The short answer
The landing page changes with the ad: listing page, familiar page, or something free
Three different landing spots, depending on the ad you're running. A listing ad should send people straight to that listing, nothing else. A brand ad aimed at people who already know you works best pointed at a familiar page, your Compass page or your homepage. A brand ad built for new audiences needs something free and useful, a home value page, a buyer guide, a market report, because that's where a stranger actually raises a hand.
Where a listing ad should send people
Straight to the listing page, no detours. A listing ad is built around one property, so the click needs to land on that property, its photos, its price, and a way to reach out right there. Sending that click to a general page makes the visitor search for the exact thing the ad just showed them. The ad and the landing page should always match.
Where a brand ad should send people
It splits into two cases, and the right answer depends on who's seeing the ad. If the ad is reaching people who already know you, past clients, your sphere, people retargeted off your own site, send them to a familiar page: your Compass page or your homepage. They already trust you, so the job of the page is just to remind them you're active and show what's current.
If the ad is reaching new audiences who've never heard of you, a familiar page asks too much too soon. Send that click to something free and useful instead: a home value page, a buyer or relocation guide, a public collection of listings, or a market report. A stranger has no reason to hand over attention to a bio page. A free, useful page gives them a reason to stick around.
One thing to avoid either way: don't send ad clicks to Instagram. A social page is built to keep people scrolling, not to let them act, and it buries the one thing the ad was trying to do.
What makes a good landing page
A few things decide whether a landing page actually works, no matter which one you pick. Keep it simple:
- one-tap contact, a phone number or button, not a form buried at the bottom
- the fewest form fields the page can get away with
- the free thing, if there is one, sitting above the fold, not scrolled past
- your face and your name, clearly placed, so the visitor knows who they're dealing with
- no login or account required to see or use anything on the page
Hugo never collects names or emails. That's by design. It means the landing page itself has to be the place where a visitor raises their hand, through a call, a click, or using the free thing you offered, instead of a form that disappears into a system.
Where your own site fits in
Your own site matters most in two spots: brand ads aimed at people who already know you, and following up with visitors who've already been to your site before. Outside of those two cases, it's rarely the right landing spot, because a site that isn't kept current, an old headshot, a listing that already closed, costs you the click the moment someone lands on it. If your own site is part of how you stay in front of your sphere or how you follow up with repeat visitors, it earns a place in the mix. Otherwise, the listing page or a familiar Compass page does the job without the upkeep.
Where should a listing ad send people?
The listing page itself, every single time. If the ad shows one address, one price, one set of photos, the click needs to land on that exact property, not on a general page the visitor has to search through. Anything else makes someone hunt for what they just saw. Match the click to the property.
Where should a brand ad send people when it's aimed at people who already know me?
A familiar page, usually your Compass page or your homepage. If the audience is past clients, your sphere, or anyone already following your name, the goal is to remind them you're active, not to introduce yourself. A page that already shows your current listings and your sold history does that without asking anything extra. Familiar beats fancy here.
Where should a brand ad send people when it's reaching new audiences?
Something free and useful, not a bio. A home value page, a buyer or relocation guide, a public collection of listings, or a market report gives a stranger a reason to engage before they know your name. Hugo never collects names or emails on your behalf, so that free page is where a new visitor raises their hand. Give something before you ask for anything.