A national survey finds that a majority of homebuyers want to include brand-new homes in their search. At the same time, a small percentage of real estate professionals have the training, market knowledge and builder relationships to professionally support their clients in the new-homes arena. As a result, the majority of brokers and agents are professionally meeting the needs of only 46 percent of today’s homebuyers! Are you overlooking one of the most powerful keys to maximizing real estate success?
Can you imagine Lowe’s or Home Depot advertising this message: “We’re here with everything you need to meet 46 percent of your home improvement needs.” They might even add, “For the other 56 percent of your home improvement needs, you’re on your own. Good luck.”
It’s not only hard to imagine, but this would be a business model clearly destined for failure.
Yet, as crazy as that might sound, this is not too far off from the message many brokers and agents are sending prospective homebuyers. I’m not suggesting anyone is doing this intentionally, but consider the following facts to better understand this reality.
A national survey of active home shoppers across 25 major metropolitan areas conducted by BHI Inc., a consortium of 32 of America’s largest home builders, found:
• 19 percent are determined to buy a new home and will not consider resales.
• 35 percent want to explore both new and used homes in their search.
• 46 percent are focused on searching the inventory of resale homes only.
