The market continues to shift, but homebuyers have not disappeared entirely, even with sensitivities to rates and price escalations. Yet, we all know consumer confidence has taken a significant hit. The question is, does your marketing help to inspire buyer confidence better than your competition?
Take a look around
When was the last time you checked in on the competition? If there’s another master-planned community in the area that’s similar to yours, study what they’re doing, and then do (all of) it better. Maybe they’re doing a standout job advertising their fitness center, when you offer something that’s even more amazing. People won’t know what you have to offer if you don’t tell them about it. Odds are there is at least one area where you could ramp up your game and tell your story a little bit better than the other communities your buyer is considering.
Get back to the basics
The masterplan brand focus is usually on the lifestyle and placemaking for the community. Homes, prices and features are part of that, but realistically, buyers can find similar designs in other neighborhoods. What are your differentiators? Unique amenities, lifestyle programming or a stellar location that no one else has? Did you open up a new amenity recently? Have community events ramped up? Has anything new opened nearby – schools, shopping centers, grocery stores, job opportunities? Even if it doesn’t seem like a big deal, it may be a big deal to your next buyer. Are you helping them to envision a better life in your community?
If you’re looking for more, try Market Shift Checklist for New Home Marketers or Community Brand Presence: No Weak Links.
It’s always about the buyer
Before you can create confidence, you must inspire curiosity about your offering. Showcase the lifestyle, amenities, home features – anything that will capture their attention and encourage them to learn more about what’s so irresistible at your community. Some buyers need data, others need an emotional connection with your brand, and everyone needs a good dose of trust in your brand before they will choose you over someone else. Do you have something to satisfy the needs of those inquisitive home shoppers?
You might want to revisit What Homebuyers Need From Your Brand Today.
Don’t leave anything on the table
Make sure that any marketing you’re doing, you’re doing well. Are your differentiators showing up clearly in all of your marketing? Website, emails, social channels, digital and print? Is your onsite signage showcasing what’s most important now – could anything be updated? What about the sales teams; are the materials they rely on current, and does every piece they hand to a homebuyer – or use for their own talking points – tell a strong story? You’ve already done the research, you know your buyers, but a refresh of creative and key messaging may be exactly what you need to reinvigorate your buyers’ experience of your brand.
Need some help making your master-planned community shine during a challenging market? We’ve done it plenty of times before, and we’re here to help. Just reach out to Barbara Wray at barbara@wickmarketing.com or (512) 479-9834.
