The Salt Lake Board of Realtors®

Rocks Association Ends Its Year on a High Note

The Salt Lake Board of Realtors® gained recognition in the Spring 2023 edition of AEXperience magazine, a national publication for Realtor® association managers and executives, for its Holiday Social parody videos.

The article highlighted the association’s initial intention to showcase local leadership and Realtors®. However, the videos quickly gained popularity and went viral. The 2022 Realtor® Rhapsody parody, for instance, gathered more than 20,000 views within two months. In 2021, the Realtor® Thriller parody gained 37,000 views. Additionally, the association produced parodies of Adele’s “Hello” and Aretha Franklin’s “I Say a Little Prayer.”

These videos have not only made an impact on Realtors® in the Salt Lake Valley but have also resonated with real estate professionals across the country. Realtors® from Vermont to Florida and Ohio to California have flooded the association with comments and accolades. “You have to win some kind of award for this,” said Bob Nachman, a Realtor® in Scottsdale, Ariz. “Weird Al Yankovic couldn’t do it any better than this!”

“In the 50 years of being a Realtor®, I haven’t experienced such a creative, fun, upbeat, and well presented statement of how important we are to the consumer,” said Steve Hanleigh, a Realtor® in San Jose, Calif. “Thank you Salt Lake Realtors®!”

Work on the parodies begins as early as July or August. Association staff identify a song, change the lyrics, rerecord the song at a studio, and develop a storyline.

The videos introduce the incoming president, so the association looks for ways to highlight that person and current issues and market conditions in the real estate profession in a humorous way. The cast includes 20 to 30 Realtors® and affiliates.

The videos are directed by Ashley Mordwinow, the association’s communications editor, and Dave Anderton, communications director. Mordwinow is a professional singer, lyricist, and has appeared in several musical productions. The video is filmed by Brian Durkee, a professional videographer and owner of Salt Lake City-based Palinoia Productions.

Making a successful video starts with being open to ideas, using your imagination, collaborating as a team, and casting the right people, Anderton said. “The video needs to be interesting and entertaining,” he added. “We look for personalities that shine and look for talent among members. We start with a good idea, then build on it.”

Filming is typically done in one full day (12-14 hours). Each script includes up to 15 scenes. The production is filmed at private residences. During the pandemic, the video almost didn’t happen. Instead of a private residence, filming was done at the Realtor® Campus. The final cut is presented to more than 1,000 members at the Holiday Social in December.

“Humor is captivating,” Anderton said. “It makes people feel good. And the videos have created a sense of camaraderie for our members.”