Google ads for seller leads need a big budget and months of runway. Here's the seller pipeline to build first, step by step, for every budget level.
Every investor hears the same advice sooner or later: stop chasing sellers and let them come to you. Run Google ads. Go inbound. It's good advice. Sellers who search "sell my house fast" already want to sell. But there's a part that usually gets left out. What inbound really costs Google ads for seller leads are one of the most expensive marketing channels in real estate. You pay for every click, whether the person is a real seller or not. Popular keywords get crowded, and prices climb.
Agencies that run these campaigns commonly recommend several thousand dollars a month to start, and the account needs time to learn before it settles. Then there's the waiting. A seller who fills out a form this week might sign next week and close a month or two later. So you need enough cash to keep the ads running for about three months before the first deals pay you back. For a lot of wholesalers, that's simply not possible yet. And that's fine. Inbound is a stage, not a starting point.
The pipeline to build first The goal before inbound is simple: a steady flow of seller conversations, every lead followed up, and the skills and cash to scale. Here's what that looks like by budget.
Monthly marketing budget What to run What it teaches you Under $1,000 Driving for dollars, county records, FSBO and expired listings, re-contacting your own opted-in old leads How to talk to sellers and make offers $1,000–$3,000 Texting on your own A2P registration, with follow-up on every reply Volume, speed and follow-up habits $3,000–$8,000 Add cold calling, direct mail or Meta ads, plus retargeting people who visited your site Which channels work in your market $8,000+ Add Google ads, and feed closed deals back into the ad account Scaling with sellers who come to you Why texting and follow-up come first Texting reaches owners on a list you choose, at a cost you control, and you can pause it any month.
It builds the habits inbound needs anyway: answering fast, following up until every lead is a yes or a no, and tracking what turns into contracts. Those habits matter more than the channel. If a team can't answer a reply within the hour or close a seller on the phone, more expensive leads won't fix that. They'll just cost more. Get the basics right, whatever you run Answer fast. Aim to reply to new sellers within the hour, including evenings. Follow up until it's a yes or a no. Many sellers aren't ready on the first contact. Track cost per contract , not cost per lead.
Cheap leads that never sign are the most expensive kind. Stay compliant. Every texting campaign needs its own A2P 10DLC registration, DNC scrubbing and instant opt-outs. Keep a cash reserve. Plan for deals to take one to three months to pay out. When to move to inbound You're ready to add Google ads when you're closing deals consistently, you know your cost per contract on your current channels, and you have enough cash set aside to run ads for three months without needing them to pay back right away.
Until then, every dollar you spend should build the pipeline and the skills that make inbound work later. Where StopShopREI fits StopShopREI runs the step before inbound for you. We pull and skip trace your list, run texting on your own A2P registration, follow up on every reply and book reviewed seller appointments on your calendar. Programs start at $997/month plus marketing costs, month to month. When you're ready for inbound, your pipeline, your data and your follow-up system are already in place.
Frequently asked questions How much do Google ads for seller leads cost? It depends on your market and keywords, but most investors need several thousand dollars a month plus about three months of runway before deals close. Popular keywords like "sell my house fast" cost the most. What should I do if I can't afford Google ads yet? Build a pipeline with lower-cost channels first: texting and follow-up, then add calling, mail or Meta ads as your budget grows. Is texting still worth it? Yes, when it runs on your own A2P registration, with clean lists, fast replies and steady follow-up.
When should I switch to inbound? When you close deals consistently, know your cost per contract and have about three months of ad budget set aside.