With the fluctuating housing market, homebuyers are feeling less confident about purchasing a home. If you’re wondering about homebuyers who haven’t purchased yet, take a look at What Homebuyers Need From Your Brand Today. But what about buyers who have committed to a new build and are now part of your backlog?
Of course, part of keeping these customers engaged is to deliver fantastic customer care and frequent, clear communication. If you’re looking to go above and beyond the financial and marketing strategies you’re already employing, here are some ideas to help your customers stay confident and committed through closing.
Host a brunch in a model home kitchen
If there’s one thing that puts people in a good mood, it’s delicious food! Hire a professional chef to prepare a gourmet meal in your community’s model home kitchen and invite your backlog buyers over for one unforgettable cooking demonstration event with food and fun. An exclusive gathering will make them feel special and appreciated. It’s also a chance for them to bond with future neighbors in a beautiful, relaxing setting — with an implicit reminder that they’ll soon have a kitchen (and home) just like this. They might even envision recreating their own event for friends and family, raising anticipations even more.
Give a gift card or incentive
A move to your master-planned community will likely take your customers to a different part of town or even a whole new state. So, give them a taste of local offerings! Sending them gift cards to local restaurants, coffee shops or entertainment venues, accompanied with a personalized message, can be a smart strategy. First, they’ll feel top-of-mind and it’ll put a smile on their face — who doesn’t like free stuff? It will also remind them why they invested in the first place by showcasing all the nearby local attractions and get them started on feeling part of the local community.
Provide weekly progress check-ins
Take a good look at the frequency of your current communication to backlog buyers. Be sure to check in with them often — weekly emails or texts with updated photos can go a long way towards building and maintaining excitement on the progress of their future home. Market Shift Checklist for New Home Marketers covers how your brand shows up with buyers and how to avoid weak links in your marketing. For these buyers, it means nurturing a strong relationship. Being approachable and informative so they know you are there every step of the way can help address any fears they might have.
Community events
One of the best ways to build relationships and retain customers is through word-of-mouth. Organizing a fun community event — like a cookout or movie night — is a great way to bring together current residents and future buyers. Socializing will get them excited about their future neighbors and allow them to hear personal insights about how wonderful life at the community is.
We know you’re deploying a number of tactics right now. A customized marketing strategy aimed at keeping buyers excited, confident and eager to be a resident can go a long way toward not only protecting your backlog, but also toward building stronger relationships that can lead to lifelong loyalty.
If you’d like to chat about some strategic ideas for protecting your backlog, reach out to Barbara Wray at barbara@wickmarketing.com or (512) 479-9834. We’re here to help!
