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ShareWe are all feeling the corona virus blues right now. On the one hand, low interest rates should drive demand, but the lock downs across the country are delaying that demand as buyers cannot go out and look at their options. However, this does not mean you have to sit idly by and wish for things to change. You can get ahead of the game if you use this time wisely!!
This is a fantastic time to review how you market yourself and your homes online, because that is where your customers will be looking in between Netflix binge watching and eating all the food they stocked the pantry with. As a builder, you should be thinking about how you can virtually reach those who want to buy your homes and take advantage of the interest rates. I have good news, because Builders Update is here to help!
First things first, how do you reach buyers right now? The answer is through agents! According to NAR, 72% of new homes are sold through agents. And that is most likely even more relevant now while everything must be done virtually. Buyers trust agents to shepherd them through the home buying process from start to finish, and in these uncertain times, they will double down on those trusted relationships. So how do you reach the agents?
Here are the 5 things you need to market your homes online effectively:
1.Communicate in real time: You need to be able to establish a relationship with agents who have qualified buyers in real time. Agents will be reaching out to get more information from builders online now more than ever, and the platform you choose to use to market your homes needs to have the ability to respond more quickly than your competition. On your Builder Update account, this means utilizing the "Ask the Builder" feature and "Buyer Registration" so agents can set appointments and register their buyers with you and you can show them your homes safely.
2.Feature all inventory, to-be-builts, and coming soons: You need to have all your inventory information available to agents. They are not driving through your communities right now. They are browsing online, and you need to be where their eyeballs are. Builders Update allows you to put all types of listings on our site, not just already built homes. Make sure you have updated your account to feature all of your inventory.
Here are the 5 things you need to market your homes online effectively:
1.Communicate in real time: You need to be able to establish a relationship with agents who have qualified buyers in real time. Agents will be reaching out to get more information from builders online now more than ever, and the platform you choose to use to market your homes needs to have the ability to respond more quickly than your competition. On your Builder Update account, this means utilizing the "Ask the Builder" feature and "Buyer Registration" so agents can set appointments and register their buyers with you and you can show them your homes safely.
2.Feature all inventory, to-be-builts, and coming soons: You need to have all your inventory information available to agents. They are not driving through your communities right now. They are browsing online, and you need to be where their eyeballs are. Builders Update allows you to put all types of listings on our site, not just already built homes. Make sure you have updated your account to feature all of your inventory.
3.Pictures say a thousand words: make sure your online listings have as many photos, floor plans, virtual tours, etc. as you can right now. Since buyers may not be able to see your models in person, tell the story with your visuals online. It is a great way to create excitement for when they will be able to leave the house to find their new home. Make sure you have uploaded your virtual tours to your BU account as soon as possible!
4.Data is king: You need to able to know how well your marketing investment is performing. A billboard can’t tell you how many people looked at it each day, or who they were, but we can! Premier builders on Builders Update have access to visual graphs and reports with all the analytics they need to be able to fine tune their marketing initiatives. Know exactly where your dollars are going and what they are bringing back.
5.Powerful tools to make connections: It is not enough to list your inventory online and hope it works. You need to have access to powerful tools that allow you to engage with agents looking at your homes and comply with the social distancing guidelines being enforced. Builders Update has patented tools that allow you to set appointments with each interested buyer to safely keep showing your homes. Buyer Registration, virtual tours, Ask the Builder, agent and buyer incentives, and so many more tools are at your disposal to make the most of this time.
Use this time well, and you will be primed and ready to come out on the other side of this pandemic strong as there no doubt will be strong demand coming with these interest rate drops. So take a look at your Builders Update account and make sure you are utilizing all the ways we can help you. Not sure if you are? Contact us and let us help! We are eager to assist our builders and agents navigate this new virtual reality that has been thrust upon us. We are in this together.
Stay home, stay safe, and we will come out of this better than ever!
