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Realtor.com announced Monday that it is launching a new ad campaign featuring country music singer Reba McEntire.
The company has dubbed the campaign “Nearly Home,” and, according to a statement, will rely on McEntire to “offer something many homebuyers haven’t felt in years: optimism.” The company did not disclose what it is spending on the campaign, but did say in the statement that it is the “largest brand investment” in Realtor.com’s history.
Videos from the campaign Inman previewed are structured to imitate a classic sitcom, complete with a laugh track, and show a young couple struggling to choose a house.
McEntire then bursts in through the front door and advises the couple to check Realtor.com for listings. According to the statement, the “episode” is “called ‘The One without the Break-Up,'” and “highlights the very real drama that often comes along with buying a home.”
The campaign will air on TV as well as online and includes a sponsorship of the Country Music Awards, which stream on Amazon Prime on May 8. McEntire is hosting that show.
An image from Realtor.com’s new campaign. Credit: Realtor.com
The campaign arrives against the backdrop of intense competition in the consumer portal space. Though Zillow maintains the No. 1 spot in the space, Realtor.com and CoStar’s Homes.com have battled it out in recent years for No. 2. Homes.com has, in part, managed to grow thanks to CoStar’s intense marketing spend, which has included, among other things, Super Bowl ads.
In the case of Realtor.com, the company said in its statement that it expects the new ad campaign to reach about half of Americans. The statement notes that the campaign is “a direct response to the anxiety, confusion and doubt that define today’s housing market.”
Mickey Neuberger, chief marketing officer at Realtor.com, said in the statement that the goal of the campaign is to “make home search feel more human, more hopeful and less overwhelming — especially for a generation of buyers who’ve been navigating a complex market.”
“As the most trusted brand in real estate and the brand most trusted by real estate professionals, partnering with Reba McEntire was an easy choice,” Neuberger added. “She’s got the trust, the charm and the boots-on-the-ground wisdom to bring a genuine sense of reassurance, and a little humor, to our message. She helps us remind people that finding a home shouldn’t feel impossible — it should feel like coming home.”
