Understanding AI's Impact on Home Buying Searches

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: Learn the impact AI is having on home buying searches.
🐝 Industry Buzz: The latest marketing and real estate news updates.
🧠 Get Your Learn On: 5 AI-Powered Quick Wins for Modern Marketers.
🏆 Quick Win: Upgrade your ‘thank you’ pages.
🧰 Tech Check: Overhaul your sales process with Laxis.
🤖 A.I. Prompt Play: A custom prompt to create an engaging ‘About Us’ page.
📚 Recommended Resource: The Ultimate Blog Title Swipe File for Real Estate.
🎙️ From The Podcast: Some of our favourite episodes from the archive.
🏅 Marvellous Marketing: A standout social post from Split Rock Custom 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 💡

Understanding AI's Impact on Home Buying Searches

With 34% of prospective buyers now using AI tools in their home search, the way people discover and evaluate new construction is fundamentally changing.

This guide from Blue Tangerine shows you exactly how to position your business ahead of this shift and capture these tech-savvy buyers before your competitors do.

In this article:
☑️ Understand why AI search represents the biggest shift in buyer behaviour since the internet.
☑️ Learn how to track and measure AI-driven traffic to your website.
☑️ Position your content strategy to capture prospects using ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
☑️ and more...

Industry Buzz 🐝

🏠 US Foreign Buyer Activity Rebounds for First Time in Eight Years
NAR's latest international transactions report shows international home purchases surged 44% compared to the previous year, with total dollar volume reaching $56 billion. China is at the top, accounting for 15% of international buyer purchases, while Florida remains the most popular destination at 21%.

💸 Canadian Demand for U.S. Real Estate Cools Amid Trade Tensions
Canadian searches for U.S. homes on Redfin dropped 26.4% year-over-year in May 2025, following the White House's imposition of tariffs on Canadian imports. The pullback was most pronounced in major metros like Houston (-55.2%), Philadelphia (-53%), and Chicago (-47%), as political tensions and a weaker Canadian dollar make U.S. purchases less attractive.

🔥 LA Wildfires Fundamentally Transform Regional Housing Market
Six months after the devastating Palisades and Eaton fires, luxury real estate agents report that buyer priorities have shifted dramatically. Fire safety, evacuation routes, and insurance coverage are now primary considerations alongside traditional features. Many are actively relocating from LA to Orange County for enhanced safety and family-oriented communities.

🏢 Disruptive Real Estate Platform Launches in Toronto
Hyyve has officially launched in Toronto with an innovative approach where Realtors bid on residential listings, creating competition among agents to earn client representation. The platform launches with 500 invite-only Realtors and sellers, offering upfront cash to sellers while agents pay upfront for listing rights. But early industry feedback suggests significant regulatory and practical challenges ahead.

Get Your Learn On 🧠 

🖥 The New Era of Demand: 5 AI-Powered Quick Wins for Modern Marketers
Ready to turn AI from buzzword into bottom-line results? Join HubSpot's VP of Demand Generation Emmy Jonassen and VP of Media Jonathan Hunt on Thursday, July 17th, 2025, at 3pm BST | 4pm CEST for an exclusive, unrecorded masterclass revealing 5 AI-powered strategies that are transforming how winning teams generate demand.

You'll walk away with specific, actionable tactics to boost your marketing performance—plus a live Q&A session.

Register here: HubSpot AI Demand Generation Masterclass

Quick Win 🏆

Upgrade your form thank-you pages. Instead of showing a basic "thanks for submitting" message, add relevant next steps and content suggestions. Keep prospects engaged while they're actively interested.

Tech Check 🧰

Transform your sales process from conversations to conversions with Laxis, the AI-powered sales copilot that automates lead generation, meeting management, and CRM updates.

Perfect for home builder sales teams, Laxis sends hyper-personalized email campaigns, captures every detail during meetings with real-time transcriptions, and more.

The platform has 7,000+ integrations, ensuring timely follow-ups and helping keep your sales pipeline full without the manual work.

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

ABOUT US PAGE

Goal: Build trust and credibility while showcasing company values and experience

Prompt: Act as a brand storyteller and corporate communications expert. I am a [CITY] home builder looking to create an engaging About Us page that builds trust with potential buyers. Provide: 1) A compelling company origin story that emphasizes our commitment to quality, 2) Three key sections highlighting our values, approach, and difference, 3) Statistics and achievements that build credibility, 4) Team/leadership section framework, 5) Community involvement highlights, and 6) A mission statement that resonates with homebuyers. The tone should be professional and authentic, emphasizing our local roots and commitment to customer satisfaction.

Marvellous Marketing 🏅

Stand-Out Social Post From Split Rock Custom Homes
Today's stand-out social post comes from @splitrockcustomhomes over on Instagram. This engaging reel showcasing their unique custom build with a massive double basement is a perfect example of how to highlight what makes your homes truly special.

The walkthrough format gives viewers an immersive experience of the space, while the "huge double basement" hook immediately captures attention and curiosity.

From the Podcast 🎙

Discover proven marketing strategies and growth tactics on the Home Builder Marketing and Growth Show with Jeff Schneider. Here are some great episodes from the archive:

#004 | Home Builder Websites That Generate Sales: Expert Advice From An Industry Veteran | Greg Bray
Transform your home builder website from a digital brochure into a sales-generating powerhouse as industry expert Greg Bray reveals proven strategies for optimizing your online presence, from SEO and content strategy to leveraging digital tools that drive results.

#011 | Lead Magnets: My Favourite Tactic For Generating Home Buyer Leads + Examples You Can Swipe & Deploy | Marketing Minute
Create a steady stream of qualified leads by offering valuable content upgrades that home buyers actually want. This episode reveals proven lead magnet strategies specifically for home builders, including real examples and implementation guidance.

#008 | Model Home Sales Tips: How To Elevate The Customer Experience In Your Show Home Based On My Experience Mystery Shopping Dozens Of Local Builders | Marketing Minute
In this podcast episode, Jeff Schneider shares valuable insights from mystery shopping experiences to enhance customer engagement and boost sales in model homes.

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

What We’re Listening To 🎧

Build & Sell: Ready to unlock the marketing strategies that drive new home sales? Eric Preston's Build & Sell: The New Home Marketing Podcast delivers exactly what home builders and agents need to succeed in today's competitive market. As the founder and CEO of Agent Launch, a real estate marketing agency specializing in new construction, Preston brings deep expertise in lead generation and conversion strategies that actually work. 

Recent episodes have featured industry leaders discussing high-performance home marketing, market strategies, and how AI is transforming the customer journey from lead generation to warranty management. Preston's approach is all about giving value first, which is why his community of 55,000+ real estate professionals keeps coming back for practical insights that help them stay ahead in the evolving world of new home marketing.

Just For Laughs 😂

Points of Interest 🧐

🗓 On this day
On this day in 1951, J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" was first published.

🚨 A Deal’s a Deal
A drug dealer in Ireland has been given an extra three-month sentence after being caught selling drugs at his own sentencing hearing.

🥛 Dairy Conditioner
A new scientific study has found that house temperatures can be reduced by up to 3.5 degrees by simply applying yogurt to the windows.

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:

🖥 7.5M+ website sessions
🙋 112,300+ 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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