Home builder and marketing professionals using social media to generate sales, build relationships and redefine new home marketing
Social media is literally exploding in the housing industry (and everywhere else), so I thought I would put together a small list of builders and marketing professionals that I like to follow on Twitter and Facebook. These “tweeps” and social media gurus are using social media to interact with and learn from customers, build relationships and increase sales. They offer examples of how some of the industry’s best, use social media to build an online reputation.
See New Homes Section’s official Twitter pages: @NewHomesSection, @JaysonNHS
@SheaHomesAZ – has been busy with getting their social media on! I have seen them on LinkedIn, Facebook, Squidoo, About Us, Wikipedia and of course Twitter. We did a small blog post back in February about Shea’s Dare to Compare Program, which basically offers information on why you should purchase a new home as opposed to a foreclosure. The new site looks great and offers home buyers a list of things to consider before making a purchase decision, check it out www.DaretoCompareShea.com.
@LGIHomes is a must follow and are pretty active on Twitter. LGI Homes has been busy expanding their business and social reach. Not only will you soon find LGI Homes in 2 new markets you will also find LGI Homes on various websites such as Facebook, Wikipedia and several community websites. For more information about LGI Homes visit their website LGIHomes.com
@Lennar has an army of almost 40,000 followers where they are able to constantly keep their followers informed. A few months ago, Compete.com showed Facebook as one of Lennar’s top online traffic sources; LennarTV published their eighth video last month. Lennar connects with the home buyers and industry professionals by using their Open Door blog, Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Digg, LinkedIn and Active Rain.
@OlsonHomes is one of the most internet friendly home builders with almost 7,000 Twitter followers, interactive online community tours and a constant flow of stimulating videos and updates about their communities, homes for sale and the housing industry. Check out Olson Homes’ YouTube Channel, it is a great example of how home builder’s can use another outlet to connect with potential home buyers. Check out interactive community tours for their Almaden Walk community in San Jose and Willow Walk in Compton.
@AWHomes is another must follow, they are very active on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook using these platforms to update fans and followers with promotions and company news. Check out their Twitter Profile, YouTube Profile or Facebook page.
@WilliamLyonHomes uses social tools to send messages to agents about their VIB program. If you are signed up as a Very Important Broker you can get a broker co-op of up to 5%! You can also find them on Facebook.
@BowenFamilyHome is a Georgia home builder who uses Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to interact with home buyers. Bowen Family Homes is one of a few home builders that have a blog. I believe that a blog is one of the best ways to connect buyers, industry professionals and to build the strength of your main site.
Bowen Family Homes is also located on AtlantaRealEstateForum.com where you can find Carol Flammer online. Carol helps develop blogs for home builders and is very active online and would be a good choice if you needed social media advice. Another Social media junkie is a guy by the name Mike Lyon, an author and social media consultant who has recently began putting on the “home building industry’s first Social Media Boot Camp series”.
@Jim_Adams the CEO of New Homes Directory is very accessible online and you can find him on almost every social site: Twitter, Blogger, Facebook, YouTube, Linkedin, MySpace, his company blog and of course NHD Buzz which he showcased through a great Webinar with the help of Blue Tangerine Solutions. Looking forward to hanging out and catching a ball game. See you in August!
Here are several other interesting people that I follow on Twitter – you might find value from following them too.
Online Reputation Management Tip
Use Google Alerts or Trackur to help manage your company’s online reputation and to follow your industry. For anyone wondering what Google Alerts does, it sends you an email anytime there are new Google results for things you’re following, the news, a company, an industry, a sports team – anything. For example, if you are following your company, and a blog mentions it, you are automatically alerted with an email and a direct link to the source(s). Trackur offers a complete suite of reputation management tools.
I am a Managing Partner, Internet Marketer and Blogger at New Homes Section. Follow me on 
Del Webb does some internet marketing, mostly email blasts but Lennar is the hands down front runner, at least here in Las Vegas. They are constantly sending out updates through email and as you stated are heavily vested in social networking. Their agents also send out their own email updates about standing inventory, specials, etc.
.-= Charles@Las Vegas Real Estate´s last blog ..Las Vegas Housing Market: Foreclosures Down, Sales Up =-.
I Search Google and found your site, this is a really excellent post. Thanks for the post.
Thanks for the shout out! You can find information about me at http://www.CarolFlammer.com, see many of the sites we have built at http://www.TopBuilderBlogs.com and read our case studies at http://www.mRELEVANCE.com Follow me on Twitter @AtlantaPR or @mRELEVANCE
.-= Carol Flammer´s last blog ..Home Technology is More Than Turning on the Lights =-.
Absolutely Carol! Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for the mention! This is a great post. I’m glad to see more people taking advantage of such a powerful & cost effective tool. Home Creations is very active with social marketing. You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Flickr, and we also have a blog on our website http://www.homecreations.com.
Lindsay thank you for stopping by and letting our readers know more about Home Creations!
A lot of companies are using social medias for marketing now.It is a trend.
It’s interesting to see how social media is being used to interact with customers. I wonder if any of this is driving sales?
Thanks for the reputation management tip’s.
I just read the book “What would google do” and it has a section in their about how social media isn’t so much helping helping the home professional as replacing them. The services are meanign that anyone can get hold of the information that usually was just available to the professional. It’s a bit scarey.
.-= Molly´s last blog ..My Day In The Sun And My New Image =-.
The New Homes Section definitely has their finger on the pulse of the latest social media. There is no longer just one or two ways to get the word out. Social media is evolving rapidly. It’s difficult to keep up, but definitely worth the effort.
.-= San Diego Homes´s last blog ..San Diego Homes Price Index Rises =-.
@San Diego Homes – Thanks for stopping by!
@Molly – I would have to disagree with you that “social media isn’t so much helping the home professional as replacing them” I think that social marketing helps home builders in numerous ways. Have you seen any their Facebook accounts? Or Twitter followers? At the very least this exposure to the public which is free, helps. A home builder who has a number of people who have purchased a home friends them on Facebook and that person’s friends sees it and I bet that they check with that builder first when purchasing a home. I believe that it also helps with SEO efforts also.
The Social media is strong and very important to reach new and potential clients. I use Google Alerts a lot to find out what my friends and enemies in the branch are doing.
i agree !! In conclusion, with the rise of the Internet, Social media has taken over the traditional media in attempts of reaching the younger generation. Social networking sites have opened new doors for advertising and grabbing the attention of the younger generation and as well as the older generations who are starting to use these sites. With the popularity of Facebook and MySpace, advertisers will be using these sites as a way to draw there consumers to their products instead of television and printed media.
.-= Daniel Corporate Housing´s last blog ..Stylish and affordable rental homes =-.
Due to huge success of social media, expansion of social media and great connectivity of Social Medial attracts all fields professional to use of SM. But You posted great clever analysis of real estate professional involvement.
Internet marketing is a great way to expand the reach of your site online. All of the social marketing sites and tools listed above can provide great value to your site/business.
Inman had a good story about this from Gahlord Dewalt yesterday morning. In February 2009 – Social Media topped email for the first time as the primary method of exchanging information.
Augusta GA Homes
Navy Chief, Navy Pride
Joe Loomer (USN Ret.)
Associate Leadership Council, Growth Chair
Keller Williams Realty Augusta Partners
.-= Joe@Augusta GA Homes´s last blog ..Save on School Supplies Now! TAX Holiday! =-.
@Lisa Thank you and thanks for stopping by
I would have to say I totally agree with you on this one. Great post!
We are slowly getting un-lost with social media. I thought my buddy was nuts when he was freaked out that we didn’t even have a MySpace page up. After doing some research and finding blogs such as this one: I felt like the loon.
.-= Louisiana Home Builders´s last blog ..Louisiana Solar Tax Credit =-.
I am with you !! You can find a firm to handle your social media for as little as $500 a month. However, what you might want to do is create an E-Marketing Plan. This would distill your company’s brand, set forth your objectives, and allow you to allocate resources in an organizeed and tactical way. . It would be also serve as an emergency manual when you have to make tough decisions at critical junctures.
.-= Daniel Corporate Housing´s last blog ..Stylish and affordable rental homes =-.