Model Home Marketing: Getting Buyers Into New Communities
New home communities are often built where buyers don’t drive every day: off a main road, past the edge of town, behind other neighborhoods. The model home can be beautiful and still sit empty if buyers don’t know the community is there or can’t find it.
Good model home marketing works in stages, from the main road to the community entrance, to the model, and to follow-up after the visit.
Stage 1: The main road
Most buyers find new communities while driving nearby or by searching online. Both need to lead to the same place.
- Directional signs from main roads. Place signs at each turn between the nearest highway or arterial road and the community entrance, where local rules allow. Use the same colors and logo on every sign so drivers can follow the trail.
- Billboards or large signs on the main road for larger communities.
- Online maps. Make sure the community and the sales center show up correctly on Google Maps, with hours and a phone number. New streets often take time to appear in navigation apps, so include clear directions on your website.
Stage 2: The community entrance
The entrance is the community’s first impression. It should look finished and welcoming, even if construction is still going on behind it.
- A permanent monument sign with the community name, landscaped and lit at night.
- Height and color at the entrance. Flags, banners or a balloon display tell drivers the community is open and selling. These are especially useful early on, before landscaping fills in.
- Clear signs to the model or sales center, so buyers don’t drive in circles past construction.
- Clean roads. Keep mud, debris and construction materials away from the entrance and the route to the model.
Stage 3: The model home
- Make it easy to spot. Buyers should see which house is the model as soon as they turn onto the street: a model sign, flags or a display in the yard, and dedicated parking.
- Post hours clearly at the entrance and the model.
- Show the lifestyle. Furnish and decorate for the buyers you’re targeting, and point out features that photos don’t capture.
- Have information ready: floor plans, pricing, available lots, included features and upgrade options.
- Offer self-guided touring where it makes sense, for buyers who visit outside sales hours.
Stage 4: Events
Events give buyers a reason to visit now instead of “someday.”
- Grand opening events for a new community or phase
- Parade of homes and other local home tours
- Realtor events and broker open houses, since agents bring many new home buyers
- Seasonal events like a fall festival or holiday open house
Make events visible from the road with extra signs and displays at the entrance, and invite your lead list.
Stage 5: Follow-up
- Collect contact information from every visitor.
- Follow up the same day with a thank-you, the plans they liked and next steps.
- Keep in touch with construction updates, new phases and price changes.
Check the rules
Directional signs for new communities are regulated in many places, often with limits on the number, size, placement and duration of off-site signs. Some cities also limit balloons and flags. Check local sign rules and any requirements in your development approvals before placing signs. (See Curb Appeal That Gets Noticed and Stays Within Your City’s Sign Rules.)
Keep it looking good
New communities can be open for years. Walk the route from the main road to the model every week: replace damaged signs, keep displays clean and bright, and update banners when phases and specials change.
The bottom line
Buyers can’t buy a home they can’t find. Lead them from the main road to the entrance to the model with clear, consistent signs, make the entrance and model easy to spot, use events to bring people in, and follow up the same day.
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