You’ve spent several months preparing for a community launch (following Kevin’s Pre-Sale without Fail, of course!) by creating content, strategically distributing community information, hosting pre-sale events, and probably even begging upper management for base prices.
The day is finally here! You’ve launched the new community and secured the first contracts, and the sales team is happily sifting through the rest of the VIP list you so proudly built. (Big exhale…) Life is good!
A lot of work goes behind launching a new community. It’s easy to slip into the mindset that you can coast for a bit following a successful sales release, but keeping that momentum going as long as you can is important! You can only say, “Now Selling!” and have it grab people's attention for so long without having homes on the ground.
Here are a few ways to keep a new community exciting to prospects AND your first home buyers.
Capture the Happy Moments.
Your first buyers just signed a contract and are on cloud 9. Capture those moments! Snap a picture of them in front of a community sales map or with a sold sign. Film video testimonials and post short clips on social media or compile them into one video for the website or emails. Ask them why they chose this community and how you stood out during their home-buying journey. You can also transcribe them into written quotes to live on your website.
Show. Your. Progress.
Document progress in development, the first stages of construction, and even the little things like installing the lot signs. Have the community sales manager walk through the community and point out where the amenities or the model will be. Drone photos and video are perfect for the early stages of development and construction but photos on your phone are great too!
Host Events.
The start of construction in a new community is a day to celebrate! Host a groundbreaking with your team and invite all the buyers and top prospects to celebrate. Purchasers will get to mingle with their future neighbors and prospects will experience the community camaraderie and be eager to join in on the fun! Don’t forget to get photos and videos of the event and create content for social media, blogs, emails, and the website.
If construction is delayed, consider a lot walk event instead and invite buyers out to the community to meet and see their homesites before construction begins. Be sure you have your lot signs up and ready for another photo opportunity with buyers!
Beef Up Your Website Content.
There is nothing worse than clicking on an ad for a new community and being taken to a bare community page with nothing but a couple of renderings and a few floor plans. Fill your website with photos and videos of progress in the community! Even if it’s a drone shot before construction begins, photos from the events or pictures of similar floor plans from other communities. While the future promise is important, don’t worry about showcasing only renderings or waiting for the perfect community photos. Buyers want to see real photos and what stage the community is in.
You worked hard to build that VIP list and execute the perfect community launch, but that is just the beginning! Celebrate the success of your sales launch and then put your foot on the gas to keep the momentum strong.
