For Immediate Release:
September 9, 2009
State REALTOR® Group Using Viral Videos to Educate Buyers on Opportunities
New Jersey Association of REALTORS® sees strong reaction to humorous online videos
(Edison, NJ) Is the line for the bathroom in your own home longer than one in Giants Stadium? Find yourself getting a little too close for comfort with your neighbors? Coming home with your new spouse to... your parents' place?
Comedic videos depicting these and other scenarios familiar to those who might consider buying a new home are getting a strong response on YouTube.com, the popular video sharing website, as part of the New Jersey Association of REALTORS'® (NJAR®) Get the Real Story® campaign. The videos and ongoing campaign are efforts to educate prospective home buyers of the unique opportunities that exist in the current real estate market in New Jersey.
"We have a lot of helpful information to share with people about the first-time home buyer $8,000 tax credit and New Jersey's local markets," said NJAR® Executive Vice President Jarrod C. Grasso, RCE. "These videos are a creative way to capture people's attention and let them know about opportunities in real estate, especially the younger demographic that typically accounts for the group of first-time buyers who can take advantage of the credit."
The eight videos in the series were released on a weekly basis throughout the summer. Thousands of viewers have enjoyed the videos and passed them on to friends. The videos can be viewed on the Get the Real Story® YouTube channel:
www.youtube.com/RealStoryNJ.
"These videos are the perfect conversation-starters about why it is a good time to enter the market, as so many people can relate to them," said 2009 NJAR® President Diane Dilzell. "This is a new and exciting way to reach people, and the videos have been effective in getting people to visit our website,
www.REALstoryNJ.com, and contact a REALTOR® to get information that will help them decide if now is the right time for them."
Each of the 30-second videos depicts a different humorous situation people might find themselves in to realize that it is a good time for them to buy a new home. In one case, a couple in an urban setting realizes why it might be a good time to think about buying a home down the shore. In another, one character demonstrates why it might be time for his roommate to seek privacy. One of the more recently posted videos shows a young woman living at home and the last straw that pushes her to find a place away from her parents.
The videos are featured on YouTube, but are also being shown through the
Get the Real Story® campaign's Facebook page and on
www.REALstoryNJ.com. REALTORS® and members of the public are encouraged to share these videos on their own websites and through the social networking methods of their choice.
The videos were so successful online that they will now be run as television and Internet advertisements. The ads will be featured on News 12, Comcast cable channels in Southern New Jersey, and on
www.NJ.com.
The New Jersey Association of REALTORS®, with approximately 50,000 REALTOR® and REALTOR-ASSOCIATE® members, is one of the largest trade organizations in the state. NJAR®'s membership is comprised of real estate professionals who subscribe to a strict code of ethics and are members of the national and local REALTOR® organizations. As the leading advocate for the real estate industry and private property rights in New Jersey, NJAR® is committed to protecting the dream of homeownership. For more information, please visit www.njar.com.
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Phone: (732) 494-4730
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