CREA’s 2025 National Ad Campaign Sets Sail

When people think about buying a home, they might feel excited, overwhelmed, and even unsure where to start. As a REALTOR®, you have unique skills to navigate these emotions.

To keep this message top of mind with home buyers in Canada, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) releases a national ad campaign to communicate the value of working with a REALTOR®, and why the first thought after considering buying a home should be ‘I need to find a REALTOR®’. 

Whether you’ve seen the ads organically or not, they’re meant to help maintain your reputation and elevate the real estate industry as a whole. 

Why this ad? 

When home buyers in Canada were asked which of the potential benefits of working with a REALTOR® were most important, working with an expert who’ll help minimize risk was the number one driver of their decision (according to research conducted by CREA). 

In this edition of, “Together, we’ll make home happen,” the ad addresses consumer uncertainty with a whimsical concept that speaks to the heart and paints an emotional story to resonate with viewers. 

It follows the journey of a family of sailors and their dog, Cousteau, as they search for the perfect aquatic home. Once they’ve found their perfect home, their REALTOR® helps them navigate through a sea of contracts and negotiations so they can anchor down as new homeowners. Through it all, their REALTOR®, with knowledge and expertise, is the calm in the storm to keep clients’ fears at bay and ensure smooth sailing through the home buying process.

Watch the new ad below, and then keep reading to find out what happened behind the scenes, and how you can help amplify REALTOR® value throughout the year. 

The five Ws

What: The national ad campaign is centered around one key message: Together, we’ll make home happen. This message celebrates the close bond between REALTORS® and their clients and is proven to be effective in educating potential home buyers on the dedication and indispensable role REALTORS® play in the home buying journey.

When: The campaign runs each year. This year the campaign kicked off on March 10, 2025, and will run until November 30, 2025.

Who: The campaign is targeted towards Canadian home buyers, strategically targeted through a variety of media platforms. Which leads us to…

Where: A diverse media mix, including television, online video, streaming services, social media, billboards, and influencer content. That’s not all, though, you can also participate! Share the videos on your own social media channels or skip ahead to learn how to create your own custom content. 

Sailor is our hero video, but the campaign includes many other assets. You can view the entire campaign on CREA.ca. 

Ads of this scale always come with some fun facts from behind the scenes. Here are a couple of stories from the production of this ad.

Choosing our aquatic-inclined leads 

Our previous campaign, “Larger Than Life”, featured a family of giants looking for a house that met their unique needs. This time around, we wanted to choose a family that would continue to be a bit quirky that would make their buying journey slightly exaggerated, drawing in the attention of viewers, and presenting a compelling story. 

Canine Cousteau reports for duty 

A critical part of many families, and key decision maker, adding a dog to this year’s campaign was an exciting change. 

The dog you see in the ad was cast one day before shooting because the original dog cast had allergies on set. Cousteau, the only character with a scripted name, was delightfully played by Bergeron, a nine-month-old Great Dane. This part marked his very first film credit! 

Our director wanted a bigger dog because capturing emotion would be easier to do on a giant breed, like a Great Dane. 

Bergeron was well taken care of with a professional trainer (and holder-of-the-treats) and an Animal Anti-cruelty Officer on set to ensure suitable working conditions and breaks. 

Rocking the boat (literally!) 

You might have guessed this, but it’s rather hard to shoot on open water. Instead, the interior of the houseboat was built in an indoor studio.

There was a system of cords to rock the set back and forth during the storm scene. Cousteau, played by Bergeron, took some time to adjust to the movement and stay on the carpet, ultimately delivering an outstanding performance! 

An assist from local firefighters 

How do you manufacture a storm in a safe way? Well, at risk of breaking the fourth wall further, we got some help from local firefighters who used their firetruck to create rain in the background. We think it turned out to be a convincing storm!

You can help amplify the value of using a REALTORS® by sharing this campaign.

Head to CREA’s Member Portal for ready-to-download social images you can use, including suggested captions. We also have customizable Canva templates for REALTORS® to consider. 

You can work these assets into your social calendar or use them as paid ads to expand your reach. 

Please note: a Canva account is required to access and use these templates. The paid version of Canva is not required.