A property business asking whether to run ChatGPT Ads or Google Ads is asking the wrong question. The two platforms capture different moments in a buyer's decision, and the businesses getting the best results are running both rather than picking one over the other.
What each platform actually targets
Google Ads targets a single search term typed at one specific moment. Someone types 'kitchen extension architect', and the ad competes for that one query. ChatGPT Ads target the context of an ongoing conversation, which means the platform can tell the difference between someone who mentioned a kitchen extension once out of curiosity and someone who has spent several messages working through their own budget, timeline and planning constraints.
Where each one fits in the buying journey
- Google Ads catches someone at the exact moment their intent is already formed and they are actively searching
- ChatGPT Ads reach someone earlier, while they are still comparing options and forming that intent
- A property project is rarely decided in one search, which is why the earlier conversation stage matters as much as the final one
- Missing the earlier stage means a competitor may already have that person's attention before a single Google search happens
Cost and competition today
Google Ads is a mature, competitive platform, and costs in most property niches reflect years of advertisers bidding against each other. ChatGPT Ads has close to zero competition in most property sectors right now, which means lower costs per lead while that stays true. £2,000 per month and up is a sensible starting floor on either platform, though the return on that spend depends far more on targeting and landing page quality than on the platform itself.
Measurement and attribution differences
Google Ads attribution is well established: keyword-level data, Quality Score, and conversion tracking have existed long enough that most agencies know how to set them up properly. ChatGPT Ads attribution is newer and needs to be built correctly from day one, or there is no reliable way to know which enquiries the channel actually produced. Running both under one tracking setup, as part of a full lead generation system, gives a single view of cost per qualified enquiry across both channels rather than two disconnected reports.
Which one should get the next pound of budget
A property business with no paid presence at all should not skip Google Ads in favour of ChatGPT Ads. Google Ads still captures the highest-intent demand in the market, and that demand does not disappear because a newer platform exists. But a business that already has a functioning Google Ads account and is looking for a second channel with far less competition currently has a genuine opportunity in ChatGPT Ads, not a replacement for what is already working.
The right split between the two depends on how a specific property business's audience actually researches and searches, which is a conversation worth having before budget moves anywhere.
Not sure how to split budget between the two?
Colonnade manages Google Ads and ChatGPT Ads for property businesses under one strategy, with tracking that shows what each channel is actually worth.