How Does COVID-19 Affect Homebuilder Marketing?
Make no mistake: COVID-19 and the new normal would alter the construction industry. Home is now all – it’s where you live, entertain and educate your children, and stay healthy in a constantly changing world.
The long-term consequences would be incorporated into new home design. Below are some suggestions for how homeowners can live healthier and safer lives.
Virtual Tours – A New Homebuying Experience
Did you know that 41% of Millennials make an offer on a house before even seeing it? It’s because today’s homebuyers can find about anything they need to know about a home online, and they want to be able to complete the majority of their customer journey online.
For two reasons, this is good news for your digital marketing strategy:
Ads on Facebook and Google will hit your target audience where they already shop.
Streamlined website user interfaces aid in capturing leads and nurturing them into homebuyers.
Virtual tours aren’t an option any longer. It’s no longer a nice-to-have value-add-on. Your customers want to be able to see new homes from the convenience of their current residence.
5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Virtual Home Visit:
Add “Take a Virtual Tour” buttons to your model homes and spec homes that connect to virtual tour partners like Matterport.
To quickly catch your prospects when their interest is strong, make sure forms are on the same page as the Virtual Tour pages.
Provide immersive virtual tours and schedule a time for your sales rep to take your prospects through the model home (or spec home) through Zoom, Facetime, or Google Hangouts.
Is AI capable of launching an unattended visit to a model home or spec home in the same way that OpenDoor does?
Launch a chatbot – early in the buying process, home buyers are hesitant to talk with a person. This is a chance to connect with someone outside of working hours.
After COVID-19, what will homebuyers want?
A new home is more than just a new address; it’s a new way of life—a new chapter in your Prospect’s life story—one that has changed in the aftermath of the pandemic. Needs have evolved, and the home has already evolved to meet those needs.
Here are a few marketing messages that we believe homebuyers will need to hear in order to be interested in your offering.
Healthy Homes are New Homes
New homes necessitate the installation of newer systems to ensure the purest air, water, and materials. Homebuyers who are buying new construction homes want to realize that they are creating a safe haven for their families in a world that is susceptible to disease. A new house is a safe house.
Outside Living Areas
Outdoor spaces have become a safe place to socialize and enjoy a new view, and we expect that by 2020, slightly less people will buy a new construction home that does not include an outdoor living room.
Wi-Fi is available everywhere.
Why not have your builds Wi-Fi Certified if they aren’t already? Internet access is required for the bare minimum of entertainment and work in the home. Plan to build homes that include tastefully arranged plugs for a variety of electronic devices and Smart Home features.
Office of the President
Can home builders establish a skilled office in an era where the home is the office during this pandemic? What choices does the floor plan have for increasing productivity in the home office? Are you able to have sound-proof walls? What is the most reliable internet connection? Is there more natural light? How can the home office be promoted as the best place to work?
Materials That Heal By Themselves
In the aftermath of the pandemic, we agree that selling organic and self-healing products would be critical. Offering antiviral materials, such as Microban, makes the home safer by default.
Spaces of Transition
The transition from outside to inside would have to be planned ahead of time. Reimagine the mudroom as a decontamination zone where you can take off your shoes, spritz your hands with hand sanitizer, and keep the outside out. Can you incorporate ways for your buyers to organize the transition space?
Home Marketing for New Construction
Are you a real estate developer or builder? For the past ten years, SimpSocial has kept a close eye on the homebuying industry, and we’re keeping a close eye on how demand has changed in the aftermath of the pandemic.
Let’s talk about how a good digital marketing plan will help you get more eligible leads. Let’s create a marketing message and strategy that is entirely focused on you. Start the discussion right now.
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