SAN JOSE, Calif., July 8, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Realtor.com®, a
leading provider of online real estate services operated by News
Corp [Nasdaq: NWS, NWSA] subsidiary Move, Inc., today announced the
launch of a five-episode digital video series created to provide
first-time home buyers with practical and entertainingly delivered
advice on the start-to-finish stages of the purchase cycle. The
original series is part of a broad marketing campaign realtor.com®
launched in May and comes at a time when millennial sentiment about
buying a home has seen a significant increase.
The webisodes, which feature Emmy-nominated actress, producer
and director Elizabeth Banks, and
are directed by Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor, producer and
director Fred Savage, will be
promoted across a range of digital platforms and publishers
including AOL, Curbed, Facebook, Google, HGTV, Hulu, Reddit and
Yahoo, among others. All of the media will drive consumers back to
realtor.com® to consume the entire series.
"We want everyone to think of realtor.com® as the best real-time
resource to help them make the most informed real estate
decisions," said Andrew Strickman,
Move's head of brand and chief creative. "Our knowledge that many
buyers turn to the Web first for help navigating one of life's most
important decisions, and the fact that many first-time buyers
prefer to consume entertainment digitally, drove the development of
the content. With a partner like Elizabeth to help us, there was no
question this humorous, episodic approach to the home-buying
process was the way to go."
The digital video series, "The Home Buying Process in Plain
English with Elizabeth Banks," is
the latest component of the biggest and boldest marketing
initiative in realtor.com®'s nearly 20-year history.
Results of a recent realtor.com® survey1 released in
June found that millennials are now more inclined to take the
plunge into home ownership and this demographic is primed to gain
market share in the second half of the year. Sixty five percent of
millennials responding to the survey intend to buy a home within
three months, up from 54 percent in January.
By mixing humor with solid advice for any buyer, particularly
first-time buyers, Banks walks viewers through the key components
of the process in each of the five episodes. In the first episode,
called "Knowing When You're Ready," she recommends that potential
buyers have a heart-to-heart with themselves about what they can
actually afford: "Plan for the house you can afford now, not later.
The most important thing for a first-time buyer is to live within
your budget. Also, don't be an idiot ... But those are really
the same thing."
Episodes two through five – "Mortgage Lending 101"; "The
Search"; "The Offer" and "Closing the Sale" – provide insight on
the benefits of mortgage pre-approval, the do's and don'ts of
searching for a home, open house etiquette, what to expect when
making an offer and the closing process.
Regarding why she thinks it is important to infuse humor into
the home-buying process, Banks said: "For nearly everyone, buying a
home is the biggest purchase they will ever make so there is that
mixture of joy and anxiety. It's important to use humor to get
people through the process."
Banks' directorial debut, the musical comedy "Pitch Perfect 2,"
premiered in May, with the best opening by a first-time director in
history. She currently appears opposite John Cusack and Paul
Dano in the Brian Wilson biopic "Love & Mercy." Later
this month, she will be seen in the Netflix Original Series reboot
"Wet, Hot American Summer," co-starring Bradley Cooper, Amy
Poehler and Paul Rudd.
The digital series was created by Pereira & O'Dell New York,
the company's advertising agency, and directed by Savage, who is
best known for his iconic role as Kevin
Arnold in the 80's hit TV series "The Wonder Years." His
directorial credits include the hit series "Modern Family," "It's
Always Sunny in Philadelphia" and
the critically acclaimed kids' shows "Phil of the Future," "Wizards
of Waverly Place" and "Zeke and Luther."
About Move, Inc. and realtor.com®
Move, Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp, is a leading provider of
online real estate services. Move operates the realtor.com® website
and mobile experiences, which connect people to the most important
and accurate information they need to find their perfect home and
to the REALTORS® whose expertise guides consumers through buying
and selling. As the official website of the National Association of
REALTORS®, realtor.com® empowers consumers to make smart
home-buying, selling and renting decisions by leveraging its
direct, real-time connections with more than 800 multiple listing
services (MLS) via all types of computers, tablets and smartphones.
In addition to the industry's most comprehensive and accurate
information, Move's network of websites provides consumers a wealth
of innovative tools, including Doorsteps®, Moving.com™,
SeniorHousingNetSM and others. Move supports real
estate agents and brokerages by providing many services to grow
their businesses, including ListHub™, the nation's leading listing
syndicator and centralized intelligence platform for the real
estate industry; TigerLead®; Top Producer® Systems; and
FiveStreetSM; as well as many free services. Move is
based in the heart of Silicon Valley – in San Jose, Calif.
Forward-Looking Statements
This document contains certain "forward-looking statements"
within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act
of 1995. These statements are based on management's views and
assumptions regarding future events and business performance as of
the time the statements are made. Actual results may differ
materially from these expectations due to changes in global
economic, business, competitive market and regulatory and other
factors. More detailed information about these and other factors
that could affect future results is contained in News Corp's
filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The
"forward-looking statements" included in this document are made
only as of the date of this document and we do not have any
obligation to publicly update any "forward-looking statements" to
reflect subsequent events or circumstances, except as required by
law.
Media Contact: Bianca De
Rose, Bianca.DeRose@move.com, 408-558-7184.
1 Realtor.com® survey data is based on a daily
representative sample of site visitors. This analysis is based on
responses from Jan. 1, 2015 through
June 15, 2015, which totaled over
12,000.
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/realtorcom-premieres-exclusive-digital-video-series-with-actress-elizabeth-banks-targeting-first-time-home-buyers-300110115.html
SOURCE realtor.com