Realtor.com Releases Next Stage of Its Buyer Agency Advertising Campaign

Realtor.com, the number-two portal in the US and part of the three-way battle for market leadership in the so-called "portal wars" in the United States, has released the next stage of its buyer agency advertising campaign as it continues its fight for supremacy against Zillow and CoStar.

Following April's launch, the new ad campaign focuses on the importance of buyer agents in closing the homeownership gap in racially and economically underrepresented communities.

Realtor.com partnered with organisations including Veterans United, the Homeownership Council of America, the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) to create the messaging for the campaign—highlighting housing inequalities for these communities and more.

Mickey Neuberger, Chief Marketing Officer at Realtor.com, commented:

"During June’s Homeownership Month, we urge the industry to join us in being a champion for consumers, raising awareness and advocating for the advantages of buyer representation for all home buyers, but particularly for first-time buyers and individuals in underrepresented communities.

"Faced with the biggest real estate affordability crisis in recent history, the last thing we should do is make it even harder for these individuals to access a chance at generational wealth."

Additionally, Realtor.com will publish an open letter in The Wall Street Journal, New York Post and Washington Post as part of the campaign.

The three-way tug-of-war between Zillow, Realtor.com and CoStar in the United States is dominating the majority of the narrative around the industry right now.

Each of the three companies has pumped significant money into advertising and brand awareness campaigns in recent months, with CoStar's $1 billion marketing budget a clear indicator for how seriously the Group wants its primary portal, Homes.com, to push Realtor.com out of the way.

As the traditional "number two" portal in the US, Realtor.com's position isn't as rosy as it may seem on paper. The firm has made significant losses in the previous six consecutive quarters, and the pressure it faces from above (Zillow) and below (Homes.com) led CEO Damien Eales to liken the battle for supremacy as a "knife fight". Continuing the analogy, if Realtor.com has a knife, its two rivals have guns.

Realtor.com's position is worthy of further scrutiny, so Simon, Edmund and Harvey recorded a podcast episode on the company's plight earlier this year. You can watch the podcast episode (cued up to start with a discussion on Realtor.com), below: