Qualitative recruiting · In-home and in-context research · Nationwide

Ethnography and in-home interview recruiting.

Watching people where they live, cook, shop, or manage a condition tells you things a focus group room cannot. RC Horowitz finds participants who fit the spec and are genuinely comfortable welcoming a research team, then handles the details that make the visit go smoothly.

Request a bid Who we recruit

Who we recruit

The right person, in their own space.

In-home work asks more of a participant than a group does. We recruit people who qualify and who understand, before they agree, exactly what the visit involves.

Consumers at home

Category users, households, and families in the setting where they actually use the product: kitchens, bathrooms, garages, home offices.

Patients and caregivers

People managing a condition or treatment at home, and the caregivers who help them, for medication routines, devices, and daily living.

Shoppers and in-context users

Shop-alongs, ride-alongs, and visits in stores, cars, and workplaces when the context matters more than the living room.

Hard-to-reach households

Specific life stages, multi-generation homes, rural participants, and niche lifestyles that standard panels miss.

How we prepare every visit

No surprises at the front door.

Most in-home problems are preventable. We deal with them during recruiting, not on the doorstep.

Screen and explain

We screen to the spec and explain the visit in plain language: who is coming, how long, what will be filmed or photographed, and what rooms are involved.

Agreed before it is scheduled.

Confirm the details

We confirm the address, parking, pets, who else will be home, and accessibility needs, and share them with your team ahead of time.

Your team knows what to expect.

Paperwork in advance

Consent, release, and NDA forms are sent and tracked before the visit, so the session starts with the research, not the forms.

Signed before you arrive.

Day-before check

We re-confirm with every household the day before and keep backups ready in the same market where the audience allows.

The door opens on time.

From our files

Meeting patients at 2:00 AM.

Chronic insomnia, untreatedIn-home, after 2:00 AMReal-time ethnography

An agency looking for new insights into sleep wanted to experience insomnia in real time, not hear about it the next day.

We recruited people with chronic insomnia who were not currently being treated, and ethnographers joined them in their homes after 2:00 AM, when they were typically awake and struggling. The visits helped the client understand the emotional drivers behind seeking help for insomnia.

Audiences and formats

In-context research we recruit for.

In-home interviewsEthnographiesShop-alongsRide-alongsKitchen and pantry visitsMedication routines at homeWorkplace visitsFilmed and photographed visits

Questions buyers ask

Before you send the spec.

Will participants really let a team film in their home?

Yes, when they know exactly what to expect. We explain filming, photography, and which rooms are involved before anyone agrees, which is why visits go ahead.

Can you recruit in smaller towns and rural areas?

Yes. Tell us the markets, and we will recruit locally and work out travel with your team.

Do you handle consent and release forms?

Yes. We send and track consent, release, and NDA forms before the visit so the session starts on time.

What about safety and accessibility?

We confirm who will be home, pets, parking, and accessibility needs ahead of time and share them with your team before the visit.

Request a bid

Tell us where you need to be.

The fastest read includes the audience, number of visits, markets, length of visit, what will be filmed, and timing.

Request a bid Call (212) 779-0033