Realtor.com will soon allow Realtors to use photos of a new “spokesdog,” Otis, to market their pet-friendly rental listings on the portal.
Otis became an Internet sensation after photos from a rental listing that featured stealth appearances by the Great Dane-German shepherd mix went viral in March.
Realtor.com has enlisted the services of the “scene-stealing dog” to “do a great job of representing our dedication to pet-friendly listings and, as an extension, our commitment to delivering the best tools available to help renters find the right house or apartment for them,” said Barbara O’Connor, executive vice president of marketing at Move Inc., in a statement.
“We loved Otis’ story and reached out to his owners immediately to see if they would consider helping other home seekers find pet-friendly listings,” said Dave Arnold, executive creative director at realtor.com’s ad agency Pereira & O’Dell. “He’s a natural spokesdog and soon-to-be national symbol for tracking down pet-friendly listings first.”
The introduction of Otis is the latest in a series of new site features. Last month, the listing site rebranded with a new logo, slogan and design. It also launched a marketing campaign touting the accuracy of its listings, using the tagline “Find it First.”
