This article first appeared in the PB December 2003
issue of Pro Builder.
Richard Elkman, MIRM, president of Group Two Advertising, a real estate marketing and advertising firm with offices in Philadelphia and Delray Beach, Fla., offers these recommendations to help builders overcome the holiday home buying malaise:
- Hire a Santa for a day or weekend and offer instant photographs of him with visiting children. Use a digital camera and encourage parents to enter the sales office to view the proofs and wait for printouts.
- Not building for a family market? Then promote a pet photo shoot with Santa. Ask for an optional donation to the local Humane Society.
- Display a "gift tree" in one of your model homes. Work with a local charity and use paper ornaments to provide names, ages and clothing sizes of disadvantaged children or families, along with their dearest Christmas wishes. Visitors take an ornament, fulfill the wish and return the wrapped package to your model for distribution.
- Enlist prospects to help feed the homeless during the holidays. Visitors who donate canned goods when touring your model can be entered into a prize drawing.
Advertisement
Related Stories
Sales
Sales and Texting? Know the Rules
Texting your sales prospects en masse can be an efficient way to get your message through if you follow these best practices
Affordability
Will NAR's Landmark Commissions Settlement Lower Housing Costs?
The $418 million deal changes long-standing rules—written and unwritten—that consumers claim inflated sales commissions for home sellers, including new-home builders
Market Data + Trends
January's Mortgage Rate Dip Prompts Some Thawing of the Housing Market
A drop in mortgage rates from recent peaks nudged more homebuyers and sellers into the market, signaling the start of greater supply and demand
