Area Realtor Grows Holiday Marketing Tradition with 'Happy Howl-a-Days' Video

The holiday season is upon us—and for many that means family get-togethers, the exchange of presents, and the formulation of resolutions for 2016.

But for a growing number of area residents who have been served by Realtor Roz Byrne, it also means the return of a budding holiday tradition: a tongue-in-cheek, campy video greeting starring her “Director of Barketing,” 14-year-old dog Elvis.

This Monday, Byrne, who works with RE/MAX In The Village, was joined by Elvis and the two other human members of her intrepid team, husband Tom Byrne and Morgan Digre, in shooting a 15-second video dubbed “Happy Howl-a-Days.” Byrne is sending the clip to clients, friends and other contacts she has developed over the past 13 years in the industry.

In the greeting, the team wears Thanksgiving-themed props—Digre has a turkey hat perched atop her head, Byrne wears a Native American-style headdress and Tom Byrne dons a pilgrim-style hat. Elvis, meanwhile, has a bonnet that was tailored to fit his fluffy head.

The video is one of many ways that Byrne, a former radio disc jockey and advertising rep, expresses gratitude to her clients.

Over the years, she has held client-appreciation parties at a variety of venues, including a roller-skating rink and local establishments like Petersen’s Ice Cream on Chicago Avenue and New Rebozo on Madison Street, both in Oak Park. Byrne has also embarked on other off-the-beaten-path marketing endeavors, such as Halloween 2008 when she dressed up as a wizard, called herself the “Wizard of Roz” and executed a “reverse trick-or-treat” guerrilla marketing excursion.

“Don’t be afraid of the real estate market,” she told amused customers at area businesses, handing out candy—and her business card—in the process. “It’s a wicked good time to be a buyer.”

The marketing efforts are effective, too: for the past 10 years, Byrne has ranked among the top five Realtors in the area. This year, her team has sold more than $16 million in properties, helping 47 families move.

Byrne is is active throughout other areas of the community as well. She is the founding member of the OPRF Partners Chapter of Business Network International, the current Vice President of SCSCC, a business group focused on serving senior citizens, and is a member of the Oak Park-River Forest Chamber of Commerce.

For more information, visit www.RozRealEstate.com or call 708-370-7444. You can also see the latest “Happy Howl-a-Days” video clip here.