In a conversation with IMPACT, Rahul Ralhan, Vice President – Marketing, Housing.com, explains the brand’s evolving strategy, the cultural truths guiding its campaigns, and its growing focus on technology and AI in shaping the future of home search.
Ralhan begins by breaking down the insight behind Housing.com’s latest campaign, 'Har House Ke Liye Housing.' To understand it, he says, one must look at how homebuyers behave today. Their journey begins online, where they try to explore maximum options and gather credible information before physically visiting properties. Buying a home is a high-involvement, once-in-a-lifetime decision for most Indians, which is why the emotional trigger of “upgrade”, a promotion, a life-stage shift, or a sense of having 'arrived', became the cultural foundation of the campaign. Housing.com worked with Leo India to bring this idea to life.
Ralhan also traces the brand’s communication journey from 2018 onward, beginning with 'Ghar Dhoondna Hai Toh No Confusion, No Compromise,' which uniquely placed women at the centre of the home search process. The positioning then expanded through 'Yahan Search Khatam Karo,' which celebrated the 'mehnat' Indians naturally associate with house hunting, acknowledging both the physical drudgery of site visits and the mental stress of decision-making
Later, 'Per Se Perfect' addressed the common post-purchase doubts homebuyers experience, reassuring them that Housing.com always offers more choices. The current campaign marks the brand’s shift towards owning the very start of the homebuyer’s journey.
Speaking about marketing spends and media mix, Ralhan notes that Housing.com has transitioned from traditional-heavy planning to a digital-first, always-on strategy. With rising cord-cutting and shifts in consumption patterns, the brand focuses on high-reach genres and sustained presence throughout the year. Its core audience, aged 25 to 45, including both buyers and renters drives this approach.
On social content and platform trends, Ralhan dismisses the significance of Instagram’s hashtag limit reduction. Hashtags, he says, may aid discovery, but the real driver of reach is quality content that aligns with platform behaviour. Instagram users, for instance, come for entertainment and relevance, not ads, and brands must adapt accordingly.
Housing.com has also been an early mover in immersive technology. Its dedicated division, Housing Studio, leads virtual walkthroughs, digi-tours and interactive project displays through DigiSlate devices used by developers.
On CTV and OTT, Ralhan highlights the rising penetration of connected TVs, especially for family-viewing genres and long-form content. For Housing.com, CTV is also a strong indicator of high-income households, making it an efficient targeting layer.
Discussing AI, he acknowledges a clear shift in consumer search patterns toward conversational platforms. Housing.com is actively building agent-tech AI solutions to meaningfully respond to queries and personalise discovery. On the creative front, the brand already uses AI for content production, particularly for performance-led and tactical communication.
Trust, he believes, is central to real estate marketing. Housing.com focuses on offering the widest, freshest and most accurate inventory while maintaining a responsive system for grievance handling.
Looking ahead to 2025, Ralhan outlines three pillars: balanced brand building through content and advertising, delivering superior consumer experience, and adopting AI thoughtfully to add real value rather than following trends blindly.
Watch the full interaction here:
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