Facebook or Instagram: where is it better to advertise?

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The real estate industry has shifted heavily toward digital advertising. Property buyers now spend a significant amount of time scrolling social media platforms, comparing options, watching walkthrough videos, and engaging with ads long before contacting a sales team.

Among all digital channels, Facebook and Instagram continue to dominate real estate advertising. However, many developers and consultants still struggle with one key decision: which platform actually delivers better leads and ROI?

To answer this, a performance-focused ad campaign was executed and analysed to understand how Facebook and Instagram compare when it comes to generating genuine property enquiries.

Campaign Objective and Setup

The campaign objective was clear: generate qualified leads for a residential project using paid social media ads. A lead form–based strategy was selected to reduce friction and improve conversion rates.

The ads promoted a limited-time site visit offer for a premium residential project priced at ₹1.75 crore, targeting users actively interested in home buying and property investment.

The same creatives, ad copy, targeting parameters, and lead forms were used across both platforms to ensure accurate comparison.

Audience Targeting Strategy

The campaign targeted users who:

This ensured that the ads reached users with real intent rather than cold audiences.

Key Metrics Analysed

Instead of vanity metrics, the campaign focused on performance indicators that matter in real estate marketing:

Platform Performance Insights

Reach and Visibility

Instagram delivered broader visibility at a lower cost per thousand impressions. This made it effective for generating awareness and introducing the project to new audiences. Visual creatives showcasing layouts, amenities, and lifestyle elements performed particularly well.

Facebook, while slightly more expensive in reach, showed stronger intent-based behaviour from users.

Click and Engagement Behaviour

Facebook recorded a marginally lower cost per click. Users were more likely to click directly on the ad and submit their details. Instagram users, on the other hand, showed higher engagement through saves and profile visits, indicating strong interest but slightly delayed action.

This suggests that Instagram works well for warming up audiences, while Facebook pushes faster conversions.

Lead Quality and Cost

The most important metric—cost per lead—showed competitive performance across both platforms.

Facebook delivered slightly lower average lead costs, while Instagram leads showed higher engagement during follow-ups. When retargeting was applied, Instagram’s cost efficiency improved further.

This pattern highlights the importance of a combined platform strategy rather than relying on a single channel.

Mobile-First Performance

A major insight from the campaign was mobile performance. Most leads were generated through mobile placements, and when only mobile traffic was considered, Instagram’s performance came very close to Facebook.

Given that most property research happens on mobile devices, this reinforces Instagram’s role as a serious lead-generation platform, not just a branding tool.

Funnel Strategy That Delivered Results

The strongest results came from a two-step approach:

This approach reduced overall lead cost and improved enquiry quality. Users who first engaged with visuals were more likely to convert when retargeted later.

This exact strategy was implemented for a Thane-based residential project, helping filter casual browsers and attract serious buyers.

Facebook vs. Instagram: Final Takeaway

For high-ticket properties, especially premium residential projects, platform synergy matters more than platform preference. To see how we can apply these insights to your specific project, check out our Meta Ads services.

Conclusion

This case study shows that Instagram has evolved into a performance-driven platform, while Facebook continues to remain strong for direct lead generation. When used together with the right funnel strategy, both platforms can deliver consistent, cost-effective results for real estate campaigns.

Advertisers who track performance, optimise creatives, and balance awareness with retargeting consistently outperform those using a single-channel approach.