Dean Kaufman, courtesy of Dwell
It’s time that building materials companies take a step back and look at who their target audiences truly are. It’s no longer the custom builder who brings all spec suggestions to the table when planning new custom homes. Homebuyers/Homeowners, especially women, are coming prepared for the meeting with everything but the kitchen sink – they have a strong conviction about what brand and style they want.
Let’s be serious, guys, the ladies own many major or all consumer-purchasing decisions. They’re also the only ones making money right now. The shift has happened, it’s easier if you just accept it. According to a recent survey from Marketing to Women (M2W), women are making the decision to purchase new homes 91% of the time.
In general, regardless of gender, homebuyers today are savvier than ever before. They know what they want, how much they will spend and when they want the job completed. Custom builders aren’t discounting this either – making it much easier for potential customers to take a first stab at designing their very own dream homes.
Certain custom builders are even specializing in marketing specifically to women. Yes, home builders are now going as far as being trained on how to effectively reach new female customers with programs like Woman-Centric Matters. These programs concentrate on categories within the home that women care most about – entertaining, de-stressing, organizing and flexible living.
So builders and manufacturers prepare – the cabinets, crown molding, doors & windows, kitchens, closet organizers and bathrooms are going to be perfect!
Now that women largely control the checkbook, marketers need to examine whom they are reaching out to and how they are approaching this audience. If women are telling you the categories within a new house that are most important to them, you need to listen and convince them why your product is superior because they aren’t just taking explanations at face value.
Tags: building materials, custom builder, custom home, home builders, homebuyers, Marketing to Women