How Home Builders Can Market to the Single-Family Homebuyer

4 min read 

Several strategies to improve your chances of gaining more single-family homebuyer clients.

Did you know 80% of Americans would prefer to live in a single-family home but only 70% of them actually do? This is a big slice of the American pie to market to as a home builder. In this article we will discuss several different techniques to market and advertise to this population to help your business gain more single-family homebuyer business.

Before we dive into the different marketing strategies, it’s important to understand who these 80% of people represent. It is worth noting that the largest generation of home owners and sellers fall in the age category of 37 to 51, with a median age of 42. In order to have a successful marketing campaign, imagine yourself at the ripe age of 42 to put the following strategies into perspective. 

9 Marketing Strategies for the Single-Family Homebuyer:

1. Create tangible marketing pieces

People like to see and touch things, it’s human nature. In fact, people spend a longer amount of time looking at something tangible than they do looking at an online item. You should consider creating easy to follow brochures to showcase the homes you are offering. In this brochure, be sure to include the top desirable features and other direct benefits to your target market.

2. Understand your client’s life 

Not every single one of your clients or potential clients is going to be 42. By understanding what stage of life your target market is in, can help you better cater to their needs. For instance, is this your client’s first home, second or even third? Do they want to buy a single-family home to live in or rent? Do they have children? If so, how old are they? These are simple questions for you to get started.

3. Gain optimal user-experience online 

What even is an optimal user-experience? This refers to when a website has fast load speed, easy to follow navigation, is mobile friendly, and provides everything a visitor expects to see in a given page. Other tips include labeling each image on your site with an alt text and optimizing each blog articles fully. If your site lacks these qualities, then it may be time for a complete website redesign.

4. Verify your business on Google  

If you haven’t verified your home builder business on Google yet, then do so immediately. This helps put you on the map, Google Maps in fact. The process is easy: First, claim your business on Google and enter basic information. Then, Google will send your business a postcard which contains a pin number. After entering the pin into Google’s online tool, you’re good to go.

Additional tip: Be sure to insert the correct address of your home builder business not only for receiving the verification code, but also because it’s best to have consistency with your NAP (name, address, and place) on all online platforms.

Websites who have the exact same NAP across the board rank higher than those who don’t. This includes using St. vs. Street or Cir. Vs. Circle. It all must be the exact same to avoid potential issues.

5. Run a PPC Campaign for the Single-Family Homebuyer

A PPC campaign stands for pay-per-click. In essence, you are paying Google and other search engines for every click you receive from an ad. Many companies use PPC regularly - more so than you might think. Ever see a little “ad” icon when searching for something online? That’s one example of a PPC campaign. PPC can help your brand gain more visibility and potentially new sales as well. 

6. Emphasize the differences of your products

After all, the majority of Americans want to live in a single-family home, if they don’t do so already. People like single-family homes because of the yard space, because they don’t want to share walls and a roof, and because they want a garage or ample parking space, to name a few reasons. Be sure to emphasize these differences in the properties you are offering to entice potential new clients to convert from renters to buyers.

7. Create a newsletter with tailored recipients 

Mailing lists can be amazingly specific with targeting parameters. For instance, they have the ability to target everyone who has bought a home within the last year, people who are interested in home improvement, people who are currently looking for a home, and many more options. Determine your key audience and let your marketing firm help you with acquiring a customized mailing list.

8. Add virtual tours to your website  

You are proud of the homes you build for your market. Why don’t you show them off? There are many ways to showcase one of your properties or communities and a virtual tour is a great option to consider. The majority of visitors scroll through your site to see pictures of your products anyway. So, add a richer experience to your website with high-quality videos.

9. Take note of analytics on both website and campaigns  

Is your campaign working successfully? Keep track of the progress of not only your PPC campaign, but also on your website’s optimization with analytics. Numbers and data tell you exactly how well your company is performing. For better or worse, you will realize soon enough if your marketing efforts are effective. 

If you incorporate each of these strategic marketing techniques, the more likely you are to gain more promising clients. If you need help on executing any of the above strategies, then it may be time to consider expert assistance from a qualified and experienced marketing firm. 

For additional articles of interest, check out the following: 

• How to Apply Retargeting to Your Home Builder Marketing Strategy
• Features Home Builders Need to Attract More Single-Family Homebuyers
• Multifamily Home Buyer: How Home Builders Can Market to Them