Google Ads for mortgage brokers
measured to a funded loan, not a click
A borrower searching 'mortgage broker near me' or 'refinance rates today' is already deciding, and a campaign that optimizes for cheap clicks wastes that intent on rate-shoppers who were never close to applying. We fix tracking and the pre-qualification funnel first, then run campaigns measured to a funded loan, not a click.
Why mortgage brokers lose money today
Mortgage searches run high-intent but also highly rate-sensitive: a borrower typing “best mortgage rates today” is often comparison-shopping across five brokers in one sitting, and a campaign optimized for cheap clicks rather than qualified leads happily delivers form fills from people who are months away from actually applying. The gap between leads a platform reports and leads a CRM can confirm as pre-qualified is often large in this category, since a form asking only for a name and phone number attracts curiosity alongside real borrowers.
A second common problem is budget split by instinct rather than by what a loan type actually converts into. A refinance lead and a first-time-buyer purchase lead differ meaningfully in close rate and loan value, and without a reconciled view against CRM and loan-origination data, budget often spreads evenly across campaigns that are not actually comparable.
A third is the landing page itself: a generic “contact us for rates” page with no qualifying fields pushes ad spend toward capturing clicks the page then fails to convert into a real pre-qualified lead a loan officer can act on.
A fourth, specific to this category, is advertising rules around rate claims. Mortgage advertising is regulated in most jurisdictions, and a campaign written without that in mind can create exposure that a marketing team optimizing purely for click-through rate has every incentive to overlook.
What we build for mortgage brokers
We start with the account and the funnel, not with new ad copy. An audit of the existing Google Ads account, conversion tracking and the pre-qualification landing page usually turns up fixable leaks: untracked conversions, campaigns targeting generic “mortgage” terms instead of the specific loan-type searches that actually convert, a form asking too little to qualify a lead on arrival.
Tracking gets rebuilt to follow a lead from the ad to a funded loan: Conversions API and offline conversion import so a funded loan feeds back into the platform’s optimization, UTM parameters on every campaign, and a connection into your loan-origination system or CRM so a “lead” in the ad platform and a pre-qualified lead in your pipeline are the same record. Campaign structure is rebuilt around loan type and borrower intent rather than one broad “mortgage rates” campaign.
Typical integrations: Google Ads with offline conversion import from the loan-origination system, amoCRM or HubSpot for pipeline-stage data, and the pre-qualification landing page built or fixed to capture income range and loan amount on every submission.
Any ad copy referencing rates is written as a clearly marked indicative range, never a firm quote, and flagged explicitly for your compliance review before anything goes live, since advertising rules for this category vary by jurisdiction.
We also watch for a pattern specific to rate-sensitive categories: a campaign that looks strong on cost per lead during a period of falling rates can quietly stop working the moment rates move the other way, since the underlying search behavior driving clicks shifts with the rate environment itself. Reviewing campaign structure against the current rate cycle, not just against last month’s numbers, is part of what ongoing management actually means here.
What stays with humans
Any specific rate quote, qualification decision, or loan recommendation stays a conversation your licensed loan officers have directly with the borrower. The campaign’s job is to bring a pre-qualified, ready borrower to that conversation faster and at a lower cost, and any compliance question about how the campaign describes rates or terms goes to your own counsel before launch.
Price and timeline
| Model | Price | What it covers | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agency runs it | from $1,000 | We audit, launch and manage the campaigns; weekly reporting included | 2 to 3 weeks to launch |
| Full control, handover-ready | from $1,700 | Same build, plus full account access, tracking documentation and a written handover for your own team | 3 to 4 weeks |
Related
Pair this campaign with an AI agent for mortgage brokers so the pre-qualified leads it generates get document collection started within minutes, or a website for mortgage brokers if the landing page itself needs rebuilding first. See the full package breakdown on the performance marketing service page, read about tracking a high-ticket funnel honestly in the citizenship consulting case study, or get a written audit plan with a fixed price.
FAQ
What does it cost to start?
Audit and launch starts at $1,000: account and funnel audit, tracking fixes, campaign structure, first ad copy and a two-week watch period. Ongoing management is $1,000 a month and up, depending on loan types and markets.
Can ad copy mention specific rates?
We write rate-adjacent copy as ranges clearly marked indicative, never a firm quote, and flag any rate-specific language for your compliance review before launch, since mortgage advertising rules vary by jurisdiction and we are not positioned to make that call for you.
What ad budget do we need?
A realistic minimum is $800 to $1,200 a month per loan-type campaign so the algorithm sees enough conversions to learn. Below that, we usually recommend fixing the pre-qualification form and tracking first and starting ads once the funnel can actually convert.
How do you track a lead through to a funded loan, not just a form fill?
Conversions API and offline conversion import on the site, UTM discipline on every campaign, and a join between ad data and your loan-origination system's funded-loan status, so a lead's full path from search to funding is visible in one report.
Can you target specific loan types like refinance or first-time buyer?
Yes. Campaigns are structured by loan type and borrower intent, purchase, refinance, first-time buyer, so budget goes toward the searches that actually match the loan types your brokerage wants more of.