How Homes.com Is Keeping Up the Super Bowl Momentum

CoStar Group, the parent company of both Homes.com and Apartments.com emerged as one of the prominent advertisers during the recent Super Bowl, pouring approximately $35 million into commercials to Spotlight the two brands.

This substantial investment marks just the beginning of a year-long promotional campaign, primarily aimed at Homes.com, which received the lion's share of CoStar's advertising efforts.

High Stakes, High Rewards

CoStar's Super Bowl ads were meticulously planned by the real estate powerhouse, with Homes.com featuring a 60-second introductory spot during the second quarter, followed by two 30-second ads in each subsequent quarter of the second half.

David Mele, president of Homes.com, underscored the significance of the campaign, stating, "It’s time for us to unveil the new Homes.com — it’s two minutes and it is an investment to build the brand and to showcase something that’s really different and unique."

The campaign introduced Homes.com's new spokespersons, Dan Levy and comedian Heidi Gardner in a humorous spot.

Notable appearances from Lil Wayne and Jeff Goldblum, reprising his role as Apartments.com character Brad Bellflower, added star power to the commercials.

Apartments.com also had its moment in the Spotlight with a 30-second spot featuring Goldblum in the first quarter.

The creative and media duties for both brands were handled by RPA, a reputable agency based in Santa Monica, California, which has been working with Apartments.com for over a decade.

CoStar's strategic move comes amidst its remarkable growth trajectory, with quarterly revenue experiencing double-digit increases for the past 50 quarters.

In the quarter that ended September 30, revenue surged by 12% to $625 million, with net income rising by 25% to $91 million.

The Rise of Homes.com

Since its acquisition in 2021, CoStar has been diligently revamping Homes.com to mirror the success of Apartments.com.

The company rebuilt the Homes.com website from scratch, focusing on improving user interface and enhancing the overall user experience based on extensive focus group testing and a new tech stack.

"We have focused on getting product in place, getting the content in place and then turning on marketing," Mele explained.

The campaign's casting choices of Levy and Gardner were strategic, potentially serving as a playful jab at chief rival Zillow.

"We know Apartments.com is in a strong position and a well-known brand, and we are looking for a bit of a halo from that for Homes.com," Mele added.

Homes.com's marketing push will extend beyond television to include prominent events like the Oscars, March Madness and the Olympics, alongside advertising across digital channels and podcasts.

Mele affirmed, "We will have a large-scale media buy throughout the entire year."

Editing by Katherine 'Makkie' Maclang