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We Thought We Got Our First Google Home Listings Lead. Here's What LSA Support Told Us

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Alex Sparks Co-Founder of OmniLocal
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Earlier this month, one of our real estate clients got a lead that looked like the first Google Home Listings lead we'd seen. A buyer in Destin, Florida, sent a message that mentioned a specific property listing. Before writing about it, we called Google LSA support to confirm. Here's what we found, what Home Listings Ads actually are, and what it means for agents trying to tell where their leads come from.

The lead that looked like a Home Listings lead

Here's the lead our client got on November 1, 2026 at 10:26 AM:

Google Local Services Ads message lead: Buyer's agent, Destin, charged, customer 'Buyer No Number' asking about HOA and mentioning a property address
A message lead in the LSA inbox. Google support confirmed the buyer typed the whole message, including the listing note.
  • Lead type: Message, with no phone number. The customer name shows as "Buyer No Number."
  • Service type: Buyer's agent. Location: Destin. Search intent: Category. Charge status: Charged.
  • The message: "How much HOA ? (Viewed property listing: 4207 Indian Bayou Trl Unit 2603, Destin, FL 32541)"

That "(Viewed property listing: ...)" note looked like something Google adds automatically, so we assumed the lead came from a Home Listings Ad. But LSA support told us it isn't a system tag. The buyer typed the whole message, address and all. So we can't say this lead came from Home Listings Ads. It may have, or the buyer may have found the property somewhere else and then found our client through a regular LSA ad.

What are Local Services Home Listings Ads?

According to Google's help page, Home Listings Ads show for-sale homes right on Google Search. Google partners with HouseCanary to show buyers listing details like the listing agent, price, photos and neighborhood data. Promoted buyer's agents appear alongside those details, and buyers can call or message one of them straight from the ad.

Google says buyers can also see neighborhood maps, school info and walkability scores before they reach out. The listings themselves come from ComeHome, which is powered by HouseCanary. Google announced that after a limited pilot, the format is rolling out across all 50 U.S. states, and that existing LSA agents will show up in it automatically.

How Home Listings Ads work

When buyers search phrases like "homes for sale near me," Home Listings Ads may show in the results. Google automatically picks the right ad for the search, so a "homes near me" search can show listings, while a "real estate agent near me" search shows the standard LSA agent ad. You don't choose between the two.

Billing works the same as the rest of Local Services Ads: you pay only for leads, not for clicks or impressions.

Eligibility and setup

Per Google, here's what you need:

  • A verified Google Business Profile.
  • A Local Services Ads campaign linked to that verified profile.
  • The Buyer's agent or Seller's agent job type turned on in the Real estate category. Opting in gives you access to the format automatically.

A few things to keep in mind:

  • It's only available in U.S. markets, and only on mobile.
  • You need an active LSA account and must pass Google's standard verification.
  • If you only opt into seller service types, you'll only show up on real estate agent searches. Opt into both buyer and seller types to show up on both kinds of searches.

There's also a difference between having your listings shown and getting leads. HouseCanary says listings come only from participating MLSs. Inman reports that the program has two parts: free listing display through those feeds, and paid leads through LSA. Inman also reports that the format doesn't show on Google Maps.

Why you can't easily tell a Home Listings lead apart

  • We haven't seen any label in the LSA inbox that marks a lead as coming from Home Listings, and Google's help page doesn't describe one. As our example shows, text that looks like a system tag can be typed by the buyer.
  • Per Google, LSA reporting covers impressions, lead volume, top and absolute top impression share, and spend, with no breakdown by ad format. You can't separate Home Listings results in your reports.
  • If you need to know, call LSA support about a specific lead, the way we did, or ask the buyer how they found you.

Tips for agents getting LSA message leads

  • Respond fast. A message lead with no phone number can only be reached in the LSA thread, and the buyer is probably messaging other agents too.
  • Answer the actual question first. If they ask about the HOA, give them the fee and what it covers, then offer a showing or similar listings.
  • Ask how they found you and how to stay in touch. A phone number or email gets you out of the LSA inbox, and their answer tells you more about where the lead came from than your reports can.
  • Don't assume a lead's source from what's in the message. Check with LSA support if it matters.
  • Rate every lead and add notes, and mark leads booked when they are. Per Google, you pay for leads, not clicks or impressions, so if a lead isn't valid for your service or area, review it and dispute it through Google's lead management process.
  • Opt into both buyer and seller job types if you take both. Google says that's how you show up on both listing searches and agent searches.

Bottom line

Home Listings Ads put your name next to real homes while buyers are looking, but you won't always know which leads they send. Respond fast and ask good questions, and don't read too much into a single message. If you want help setting up LSA, choosing job types, or handling and rating leads, OmniLocal can help. Reach out and we'll get your account ready for Home Listings Ads.