The housing market presents unique challenges: interest rates are high, the economy is shifting and digital disruption is the new normal. To thrive in this unpredictable environment, builders must be nimble, creative and customer-focused.

The Denim Marketing team attended the Home Builder Digital Marketing Summit and gained valuable insights from a panel of industry leaders during their talk, “Building Success: How Smart Builders Are Marketing in an Unpredictable World.”

The discussion featured:

• Jaime Godwin, director of marketing communications at Kolter Group
• Dusty Talbert, director of marketing at The Providence Group
• Chris Thornton, vice president of digital marketing and technology at Ashton Woods

Partner Kevin Weitzel with Outhouse moderated the conversation.

Here are the prime strategies the experts shared for residential construction marketing in today’s environment:

Craft a Consistent Brand Story

In today’s multi-channel world, brand voice can easily fragment when too many people control the messaging. Maintaining a consistent, cohesive brand voice across all platforms is essential. A unified message prevents buyer confusion and reinforces your company’s identity. To achieve this, create comprehensive brand guidelines that clearly define your brand’s tone, style and messaging across different channels.

Focus your story by attaching it to specific features. For example, instead of just saying “gourmet kitchen,” talk about the story of the family gathering around the oversized island. Compelling storytelling creates an emotional connection, which must happen before you introduce the lifestyle pitch or incentives. Prospective buyers need to fall in love with the floor plan first.

Creatively Lead with Affordability

Affordability is a primary concern in the current market. Builders must be creative to address these concerns and stand out. While promotions and incentives are important, they should not be the leading message. Lead with the home’s value, then introduce solutions.

Find special offers that truly interest the buyer, rather than leading with a generic offer. Peachtree Residential’s $20K Your Way campaign, for example, gives buyers options while also providing a sense of control during their homebuying journey. Consider promoting a “Home of the Month” to generate excitement and focus attention on a specific opportunity.

Understand the Modern Buyer Journey

Today’s buyers are well into the sales funnel before they ever meet a sales agent. There are several touchpoints before that first physical interaction. Builders need to understand the value of these touchpoints and leverage multi-touch attribution to track the entire process.

Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) play a crucial role in converting softer, warmer leads generated through digital channels, especially if organic search traffic drops. Investing in robust OSC training is essential to maximize conversions.

Measure What Matters

Vanity metrics, such as likes or shares, don’t necessarily correlate with sales. It is essential to focus on metrics that directly impact the bottom line, such as actual conversions and sales results. High-impact metrics such as cost per lead, conversion rates and appointment rates provide valuable insights into campaign performance. When a campaign doesn’t produce immediate results, avoid a knee-jerk reaction. A ‘fruit basket’ approach, meaning a variety of methods, gives you the best chance for success.

Furthermore, builders need to eliminate internal silos to improve collaboration between marketing and sales. Aligning these two teams ensures a smoother, more effective buyer experience from initial awareness to closing day. Be a student of the industry, catch people in the awareness phase on social media and don’t hesitate to accept assistance from outside resources if they can execute better or faster.

The current market is a test of strategy and resilience. By focusing on a unified brand story, the digital journey and measuring impactful results, builders can successfully market and sell residences in an unpredictable environment.

Ready to make your strategy more effective? Contact Denim Marketing to build a campaign that connects buyers and drives results.