Case Study

May 27, 2025

Case Study: How a Real Estate Agent Built Local Brand Authority with CTV

How Kenny Patton Real Estate became the recognized local expert through streaming TV

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Kenny Patton had the skills. Twenty years in real estate, deep community roots, and a track record of successful transactions. What he didn't have was visibility.

"I was competing against agents who had been advertising on Zillow and Realtor.com for years," Kenny explains. "Every lead I got from those platforms was shared with five other agents. I needed people to call me first."

Real estate TV advertising offered something different: the chance to become the recognized name in his target neighborhood before homeowners ever thought about selling.

The Challenge: Standing Out in a Crowded Market

Kenny's situation is familiar to many agents. His target market in suburban Atlanta included roughly 15,000 households. Plenty of opportunity, but also plenty of competition.

The landscape he faced:

• Over 50 agents actively working his target area

• Zillow and Realtor.com dominated online lead generation

• Every portal lead was sold to multiple agents

• Word-of-mouth alone wasn't scaling fast enough

• Direct mail felt outdated and had diminishing returns

"I was spending $2,000 a month on portal leads," Kenny says. "I'd get the lead, call immediately, and still find out two other agents had already reached them. There had to be a better way."

The better way was becoming the agent homeowners already knew before they decided to sell.

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The TV Advertising Opportunity for Real Estate

Real estate success is built on recognition. When a homeowner decides to sell, they typically contact an agent they already know or trust. TV advertising accelerates that recognition.

Why TV works for agents:

• Trust factor: Appearing on TV lends credibility that digital ads can't match

• Local targeting: Reach households in your specific farm area

• Frequency builds familiarity: Regular exposure creates the "I know that agent" effect

• Differentiation: Most agents aren't on TV, making you stand out

Kenny decided to test streaming TV advertising through Adwave as a complement to his existing marketing.

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The Strategy: Consistent Presence in the Target Market

Kenny's approach was straightforward: show up consistently in living rooms across his target ZIP codes.

Campaign parameters:

• Budget: $750/month (roughly $4,500 over 6 months)

• Targeting: 4 specific ZIP codes in his target market

• Audience: Homeowners, ages 35+

• Frequency goal: Reach each household 2-3 times per month

At an average CPM of $37 (reflecting the premium homeowner targeting), the budget delivered approximately 20,000 impressions per month, or 120,000 total impressions over the 6-month campaign.

The math:

• 15,000 households in target area

• ~20,000 impressions/month

• Estimated reach: 60-70% of target households

• Average frequency: 2-3 exposures per household per month

"I wanted people to see me regularly, but not so often that they got annoyed," Kenny explains. "The goal was familiarity, not saturation."

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The Creative Approach: Personal Brand Focus

Real estate is a personal business. Kenny's commercial leaned into that.

Creative elements:

• Personal appearance: Kenny on camera, speaking directly to viewers

• Local landmarks: Footage of the communities he serves

• Trust signals: Years of experience, local roots, happy clients

• Clear positioning: "Your neighborhood real estate expert"

• Simple CTA: "When you're ready to sell, call Kenny Patton"

"I didn't want some slick, generic real estate commercial," Kenny says. "I wanted people to feel like they were meeting me. Authentic and approachable."

The ad was created using Adwave's AI tools, which pulled images from Kenny's website and generated professional-quality video. Kenny made a few tweaks to the script and music, and had a broadcast-ready commercial within an hour.

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The Results: Recognition That Converts

Six months of consistent TV presence delivered measurable results across multiple indicators.

Recognition signals:

"I started hearing 'I've seen you on TV' at open houses and community events," Kenny recalls. "At first it was occasional, then it became almost every event. People recognized me."

• Multiple weekly mentions of TV ads from community members

• Improved response rates on other marketing (people knew who he was)

• Past clients reaching out after seeing ads, generating referrals

Measurable metrics:

• Branded search increase: 40% more searches for "Kenny Patton Real Estate"

• Listing appointments: 25-30% increase over the 6-month period

• Appointment quality: Better conversion rate (sellers were pre-sold on credibility)

• Referral increase: Past clients mentioned seeing ads when making referrals

Honest context:

Real estate success has many factors. The market, interest rates, Kenny's other marketing, his reputation, and his skills all contributed to results. TV advertising was one piece of a broader strategy.

"I can't say TV caused every new listing," Kenny acknowledges. "But I can say that people started knowing my name before I ever spoke to them. That changes the conversation completely."

"When you walk into a listing appointment and they already feel like they know you, you've won half the battle. TV did that for me." — Kenny Patton, Kenny Patton Real Estate

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What Worked Best

After six months, Kenny identified the elements that drove the strongest results.

Consistency mattered most:

Running continuously for six months built cumulative recognition. Short bursts wouldn't have created the same "I see him everywhere" effect.

Personal presence was key:

Commercials featuring Kenny himself outperformed any approach that didn't show his face. Real estate is a personal service, and people want to see who they're hiring.

Geographic precision:

Tight targeting on specific ZIP codes concentrated impressions where they mattered. Kenny wasn't trying to be famous across Atlanta. He wanted to own his target market.

Complementary marketing:

TV worked best alongside other channels. When people saw Kenny's direct mail or social posts, they now recognized him from TV. The channels reinforced each other.

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Advice for Other Agents

Kenny offers straightforward advice for agents considering TV advertising.

Start with realistic expectations:

"This isn't a quick fix. You're not going to run TV ads for a month and suddenly have listings falling into your lap. It's a brand-building investment that pays off over time."

Commit to consistency:

"If you can only afford one month, wait until you can afford six. The compound effect of repeated exposure is where the value is."

Focus on your target market:

"Don't try to blanket a huge territory. Pick your target neighborhoods and own them. Better to be very well-known in a smaller area than barely known in a large one."

Be yourself on camera:

"People hire agents they trust. Let them see the real you. Professional, yes, but authentic."

Budget appropriately:

"I spent $750 a month, which was less than half what I was spending on portal leads that I shared with competitors. The ROI made sense when I thought about it that way."

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Ready to Build Your Real Estate Brand?

Kenny's success came from a simple insight: real estate is about being known and trusted in your area. TV advertising accelerates both.

Adwave makes real estate TV advertising accessible for agents at any budget level. Create a professional commercial featuring you and your listings, target homeowners in your specific neighborhoods, and start building the recognition that converts to listings.

Your competitors are fighting over the same portal leads. TV lets you become the agent people call first.

See how it works for real estate or create your first ad free.