	LinkedIn ads are generally more costly than Google or Facebook ads, must be in-depth to attract an educated audience, and the B2C portion is under-represented. You will most likely have to work harder with mortgage loan promotion there, getting into the needs and desires of the established professionals.

Here’s a mortgage ad example from LinkedIn:

Source: LinkedIn

In the article, the writer calculates how not having regular morning coffee would save you money on your mortgage payments: you pay off a mortgage loan several years earlier!

Facebook

With over 2 billion active users per day, most of whom are between 18 and 44 years old, Facebook leaves you with no option but to utilise Facebook ads’ potential for mortgage brokers. Facebook mortgage leads are a blend of professionals like the ones on LinkedIn and casual browsers like the ones on Instagram or TikTok.

Facebook Mortgage Advertising at a Glance

Audience	Facebook is primarily a B2C platform with a small amount of B2B functionality. The psychographics and demographics are so vast that it is safe to say that Facebook includes every mortgage borrower persona imaginable – you simply need to find them with the right ads.
Types of Ads	Mortgage advertising on Facebook encompasses:Image & video ads – promotional videos or images displayed on Facebook: video feeds, news feeds, Stories, search results, and in-stream videos.Carousel ads – ten or fewer images or videos in one ad that show various aspects of a productLead ads – ads that have a lead form embedded in them to convert a mortgage lead right away without exiting FacebookMessenger ads – ads displayed on the Chats tab of the Messenger app, with the possibility of an instant conversation with a mortgage lead
Advantages	Facebook mortgage ads allow you to reach millions of leads of varied demographics. These are not very cheap ads, but you could always go for lower-priced ads like, for instance, carousel or image ads.
Disadvantages	Ad fatigue brought about by the sheer volume of adverts on Facebook complicates reaching the audience and diminishes the overall effect of advertisement campaigns, no matter how sophisticated and targeted.

Here’s a mortgage ad example from Facebook:

Source: Facebook

Instagram

Instagram will guarantee you extensive visibility and graphic appeal. When considering Instagram ads, you naturally want to double your efforts with HQ images and videos telling a story about your business or product.

Instagram Mortgage Advertising at a Glance

Audience	The biggest Instagram user group is from ages 18 to late 40s, with an equal split between males and females. Instagram users love visually stunning, emotional content.
Types of Ads	Video & photo adsCarousel adsReel ads & Stories – full-screen ads that are displayed between Instagram Reels and Stories
Advantages	Instagram mortgage advertisements are ideal for leveraging visuals. Similarly, you can merge Instagram advertisements with Facebook to control both campaigns via Facebook’s ad platform.
Disadvantages	Most Instagram ads provide limited space for ads, so you must be brief but effective in marketing your mortgage product. Most importantly, however, Instagram is more about entertainment than a serious note, such as mortgage loans.

Here’s a mortgage ad example from Instagram:

Source: Instagram

YouTube

Since YouTube has over 900 million users daily, it is a platform where you can advertise your mortgage products at a leisurely pace. The best thing about YouTube lead generation advertisements is that you can integrate them with your organic YouTube channel and create a coherent experience for your potential customers.

YouTube Mortgage Advertising at a Glance

Audience	YouTube is dominated by users aged 25 to 54, with a balanced gender ratio. The platform is defined by active engagement with content, including ads.
Types of Ads	In-stream ads – non-skippable and skippable ads shown before, during, or after videosDiscovery ads – advertisements appearing alongside pertinent videos in the YouTube search.Overlay ads – transparent image and text ads placed at the bottom of the videoBumper ads – short, non-skippable ads that appear before, during, or after videosSponsored cards – cards that appear in videos to direct users to the product they are advertising
Advantages	You have the ability to choose whether users must view your ads (non-skippable ads), the lengths of ads, and when you’d like them to show up.
Disadvantages	Skippable advertisements will likely not be watched much, whereas non-skippable advertisements may infuriate users, backfiring on you in the long run.

Here’s a mortgage ad sample from YouTube:

 

TikTok

Finally, you can reach a younger generation on TikTok. The quickest developing social media may not look like a mortgage lead goldmine, yet viral content is nothing to scoff at. If you manage to tap into viewers on TikTok, you could get a flood of leads you never knew existed.

Here’s a mortgage ad sample from TikTok:

@thriftylondoner

Your streaming subscriptions could help you get a mortgage?! AD| That’s right, @LeedsBuildingSociety have collaborated with @ExperianUK Boost to help their customers boost their credit score and take them a step closer to buying their first home. Experian Boost uses open banking to link your current account payments to your Experian credit score, which is connected to Leeds Building Society’s lending systems. Experian Boost will take into account your regular payments such as council tax, Netflix and Spotify. Thinking about buying a home? Check out for free if your credit score could be given a welcome boost before you start. *This information is not legal or financial advice.

♬ original sound – Laura – Thrifty Londoner

Google Ads

Google Ads is most likely the optimal way to generate mortgage leads besides social media.

Here is how you can integrate mortgage advertising for Google search:

• Google Ads: With Google Ads – dynamic search ads, text ads, call-only ads, and responsive search ads – you can put your ads wherever you want: top or bottom of the search list, in local search lists, and even inside Google Maps listings. These advertisements will be marked “Ad” so users will know they are looking at paid ads.
• Shopping ads: Shopping advertisements appear below or above the search results and are marked “Sponsored.” Since the initial few search results get most of the clicks, mortgage companies attempt to occupy them with Shopping ads.

Consider, for instance, the “mortgage loans in London” search term. The top four positions are filled with sponsored content:

Google Ads can help you spot high-intent searchers. Still, you’ll have to deal with high competition, comply with strict regulations regarding certain kinds of content, and target opportunities for a complex industry like mortgage.

Google Display Network

Google Display Network consists of thousands of websites, mobile applications, and media owned by Google, including Gmail and YouTube. Anyone with a website can enable advertisements by connecting to Google Display in Google AdSense.

Learn how the Google Display Network works in detail.

Paid Email Advertising

Email advertising is perhaps the most underused technique of generating mortgage leads. For some reason, many mortgage companies do not promote their products in third-party newsletters and only use email promotions.

Simultaneously, including sponsored content in emails of interested brands, such as a property agency, may be incredibly influential. You place a banner, a highlighted block, or an inline context advertisement – in any case, the most valuable is the relevancy and high quality.

Equally, you can brute force it through expert batch-and-blast emails (third-party company-sent promotional email sequences) or even rent out an email list from an email marketing company and offer your mortgage ad campaigns there.

Offline Advertising

Lastly, you can promote your mortgage offerings in the traditional way: direct-mail promotions, newspaper ads, billboards, signs, radio spots, television advertising, and in-store promotions through local merchants. You can sponsor seminars and workshops and create brandable merchandise in order to attract offline leads and show online borrowers that you’re a legitimate company.

Make Your Mortgage Lead Management Process Automated With Phonexa

To optimise your mortgage ads and obtain mortgage leads at scale, you must know who they are, what they desire, and how you get it done. Simply put, you need a lead management system from top to bottom that addresses your lead acquisition process.

This is what Phonexa offers – an eight-in-one performance marketing software suite that streamlines your campaigns, automating lead acquisition so you can focus on the most valuable mortgage leads.

Build your plan now, or book a demo and learn how Phonexa can help you generate more mortgage leads and boost your ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the optimal mortgage lender ad strategy?

The optimal mortgage lender advertising strategy is one that can help you generate high-intent leads at minimal cost. Mostly, this would be a mix of solutions utilising social media adverts – LinkedIn Ads, Google Ads, YouTube Video Ads, Facebook Ads, etc. – and organic lead acquisition.

Which mortgage leads are the most converting?

Technically, the most converting mortgage leads are leads qualified by your sales team to apply for a mortgage loan. Most high-intent mortgage leads, from the perspective of the traffic source, are referred and loyal customers.

Are affordable mortgage leads obtainable from paid advertising?

You can acquire low-cost mortgage leads with certain paid advertising, like text advertisements on social media. Another cost-cutting strategy in advertising would be re-engaging users who have already expressed interest in your products.

Is lead generation on YouTube effective in the mortgage industry?

YouTube lead gen ads are able to collect important information like an email address or a phone number of a lead effectively. Depending on the ad format you use for your mortgage ads, you can capture leads by watching the video, searching for results, or using the YouTube home page.