Surround Sound Campaign

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Surround SoundCampaign
A program to communicate with consumers about
the real state of real estate!

• Brought to you by
• THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS

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The Challenge

• Consumers are surrounded by negative market
  messages
• Prices are still too high
• Too many houses on the market
• Loans are difficult to get
• Prices will continue to drop
• Better wait to buy
• These messages give an incomplete picture of the
  market and create pent-up demandfewer households
  are forming despite population growth

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A Solution

• Reassure consumers
• About the current market
• That real estate is a good long-term investment
• Deliver positive messages from multiple, credible
  sources
• Assure REALTORS that their association is
  supporting their efforts to move the market
• Local channels are superior to national channels
  in important ways
• Local media coverage is often more credible and
  meaningful to consumers
• Local stories can be easier to place
• REALTORS are trusted local business people and
  community activists

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What is Surround Sound?

• Targets consumers at all levels
• Surrounds fence-sitters with Buy Now messages
  at national and grassroots levels
• Dovetails with 2008 Public Awareness Campaign
  (PAC)
• National program implemented by NAR
• Local programs implemented by state/local
  associationssupported by NAR

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Surround Sound Messages

• Counters nay-sayers with a few consistent
  messages
• On average, the value of a home nearly doubles
  every 10 years
• 60 percent of the average homeowners wealth
  comes from homes equity
• REALTORS can sell your home faster and for more
  than you can yourself
• Helps you find ways to generate these messages in
  your community

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Surround Sound
Local Sources
Partnerships
Print Ads
National Experts
Fence-Sitters
News Stories
TV/Radio Spots
Local Events
Digital Media
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Public Awareness Campaign

• More than 10,000 national radio and TV ads
• New Housing Market Facts Web site
  www.housingmarketfacts.com
• Print, TV and radio materials for local and state
  associations to place in your markets

Visit www.realtor.org/awarenesscampaign
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HousingMarketFacts.com
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NAR Public Affairs Outreach

• 200 news releases per year
• Housing/economic news
• Community building
• Public policy
• Monthly press conferences
• EHS releases highlighting local markets
• Satellite and radio media tours
• 9,000 articles per year

Visit www.realtor.org News Media
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Toolkits You Can Use

• Hard-copy and online
  
  
  
  
  
• Turn-key materials for placing positive stories
  in local media and planning local events
• Key messages
• National trend data (with templates for
  localizing data and perspective)
• Informational brochure copy
• Guide to local media outreach
• Developing and pitching positive story angles
• Placing op-eds, letters to the editor
• Guide to speaking event development

Visit www.realtor.org/surroundsound
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More Online Resources

• Updated national local data
• Updated message points
• Real Estate Facts Columns
• For-the-Record Talking Points
• Home Delivery Story ideas
• RSS feeds with latest news (coming soon)
• NAR blogs and listservs (coming soon)
• Downloadable videos (coming soon)

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Training Sessions

• Bring associations, members together to clarify
  toolkit use, train spokespeople and discuss ideas
• On-camera role-playing
• Open discussions to share ideas based on specific
  communities
• Opportunities to share experiences and best
  practices
• To schedule a training session, contact
• Liz Giovaniello at 202-383-1068
  lgiovaniello_at_realtors.org

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Help with Planning Local Speaking Events

• Weave in positive market messages
• Provide quality consumer interaction and offer
  valuable information
• Establish partnerships with credible local
  institutions (churches, clubs, etc.)
• Create media interest
• Incorporate local association spokespeople NAR
  can provide national speakers like Dick Gaylord,
  Lawrence Yun

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Grassroots Coordinators

• Direct Impact (DI) is a leading grassroots
  communications firm owned by PR agency
  Burson-Marsteller
• Well-connected experts in every market who have
  expertise in PR, community relations, government
  relations
• Most have worked for local politicians and/or
  media
• NAR will make DI available to associations to
  help with
• Organizing initial public forum
• Identifying/recruiting partners
• Arranging initial media outreach
• Providing media/speaker training

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Strong Interest from Early Adopters

• More than 60 associations are part of our early
  adopters program
• These test pilots provided valuable input about
  the services and campaign components that would
  be most useful to them.
• Kit is now online at www.realtor.org/surroundsound
  
• The program will track and share success stories
  through Realtor.org

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Early Success Some headlines
Jan 1, 2008 Farmington Daily Times (New
Mexico) County real estate market makes U.S. top
10 Home sales prices jump 8.1 percent Cornelia
de Bruin The Daily Times If being spotlighted on
NBC's "Today Show" was not a big enough deal, the
Farmington and San Juan County real estate market
was highlighted Monday by the National
Association of Realtors as one of the top 10
fastest-growing places Dec. 26, 2007
Charlotte Observer Charlotte bucks U.S. in rising
home prices As other metro areas struggle, region
sees 4.3 jump, based on national index Allen
Norwood -- Home Editor As home prices tumble
across the country, Charlotte is one of just a
few metro areas where values are rising over last
year Nov. 29, 2007 -- Green Bay Press
Gazette State Fares Better than Most in Home
Sales Prices Midwest is also doing better than
other areas of the country By Bob Van
EnkenvoortWisconsin is faring better than the
Midwest as a whole when it comes to home sales
and median prices. The Midwest, in turn, is
faring better than other areas in the country
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Early Success Some headlines
Jan. 25, 2008 Syracuse Post Standard Syracuse
real estate market held its own in 2007, while
hotter markets cooled Tim Knauss The National
Association of Realtors today singled out
Syracuse as an example of a healthy real estate
market that is bucking the national trend of
falling prices and slower sales Jan. 25, 2008
Sarasota Herald Tribune Some see positive signs
in housing Stephen Frater Sarasota-Bradenton home
sales for December again showed signs of
recovery, even winning attention from the
National Association of Realtors Jan. 25, 2008
Springfield State Journal-Record (Illinois) A
place to settle Springfield cited by Realtors
association Tim Landis Business
Editor Springfield grabbed its 15 minutes of fame
Thursday in the national discussion over housing,
the economy and recession. The chief economist
for the National Association of Realtors spent a
good part of his day explaining why not all U.S.
housing markets are in the tank.
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Surround SoundCampaign
A program to communicate with consumers about
the real state of real estate!

• Brought to you by
• THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS