Comments on: Predictions from Seth Godin

By: Zach Schabot

Zach Schabot — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:22:04 +0000

Predictions? I think the face of the on-site sales agent will look very different in the near future. It will no longer be acceptable to know your product and your direct competitor’s. Since Wall Street is now rewarding large builders for having LESS land on their books, we will see more infill developments and premium prices for good, finished lots. The notion of Transit Oriented Design will also play a huge role in our near future. The ‘new’ sales person will have to understand new home sales, the resale market, competition from the remodeling industry and FEAR (aka complacency). AND I think builders will have to seriously rethink their product and pricing strategies. It used to be that you could “update” your plans by changing the elevation from brick to stone and call it a day. People think and live differently now. Builders will have to adapt or they will die out- leaving room for those building companies who “get it.”

By: Zach Schabot

Zach Schabot — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 13:22:00 +0000

By: Erik Cofield

Erik Cofield — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:29:34 +0000

Great post Mike, and great information from Mr. (may I call you Seth) Godin. It is exciting for us on the ‘tech’ side of the housing industry for over a decade. New buzzwords internal for this industry: source/resource, access, distribution. Builders will learn to provide resources, access to qualified information and distribute it out in new and more profitable ways. Ultimately, builders will be more efficient and profitable than they were.

By: Erik Cofield

Erik Cofield — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:29:00 +0000

By: Erik Cofield

Erik Cofield — Mon, 18 May 2009 14:29:00 +0000

By: Shirley Busack

Shirley Busack — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:25 +0000

I totally agree with the first two statements. I am a little leary about the third one – I have worked in the IT world for fifteen years and have had my share of working with outsourced projects. The main problem with outsourcing is that the other company doesn’t necessarily understand your business, and makes “assumptions” that are not necessarily in-line with your business model. No matter how well one writes the parameters of the project – there’s always something not fully explained or interpreted correctly. It’s cheaper to keep data with people who understand the business, than to clean-up after someone makes an incorrect assumption about the data. Using someone else’s technology – maybe – allowing someone else to control/manipulate your company’s data – scary.

By: Shirley Busack

Shirley Busack — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:15:00 +0000

By: Mike Lyon

Mike Lyon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:53:35 +0000

Thanks for all the great feedback Colin! Great insights. Tonya and Scott – you as well. Appreciate everyone chiming in.

By: Mike Lyon

Mike Lyon — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:53:00 +0000

Thanks for all the great feedback Colin! Great insights. Tonya and Scott – you as well. Appreciate everyone chiming in.

By: Colin Vaughan

Colin Vaughan — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:17:45 +0000

3 Notes:
Note 1: I was in homebuilding for over 7 years from errand boy to heading the sales and marketing. I now work for MediaSauce a company that organizes and develops strategies around social networks and the capabilities of the Internet. Having seen the power of connectivity through social networks like facebook and linkedIN as well as considering the need to keep prospective homebuyers informed of your business. Builders will start to understand the power of digital and social media. My prediction is that most builders will not create a strategic plan and end up hurting themselves through misuse of these online tools.

Note 2: The idea of when the market will comeback is a very big question. But how it will come back is even more interesting. I agree with the prediction that “savvy new home building companies will be formed by younger principals that ‘get’ internet marketing and the new consumer”. I would expand to say that they will also leverage the power of their ability to connect beyond what most companies have done making themselves an advocate for homeowners as well as a source of political power in neighborhood development and associations.

Note 3: Some builders also walk a tight rope on how they stay connected after the home is built. They don’t see the potential sales available because they are nervous about warranty and customer service issues. Any company that uses social media to help with the warranty and customer service issues, I predict will see a high return on their investment into these “new” online tools. As well as higher customer satisfaction.