Tech or Threat? How Forward-Thinking Builders Are Widening the Gap with Digital Innovation

A bi-weekly round-up newsletter of the best new construction and real estate marketing, sales, and news in the industry.

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In This Issue:

💡 The Big Idea: How and why today’s home builders need to be embracing tech.
🐝 Industry Buzz: The latest marketing and real estate news updates.
🏆 Quick Win: Develop a "Best Fit" qualification guide.
🧰 Tech Check: Create email templates and landing pages using Designmodo.
🤖 A.I. Prompt Play: A custom prompt to create a property feature matrix.
📚 Recommended Resource: 25 SEO Myths to Leave Behind.
🎙️ From The Podcast: Unlock revenue-driving strategies with insights from Rob Krohn.
🏅 Marvellous Marketing: A standout social post from Sterling Homes.
... and more!

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
"Love the easy-to-digest format. Gives me a quick pulse check on the industry and some new things to try."

The Big Idea 💡

The Coming Wave of Disruption in New Home Sales: How Builders Can Embrace Tech to Thrive

Major national homebuilders are selling luxury homes entirely through interactive digital models – without physical homesites. Meanwhile, your potential buyers are expecting the same seamless digital experiences they get in every other part of their lives. Are you prepared?

This eye-opening article from Anewgo reveals why home builders who adapt now will thrive while those who resist may permanently fall behind. In this article:

☑️ The digital expectations gap that's frustrating and turning away today's homebuyers
☑️ Why technology costs are dropping, making now the perfect time to invest
☑️ How to leverage data insights to convert casual browsers into serious buyers
☑️ Practical steps to evaluate your current sales process and create a modernization roadmap

Industry Buzz 🐝

💸 Nearly 60% of U.S. Households Unable to Afford a $300K Home
NAHB has updated its housing affordability graph for 2025, and the latest data show that 76.4 million households are unable to afford a $300,000 home.

✂ PM Carney Will Eliminate the GST for Some First-Time Homebuyers
Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced that his government will eliminate the GST for first-time homebuyers to address Canada’s housing crisis.

📉 Zonda’s New Home Market Update
According to Zonda, new home sales for February 2025 are down year-over-year but still classified as average. They also took a look at the pending sales index and continuing growth in community counts.

Quick Win 🏆

Develop a "Best Fit" qualification guide. Create a conversation guide to help sales quickly identify ideal floor plans based on buyer needs, which will greatly improve initial consultations.

Tech Check 🧰

Put your content creation into overdrive with Designmodo. Create coordinated email templates AND landing pages using a simple drag-and-drop interface. Built-in responsive design ensures your content looks perfect across all devices with pre-optimized modules for real estate content.

AI Prompt Play 🤖

Welcome to AI Prompt Play, where we provide carefully crafted prompts you can copy, customize, and use immediately to create professional marketing content in minutes.

Tips for using these prompts:

• Replace text in [brackets] with your specific information

• Adjust tone and style descriptors to match your brand voice

• Use the generated content as a starting point and customize to your needs

PROPERTY FEATURE MATRIX

Goal: Create a comprehensive yet scannable feature comparison for similar properties

Prompt: Act as a real estate data analyst and marketing strategist. I am a [CITY] home builder looking to create a clear, compelling comparison matrix for three similar floor plans. Generate: 1) A list of the 15 most important features to compare, 2) Engaging category headers that group related features, 3) Benefit-focused feature descriptions, 4) Visual icons or symbols to represent key differences, and 5) A summary section highlighting the ideal buyer for each plan. The format should be easy to scan while providing depth for those who want details.

Marvellous Marketing 🏅

Stand-Out Social Post From Sterling Homes
We took at LinkedIn this week and found a great post from Sterling Homes Edmonton. Simple, straightforward, and a touch of fun with beautiful images - plus a good question at the end to try to increase conversation and engagement. Well done!

From the Podcast 🎙

Discover proven marketing strategies and growth tactics on the Home Builder Marketing and Growth Show with Jeff Schneider. New episodes every week:

#015 | Home Builder Marketing Strategies: Expert Insights on Digital Marketing, Sales Training & Brand Messaging | Rob Krohn
Transform how your home builder marketing delivers results with Rob Krohn's proven strategies. Discover data-driven tactics, buyer persona insights, and emerging tech applications that can turn your marketing into a revenue-generating engine.

#014 | HubSpot Sales Workspace: Helping Builders Close More Home Sales & Boost Productivity | HubSpot For Homebuilders
Transform your sales team's efficiency with HubSpot's new Sales Workspace. Learn how this unified command center helps builder sales teams streamline lead management, boost productivity, and close more deals with less effort.

#013 | Home Builder Blogging Strategy: 3 Types of Blog Articles I Publish Every Month | Marketing Minute
Transform your website into a lead-generating powerhouse with a proven blogging strategy specifically designed for home builders. Discover the three essential types of blog posts that keep your sales pipeline full and position you as the trusted builder of choice in your market.

Tune into the podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music or any of your favourite apps.

What We’re Reading 📖

Expert Secrets by Russell Brunson
While Russell Brunson is known for online marketing, this book is a masterclass in communicating your value proposition – something every home builder should know. His insights on creating a "mass movement" through storytelling and positioning are invaluable for standing out in the market. You'll learn how to transform your expertise into compelling marketing messages that resonate with today's home buyers. Pick up the book or audiobook on Amazon.

Just For Laughs 😂

Points of Interest 🧐

🗓 On this day
In 1967, the first Boeing 737 took off on its maiden flight. This model is the best-selling plane in history!

🔥 The Boiling River
Hidden in Peru's Amazon rainforest flows a river so hot it boils in some sections, reaching up to 200°F. Local shamans have considered it sacred for centuries.

💪 10,0001 Pull-ups in 24 Hours
Trett Hanes recaptured his Guinness World Record after previously holding the title for less than a day.

Whenever you’re ready, there are three ways we can help:

1. Complimentary 1-Hour Strategy Session: Let's get to know each other. We'll hop on a Zoom call to understand your goals and challenges and then provide actionable marketing recommendations tailored to your business. Walk away with strategies you can implement immediately. Schedule your no-cost strategy session.

2. HubSpot Audit & Optimization: Unlock the full potential of your HubSpot investment. Our thorough 60+ point check-up will identify what's working well and what needs attention in your setup. You'll receive a comprehensive report and a 90-minute review session to maximize your HubSpot performance. Request your HubSpot audit.

3. Complimentary Website & Marketing Check-up: Give your online presence a boost. We'll review your website and marketing channels, then conduct a 60-minute workshop to share our findings. You'll walk away with actionable tips to improve your digital marketing and attract more qualified leads. Sign up for your no-cost marketing check-up.

About Velocity23

Velocity23 is a growth agency and has been specializing in digital marketing for home builders for 13+ years. As one of the first HubSpot partner agencies to specialize in the home-building industry, we’ve helped builders across the country solve their challenges with content marketing, lead generation, lead nurturing, and marketing automation. Our experience has led to the development of the Growth Engine Framework™️, a marketing system that’s helped our clients achieve:

🖥 7.4M+ website sessions
🙋 111,900+ leads generated
🏠 9,680+ homes sold
💰 $3.3+ billion in reported client revenue

If you’re experiencing marketing challenges or you want to sell more homes and grow your company, book a call today and let’s see how we can help.

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