Should You Run Google Ads for Custom Homes?

"Mitch, should I run custom home Google Ads?? My friend does…"

Only if ChatGPT agrees :)

Just kidding - ChatGPT has too small of a context window. You, on the other hand, have a massive context window. You have tons of context about your peers, so you can review their marketing with a very detailed understanding of how you're different.

In this video I talk about why your massive context window beats ChatGPT's tiny one, and why that matters when you're making high risk strategic decisions.

Why context beats generic advice

As I mention in this video, AI is great, but it still has a limited context window, while you and the people on your team have a lifetime of conscious and subconscious context. You already know which friends are cautious, which ones are hungry for growth, how fast they build, and how their margins line up with yours. That is the foundation for any decision about advertising channels.

Use the intel you already have

You probably run in the same circles as other builders, so you know their price per square foot, their pace, the agencies they've courted, and the magazines they buy. When you look at their ads, you're not guessing—you can map their campaigns directly to their appetite for risk, the capital they have, and whether they prefer spec projects or bigger, slower jobs. That context is richer than any generic "should I run Google Ads?" checklist.

Do a quick marketing recon

In the video I discuss hopping into the Google Ads Transparency Center, typing in a friend's company, and instantly seeing whether they're buying ads and what they highlight. Pair that with the constant magazine pitches you already get, and you can piece together how much of their margin is going toward marketing, whether they have an in-house manager, and what kind of agency relationship they maintain. That recon becomes a template you can apply to your own situation.

Turn anecdotes into decisions

Once you know why your friend with three $5M builds decided to run ads, you can ask: which of those ingredients matter for me, and which don't? These specifics give you something concrete to bring into team meetings or ChatGPT sessions—so when someone says "Jimmy's Construction is bidding on search," you can weigh how their risk tolerance or overall marketing spend compares with yours.

Invest enough to learn

You don't just throw money at it and hope—you fund it sufficiently so the data actually tells you something.

Remodeling ≠ custom homes

Plenty of remodelers want to move up-market while keeping their core business, but selling a remodel is very different from selling a custom home. So if you've only run remodeling campaigns, don't assume it transfers. Work with someone who understands the slower, brand-heavy buying cycle for custom homes, because that's a whole different ballgame.

The takeaway

This decision isn't about how many builders run Google Ads; it's about your specific context. Use the intel you already have on your peers, line it up with your appetite for risk and growth, and only then decide whether Google Ads deserve a real investment.