• by Fern Siegel , February 18, 2025

Real estate marketplace StreetEasy doesn't want New Yorkers leaving the city.

So to tempt them back — and keep them here — it's debuted a new brand campaign: "Never Become A Former New Yorker." The thrust is — if you want to be a homeowner, be one in New York City.

The campaign is by Mother New York, which suggests the boredom of life outside the Big Apple.

According to the U.S. Census, more than 100,000 New Yorkers exit the city yearly, many looking for their first home in the suburbs or exburbs.

Running on out-of-home, CTV/OLV, social and digital, the work quotes former New Yorkers who are rueful about their choices: "A Brooklyn dad outside of Brooklyn is just a dad." "We said New York or nowhere — then we chose nowhere."

The four spots include "New York or Nowhere,"  "Brooklyn Dad,"  "Grass is Greener"  and "Cul De Sac."

Evan Carpenter, group strategy director, Mother New York, told Agency Daily the campaign "balances the sharp, clever, and insider take that only a brand like StreetEasy, made here in NYC, has the right to bring to life when talking about real estate in this city. We've also encapsulated what it would feel like for New Yorkers to find themselves anywhere but the five boroughs — that perfect fish out of water absurdity that dials the work up and helps you feel it as much as you get it. People see themselves in the work, and it's great to see that reflected in social conversations."

In addition, New Yorkers who have moved can call a hotline sponsored by StreetEasy at 1-833-I-MISS-NYC (1-833-464-7769) to listen to the sounds of the city or air grievances about life outside the boroughs. 

Ads for the hotline run on social media and in OOH placements on New York’s Metro North railroad. The ads targets those who have traded the city for the Hudson Valley, Westchester and Connecticut suburbs. The free hotline is available through October.