Actress Elizabeth Banks Has Some Advice for First-time Home Buyers

Pereira & O’Dell New York introduces for Realtor.com “Home-Buying in Plain English with Elizabeth Banks”. The series of humorous web films starring Elizabeth Banks (Hunger Games, Pitch Perfect) and directed by Fred Savage, explain the home-buying process in plain English.  You can view them all here.

The campaign seeks to reach a younger audience that are first-time home buyers and these films provide a humorous take with a funny-because-it’s-true angle (i.e.; open house etiquette, closing the sale).

“We want everyone to think of realtor.com® as the best real-time resource to help them make the most informed real estate decisions,” said Andrew Strickman, Move’s head of brand and chief creative. "With a partner like Elizabeth to help us, there was no question this humorous, episodic approach to the home-buying process was the way to go.”

By mixing humor with solid advice for any buyer, particularly first-time buyers, Banks walks viewers through the key components of the process in each of the five episodes. In the first episode, called “Knowing When You’re Ready,” she recommends that potential buyers have a heart-to-heart with themselves about what they can actually afford: “Plan for the house you can afford now, not later. The most important thing for a first-time buyer is to live within your budget. Also, don’t be an idiot … But those are really the same thing.”

Episodes two through five – “Mortgage Lending 101”; “The Search”; “The Offer” and “Closing the Sale” – provide insight on the benefits of mortgage pre-approval, the do’s and don’ts of searching for a home, open house etiquette, what to expect when making an offer and the closing process.

Regarding why she thinks it is important to infuse humor into the home-buying process, Banks said: “For nearly everyone, buying a home is the biggest purchase they will ever make so there is that mixture of joy and anxiety. It’s important to use humor to get people through the process.”