Why You Might Be Wasting Ad Budget Over The Holidays (And What To Do Instead)

by Ashleigh Loock

When things start to wind down for the holidays – whether it’s Christmas, Easter, school breaks, or even big commercial events like Black Friday – many estate agents assume their marketing spend is better saved for when things "pick back up."

 

But here’s the truth: if you’re not spending smartly during these key times, you could be wasting money and missing out on leads.

 

At best, slashing your budget can reduce performance. At worst, it can halt your lead generation altogether – just when your competitors are stepping up and getting ahead.

 

Let’s explore why:

 

1. Spending too little can cost you more

 

A common mistake we see? Agents assuming that trimming their ad budget during holidays is the "sensible" thing to do.

 

We’re here to tell you that it’s not.

 

Just before the Easter holidays, we had a client paying over £5 per sales lead while spending a £5 daily budget. We advised them to increase this to £8 per day for the holiday period, which saw their cost drop to £3.24 – a 36% improvement in just one weekend!

 

Why? Because their ads were finally getting enough traction to reach the right audiences more often. When your budget is too low, your ads can end up in bidding limbo: not shown enough to convert, but still draining your spend.

 

Tip: Don’t assume that spending less is more efficient. If your budget isn’t enough to compete, you're not making your money work – you’re just stretching it thin.

 

2. Stopping altogether means missed opportunities

 

Some agents pause their marketing entirely over the holidays, thinking landlords and sellers are too distracted to engage. However, many people are still actively researching and planning for after the holiday season.

 

So, what happens when you stop your ads?

• Your brand visibility drops.
• You lose the algorithmic momentum built up over weeks or months.
• You give your competition free rein to win over your audience.

 

Tip: Even a modest, consistent campaign keeps you in the running. Don’t disappear – stay visible and relevant.

 

3. The market doesn’t sleep – and neither should your marketing

 

The idea that ad costs always go up during holidays isn’t quite accurate. Yes, competition increases around events like Black Friday or Christmas for retail brands – but for estate agents, these periods can actually be quieter and more cost-effective. Fewer agents are advertising, which means CPMs and CPCs often drop – and your ads have less competition in the auction.

 

We’ve seen client campaigns that perform better in December than in September – purely because they were the only agent running ads in their area.

 

Tip: Take advantage of the quieter periods to test new creatives, engage audiences, and build remarketing lists for the busy season. What you invest now can lead to stronger results in the coming months, especially when your competitors are just ramping up again.

 

 

In conclusion, the holidays aren’t a time to pause – they’re a time to position yourself ahead of the pack. With the right strategy, you can reduce costs, increase performance, and build a pipeline of leads that sets you up for success long after the break is over.

 

Want help running smarter, leaner, better-performing ads – even during the quieter periods? Reach out to us at team@valpal.co.uk to see how we can help you generate leads consistently, all year round.