Selling in a Time of Social Distancing

Design, Branding, and Marketing for a New Home Community

The last few months have presented unique challenges to the homebuilding industry, as we work to meet sales goals while also keeping our associates and homebuyers as safe as possible.

Our team at Capstone Studios is accustomed to working remotely. Many of us have worked from home regularly, even before COVID19 made telecommuting a necessity. Over the past few months, we have leveraged this experience by providing our clients with online tools to keep their customers engaged, their businesses running smoothly, and communication flowing in all directions.

CASE STUDY:

Pinnacle at Millenia

Pinnacle by Meridian Communities is a collection of contemporary two-story townhomes in the celebrated master-planned community of Millenia. It’s also the fastest-selling property in San Diego County.

New homes at Pinnacle were scheduled for release just as mandatory social distancing was implemented. Unfortunate timing, perhaps, but that didn’t stop their team from breaking sales records. Pinnacle was able to sell 75% of its new homes within days because their online tools were already in place, the sales team was prepared and the buyers were pre-qualified.

Here are some key takeaways from our work with Pinnacle. While some are social-distancing specific, others are good year-round advice for every project. And as always, our team at Capstone is ready to help you implement them!

Know your audience

Create a visual brand brief to keep everyone on the same page—partners, vendors, and sales teams. Creating a solid brief takes a lot of work and research — the benefits far outweigh the time spent. At Capstone, we use this brief to help fine-tune who the audience is and what they are looking for, so we can market directly to their needs.

Help your team stay focused on your buyers with a brand brief that includes:

Your vision, purpose and value proposition for buyers
Current market challenges and opportunities
Demographics and key information about buyers in your area
Identifying your competitors and what sets your property apart from them
Your brand’s unique style and personality

Get started online

Under the direction of New Homes Now Selling, Pinnacle got a jump start on their marketing efforts by launching their website before the first shovel broke ground. We started out with plans and renderings, and replaced these with high-quality photos, video and virtual tours as the work progressed. Social media pages with regular updates and a PPC campaign helped Pinnacle build a following and add to their network of potential buyers.

People are spending more time online, so get the most out of your web presence:

Get a memorable URL and include it in all of your emails and marketing materials.
Add your community to Google Business and Maps, and be sure to submit any new or missing streets.
Make it easy for buyers to share your content on social media platforms.

Build your mailing list

Pinnacle leveraged their website and social media pages to cultivate a list of qualified buyers. Asking subscribers about their preferences (their plan type as an example), allowed them to divide their list into meaningful segments. Each segment received emails targeted specifically to them, using A/B tests to maximize response rates.

Top tips to maximize your email marketing leads:

Don’t require phone numbers or personal information to join your email list
Use online forms to request more information from subscribers (budget, etc.)
Follow up with highly-engaged subscribers with a personal email, text or call

Host online events

Pinnacle invited subscribers to participate in live virtual tours and pre-sales events. Together with their preferred lender they hosted Q&A sessions for homebuyers. Even after social distancing measures are eased, buyers appreciate the at-home convenience of web-based tours.

Turn virtual events into real-world sales

Use pre-sales events to get buyers qualified before homes are released
Engage a large number of buyers in the time it takes to conduct one personal tour
Let buyers preview your property from the comfort and safety of their own home

Paid ads pay off

Pinnacle implemented an extensive pay-per-click ad campaign during the COVID19 outbreak—a time when many competitors suspended ad buys. The campaign offered pricing and location information upfront, so the respondents were highly qualified buyers, allowing the sales team to focus on the leads that mattered the most.

Get your property in front of buyers at the at just the right moment:

Use carefully selected keywords to target buyers searching for new homes
Provide useful and relevant content to ensure a good Google Ad Score
Drive ad traffic to a well-designed landing page that supports the ad

The sum of the parts

Marketing is just one facet of sales success. It takes vision (New Homes Now Selling), a great sales team (Susan and Trina) and a builder (Meridian Communities) who trusts their team. Equally important is being prepared and being flexible/adaptive. The team at Capstone can work alongside your team to create and implement a marketing plan that works for you!

Some final thoughts to keep in mind:

Be consistent in your design and messaging, and be flexible when necessary
One great campaign is better than several poor ones
Measure the results of your efforts in terms of actual leads, not just ad views