StreetEasy’s real estate campaign reminds New Yorkers what they’ll miss if they leave the city /

In your feels / This campaign taps into the nostalgia and regret many former New Yorkers feel after leaving the city – in a survey by StreetEasy and its parent company Zillow, a US real estate marketplace, 92% of 189 former New Yorkers said they missed at least one thing about life in NYC. 

‘We know that the buyers who do leave the city don’t realize what they’re giving up, and many of them have regrets about their decision. We looked for a way to capture the attention of these first-time home buyers and show them that it can be possible to be both a New Yorker and a homeowner when you have the right resources and partner by your side,’ Bridget Sullivan, director of integrated marketing at StreetEasy told us.

Buying in the city is tough. In Q4 2023, over two-thirds of Manhattan home sales were cash deals, a record, as high mortgage rates pushed many to rent, according to the Financial Times. Rent prices hit $3,950, while the median apartment price rose 5% to $1.15m. 

Beyond the cost, many buyers are also looking for homes with basic amenities, like in-unit laundry, according to StreetEasy’s 2024 Year in Review, which can be hard to find in New York City. This only adds to the frustration of those trying to secure a home that meets their needs in an already competitive market.

In what can feel like a troublesome market, StreetEasy keeps buyers’ spirits high and inspires them to settle in the city by tapping into their emotional relationship with the city. Whether that is grabbing a slice of authentic New York-style pizza or heading down to your local bodega, this campaign reminds people that if they choose to leave the city, they leave behind all the excitement that comes with it. It showcases the power of emotion over pure logic to create stronger emotional connections with consumers.

The idea of a hotline for former New Yorkers to call and share their memories of the city or simply listen to the sounds of NYC also adds a nostalgic touch that invites people to relive their past. It’s an effective way to engage audiences by offering an outlet to reconnect emotionally with something they miss.

Having a laugh / The campaign strikes the right tone of humour to help land its message.

When we spoke with Special US CCO Dave Horton about Uber’s humorous Brian Cox Goes to College campaign, he advised that brands should tell jokes that people are in on. ‘We try to give [people] a premise they can relate to and enjoy, and then have fun with that premise so you’re not burying the lead. You’re able to enjoy seeing the joke you’re in on play out throughout the spot.’

StreetEasy’s campaign speaks directly to both current and former New Yorkers, capturing experiences only they would understand. By exaggerating everyday suburban life, like the disappointment of settling for New York-style pizza, the campaign uses humour to keep things playful and relatable, while subtly poking fun at the frustrations of life outside the city.

​​​​​​​Evan Carpenter, group strategy director at Mother New York, told Contagious, ‘That boredom, wistfulness and melancholy you see in the people portrayed in our creative is made infinitely more interesting and delightful because they’re so obviously fish out of water. Dropped into the strange and terrifying new terrain of the suburbs - that visual tension draws you in, and lets New Yorkers in on the joke, transforming that fear into a real rallying force to stay.’