Realtor.com’s “Nearly Home” campaign positions Reba McEntire as a comforting presence who pops into sitcom-style scenarios to remind viewers that finding the perfect home is still possible, even in today’s challenging market – with the aid of the brand’s services.
Developed by Austin-based creative agency GSD&M, the campaign launched with cross-channel reach, spanning television, digital platforms, and social media.
Here’s what iSpot’s Creative Assessment platform revealed on actual viewer response to the campaign.
The Details:
- While Reba McEntire led the viewer experience across each of the ads in the new “Nearly Home” campaign, that did not necessarily translate into a lowered consideration of the brand itself:
- The :15 “The One Without the Break Up” (first on the charts below) was a standout in persuading American viewers to visit Realtor.com, with a strong 48% professing such (+10 pts over norm).
- In more good news, each of the new spots resonated at above-norm levels among those contemplating a purchase or sale in the next two years. All scores are indexed to real estate advertising norms over the past year.
- The :15 “The One Without the Break Up” (first on the charts below) was a standout in persuading American viewers to visit Realtor.com, with a strong 48% professing such (+10 pts over norm).
- Viewer comments reveal that some boredom settled in among viewers of the longer :30 creatives, suggesting the shorter :15 could be favored in the brand’s media rotations going forward:
- Coupled with a significantly higher impact on consumer intent, the :15 is Realtor.com’s sweet spot among the three creatives. The :30 “Get Your Dream Home” relayed a message geared towards realtors.
- iSpot media measurement reports linear support through 5/28/25 against only the :30 cut, pointing to opportunity for budget and results optimization.
- Comments on the :15 reveal that the scenario facing the couple—and Reba—were relatable and likeable to most viewers. The celebrity helped gain/maintain viewer engagement and attention.
- Coupled with a significantly higher impact on consumer intent, the :15 is Realtor.com’s sweet spot among the three creatives. The :30 “Get Your Dream Home” relayed a message geared towards realtors.
Sample comments on “The One Without the Break Up” :15
“I like that Reba appeared. It was definitely nostalgic. I like the brand so I did enjoy the ad since I was already a user of this brand. But it is relatable and had good visuals.”
Male 21-35
“I just love it. Reba is such a mom in trying to inspire her kids and her life. It just makes her seem like she’s one of us and not just throwing money in our faces.”
Female 21-35
“I thought it was a great ad. We used to love watching Reba when she was a realtor. It was a great ad for anybody who has ever watched that show. Very relatable.”
Female 50+
“It’s kind of cool because that’s how it really is. Most people get confused when they look at houses.”
Male 36-49
“Reba being a realtor on the Reba show, only makes sense that she was to the couple using Realtor.com.”
Male 50+
“Reba McEntire is great. The ad is humorous. I may look into Realtor.com after seeing the ad. I feel like they are heading in a great direction.”
Female 36-49
“The ad is very memorable and appealing as I became aware of what it (Realtor.com) does.”
Female 21-35
- The shorter form was consistently a higher performer across age/gender as well as ethnicity, indicating an appropriateness for broad reach:
- Likely reflecting the current economy, two of the best-received real estate ads over the most recent 90 days focused on rentals over ownership:
- Only the Zillow Rentals creative sparked higher consumer consideration vs Realtor.com’s :15 “The One Without the Break Up” but all three rental spots outpaced the :30 Realtor.com ads in this regard.
- The :15 “The One Without the Break Up” outpaced category benchmarks for every creative aspect, and was perceived as the most informative and relevant/relatable of the Reba campaign.
- Only the Zillow Rentals creative sparked higher consumer consideration vs Realtor.com’s :15 “The One Without the Break Up” but all three rental spots outpaced the :30 Realtor.com ads in this regard.
- Although celebrities can be polarizing and no one is universally liked, viewer disagreement was reasonably low for the new consumer-facing Reba spots:
- A polarity score of 60 places the ad in the 70th percentile on viewer disagreement. The relative size of the green vs red bars in each graph indicates the balance of positive- vs negative-leaning sentiment on the creatives.
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Creative Agency: GSD&M