HomeAdvisor Takes a Swipe at Word-of-Mouth Referrals

Television ads suggest that there is a better way to find home-pros than asking neighbors

By Nate Traylor

You’d think something like Angie’s List would be HomeAdvisor’s biggest competitor, but the platform that matches homeowners with contractors would have you believe that the greatest threat to its bottom line is neighborly advice.

As part of a $100 million marketing campaign this year — HomeAdvisor’s largest to date — a series of television advertisements debuted in April and aims to undermine that most sacred of neighbor-to-neighbor interactions: Asking for a good home professional.

In one ad, a neighbor provides a reference, only to be bombarded with a series of over-the-top requests such as providing a free background check, cost comparisons and to schedule an appointment. The tagline: “You can’t expect a neighbor to do everything HomeAdvisor can.”

The message to homeowners: Hiring a contractor via a friend’s recommendation is risky and inefficient. Like many home-service marketplaces, HomeAdvisor prides itself on supplying only vetted, licensed professionals. Plus, these platforms instantly find top-ranked pros best suited for the job.

“This is one of the last industries to really, fully adopt a digital method of finding professionals,” said Brooke Gabbert, vice president of corporate communications. “We want to say, ‘That’s great that you trust your friends and your neighbors, but it’s not the best way to find pros and here’s why.’”