Inman

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices launches first national marketing campaign

Screen shot from BHHS's TV spot.

Warren Buffett’s new real estate franchise brand, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, launched its first-ever national marketing campaign this week with a TV spot that will air nationwide on cable channels.

The campaign — dubbed “Good to know” — will also include print and digital components with ads in the Wall Street Journal and trade publications.

BHHS’s first-ever TV ad will run on cable channels nationwide.

BHHS’s campaign features 15- and 30-second versions of a TV spot developed by ad agency BBDO that shows a family’s emotional challenge in selling their home and how a BHHS agent helps them through the process.

BHHS is operated by HSF Affiliates LLC, a joint venture between majority owner HomeServices of America Inc. and Brookfield Asset Management that also manages the Prudential Real Estate and Real Living brands.

“Momentum has been building nicely at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and now we’re taking our messages to the airwaves and doorsteps of America,” said Kerry Donovan, HSF Affiliates vice president of marketing, in a statement.

“By choosing Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, consumers align with a brand inspired by the world-renowned Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and agents who truly stand out in the local marketplace,” Donovan said. “All our advertising makes it crystal clear that Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices is a game-changer for homebuyers and sellers.”

Berkshire Hathaway affiliate HomeServices of America created BHHS after taking a majority stake in the Prudential Real Estate and Real Living brands from Brookfield Asset Management in October 2012.

The new brand was built, in part, to accommodate firms affiliated with Prudential Real Estate, which is slated to fade away when the last rights expire to it in the late 2020s under the terms of Brookfield’s 2011 purchase of the brand.

San Diego-based Prudential California Realty became the first brokerage to rebrand as a BHHS affiliate in September, and more than 70 firms committed have committed to joining the network.

Other real estate franchise brands have launched national campaigns this year anchored by national TV ads.

Re/Max launched its “Dream With Your Eyes Open” national campaign last week with a TV spot that airs nationally on cable and network channels.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate launched its “Your Home” national marketing campaign with a TV ad that aired during the Grammy Awards. It aired another spot during the Academy Awards.

Century 21 Real Estate, which announced last week that it’s returning as a Super Bowl advertiser in 2015, ran TV ads during  the Winter Olympics.