Real Estate Portals Face New Competition as Google Opens Listing Ads Nationwide
Google expanded its enhanced Local Services Ads to all 50 states Thursday, allowing real estate agents to display property listings—complete with price, photos and key features—directly in search results. The ads connect consumers searching for homes with local agents who can schedule tours or appointments. HouseCanary’s ComeHome.com platform supplies the listing data through agreements with participating multiple listing services. Agents already enrolled in Local Services Ads will appear automatically in the enhanced format, while new agents can sign up directly or through Google’s managed partner program.
Google first tested the program in December 2024 in select markets including Miami, New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco and Los Angeles before pausing in early January. The company relaunched the ads in mid-May in many of the original test markets. Google requires businesses using Local Services Ads to link a physical location to their advertising campaign. Consumers can call, message or book appointments with agents directly from the ad units.
The nationwide rollout comes as established portals such as Zillow, Redfin and Realtor.com integrate their listings into large language models like ChatGPT. Those integrations have raised questions about whether such use complies with MLS data usage and IDX feed rules. The debate has prompted discussions about modernizing MLS policies and who controls listing data distribution.
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