FB has been very good to me!! I've let the professionals help (other than boosting), very grateful! (I'm in the investment and insurance field).

There is some good feedback here. I find they work for listings and open houses, but also strong content to get more traffic and likes to your page. They are not oging to take the place of other important activities as a new agent - getting to know the market, building a sphere, etc.

If you are new, the worst thing I believe you can do is spend money telling people you know what you're doing, before you do. Get some transactions under your belt. Work with your immediate sphere of influence.  Ask your broker for leads.  A good reputation takes time, a bad can develop quickly.  Spending money is rarely the answer. 

Anita Clark was the first ActiveRain member that came to mind.  Good luck. 

I think Anita Clark and Katerina Gasset would have your answer....

This so depends on your goals.  If you want to be "seen" in a designated market, by all means the boosts work - as long as you do them over and over.  It is like farming.  One post card doesn't work.  10 does. Facebook boosts in a designated market will work if they are done over and over.

I believe you have been given some great advise here!  Wishing you the BEST!

If you want your post to be seen you are going to have to pay on your business account. The algorithm is what it is and FB is in the business to make money & they are the gatekeeper of data 

I have boosted a few got a few buyers and a few recruits.

It's an inexpensive way to generate interest. I had success with a residential home. I've been trying it with commercial properties and I'll let you know if I get a closing from one.

Yes, they are great at increasing brand exposure or helping reach a segment of your market (assuming the article you are boosting is specific in nature (i.e. first-time millennial buyer needs, potential sellers in subdivision xyz with pools, etc.)).

Remember, social media should augment other processes not be your sole or main source of activity. 

I have had great success with organic results.  It was a long building process to get the kind of community engagement I have on my page, but worth the effort I put in with very few boosts here and here.

I have, but more with my rentals and my Podcast.

Not my thing.

I have not boosted any posts yet - or set up any Facebook ads. My sense is that will be part of the new strategy once my site is re-launched.  I'm working with Peter Mark who is amazing to work with. He is an excellent resource for you to connect with. I wish you all the best. 

Depends on the purpose of your boosts. I don't boost to get leads. I boost to promote my listings to a wider audience.

Do you have a listing? What are you going to boost?

Suggest you spend your effort on direct people contact initially. Internet leads are something extra way to sniff out opportunities. 

I've had moderate success through detailed targeting with audience specific posts.

I like to use our Facebook Business Page for posting new listings. They seem to get a decent amount of traffic for a free post (hundreds of views). I suppose with a boost you would get a lot more.

I haven't done it yet. 

Without looking at the other answers, I'm sure Anita Clark can share her knowledge of boosting with you!

I had people show up at open houses because of it with no agent.

Boosted posts, no.  Regular posts will only go to a percentage of the people who like your page.  Boosted will make that number higher.  The better way is with paid ads.  This will allow you to target those who do not yet follow/like your page and will allow you to better target your demographics.  For example, you can exclude real estate agents or only target people making over 70k a year.

Follow the blogs by Anita Clark. 

Definitely works to bring hits to your business page, in my experience.

I would concentrate on other things than Facebook if I were you.

I have done it several times with no great results. Im not doing landing pages through FB and that appears to work better so far.

It must work if done correctly or they wouldn't be able to sell them...

No it is a waste of money. What you post is more important than how many you boost it to

I wish we knew.

Open House Attendance 

Have not used it for business.

Dawn,

I believe FB is the only advertising and agent needs to do. 

But, I must ask, as a new agent, what do you intend to BOOST? 

Boostring works for listings. 

Now. lets be clear. A new agent should have completed all the steps detailed in first week activies listed in Get On The Right Track: a guide for those thinking about a real estate career. If the new agent chooses to be unprepared, they are in reality a ship looking for a rock.

Facebook advertising will work for you when YOU know you have something to talk about. Begin with what real solutions do you have to problems, (real problems not contrived problems created by real estate agents) home owners or home buyers have.

For example you may be able to FIND THEM MONEY. Their money that they did not know they lost. All of a sudden your solution has them more that half way to a down-payment. For those who have rented in multiple locations it is nearly guaranteed they've left money unclaimed. (thank you Duke Energy) 

"Dawn found me $1,700!" Would you call that a value based relationship?

My response to this question is to serve as a tickler to get you thinking out-of-the-box and that will enable you to leverage FB advertising in an incredibly significant way.  Most new agents are faced with the choice of marketing a 'me too' message or racing to the bottom of the compensation ladder. It does not need to be that way.

HINT: consult with a home insurance broker (not agent) for more ideas regarding SOLUTIONS that a collaboration can create. Owners and buyer DO face real problems. Perhaps chatting with a few of them, instead of marketing folks, will prove enlightening.

I have boosted a few, got thousands of views, and no leads.

I have used them to promote open houses in the past and it did increase activity. I don’t use them routinely. 

It works.

Market yourself and forget the lead gen sites and those that are supposed to be your friend

It works but you have to invest time in learning the system.