Real Estate Advertising in Dubai

Yandex Direct allows advertisers to target CIS countries, where Yandex services are widely used. Since the CIS is a major market for Dubai real estate agencies, ignoring these regions was a missed opportunity.

The ads lacked conviction. They relied on generic buzzwords like "profitable", "reliable", and "investments". An audience looking to invest in Dubai real estate needs specifics: numbers, timelines, guarantees, and advantages. Compare the difference:

The visuals failed to convey a "premium" feel. With property prices starting at $ 300,000, this is not a mass-market product — the visuals needed to reflect it.

The existing lead forms resulted in low lead reachability. User data was autofilled, which often made it incorrect. Switching to manual entry reduced errors.

• Ads directed traffic to a generic homepage rather than a relevant page, lowering form-fill conversion rates.
• Broad targeting segments of the campaigns caused ads to show to non-relevant audiences.
• Budget was wasted on irrelevant keywords like "apartment rental" or "Moscow new builds", which lowered CTR and increased CPC.
• On mobile devices and during evening hours, the cost per lead was almost two times higher, yet bids were not adjusted.

As noted, Yandex Direct was generating "expensive" leads, largely due to poor setup of the ad campaign. However, based on our experience in this niche, on foreign platforms, leads cost less. We proposed optimizing Yandex Direct while simultaneously testing global channels: Google Ads and Meta (Facebook/Instagram)*. Since many potential clients live abroad and use international platforms, ignoring these channels is a luxury no agency can afford.

* The Meta Company is recognized as an extremist organization and is banned on the territory of the Russian Federation.

Revamped offers. We injected data into every ad: minimum price, handover dates, payment plans, expected income, payback period, and legal status.

New creatives (static & video). We bet on video content, based on competitor experience and high conversion rates for the format. Spoiler: it paid off. We featured brokers explaining the advantages of specific developments, investment nuances, and the urgency to buy. All materials were adapted for English-speaking audiences.

Expanded analytics. We added fields to the CRM client card: geography, language, interested location/developer, budget, goal, source, and ad message. This sped up lead qualification.

Goal tracking. Moving to new promotion strategies, we took into account the positive experience of the previous agency. We set "WhatsApp Inquiry" as a separate conversion goal. In the UAE, WhatsApp is the standard for communication. Its high open rate and use frequency make it one of the most effective channels for initial contact.

We created a promotion strategy and set up advertising accounts for each channel.

We used Search primarily for brand and location-based queries to capture high-intent users (already familiar with the brand or actively looking for real estate in the preferred district). Performance Max (PMax) served as our universal tool, automatically displaying ads across the entire Google ecosystem: YouTube, Images, Discover, Gmail, and Maps.

For PMax, we developed specific asset groups: video reviews of high-demand developments highlighting key benefits; creative visuals focusing on facades and apartment interiors; responsive ads with punchy copy regarding location, dates, and pricing.

For the feed, we used creatives with photos of the properties, views, and renders of amenities. For stories, we produced short, dynamic videos highlighting lifestyle and location benefits. We used carousel ads to display floor plans and unit options, making it easier for users to compare visually.

We also leveraged Advantage+ (formerly Automated Ads). This Meta AI tool automatically optimizes creatives, copy, and audience targeting. By analyzing user behavior, the system finds users most likely to convert.

Combining manual campaigns with Advantage+ allowed us to increase reach while simultaneously improving lead quality.

We built new campaigns from scratch as it was faster than fixing the existing ones.

We segmented audiences across all campaigns. Search ads featured clear offers focused on timelines, location, and benefits. We wrote unique copy and sitelinks for each query type. We included callouts.

For the Yandex Advertising Network (YAN), we focused on these audience attributes:

• Retargeting site visitors
• Look-alike audiences
• Contextual targeting on real estate and investment sites

We launched with manual bidding to gather primary data and control costs, then switched to an automated "Conversion Optimization" strategy to stabilize lead prices.

In two months across all advertising channels, we reached the following results: