Marketing A Community That Doesn't Exist

For established developers, marketing a new community out of thin air is second nature. But for growing builder/developers or even those starting new subdivisions, it can be overwhelming. 

Of course you want to start an interest list. But when (and how) do you announce the project to the public when you don't have the details yourself? How do you build excitement, gather leads, and create a sense of place for something that hasn't even broken ground?

The good news is it’s not as complicated as it might seem. With the right tools and a solid plan, you can create confidence, trust, and a list of prospects long before the first shovel hits dirt.

A Phased Marketing Plan

This is one of the most important (yet overlooked) strategies for marketing a new community that has yet to break ground, and it remains one of the best tools in our toolbox of home builder marketing strategies.

Based on our work with builders nationwide, we’ve recognized the need for a proven process that creates interest in an upcoming community. It requires planning your marketing in phases tied to real development milestones.

We recommend a community kickoff as the first step, where you bring together the marketing team and stakeholders to identify:

• What assets already exist? Think plat maps, renderings, city approvals, Google satellite views, target audience demographics, and pricing analyses.
• What needs to be created? Consider customer-facing lot maps and assets, campaign assets such as a website landing page offering an interest list, email responders, and drip campaigns, as well as brochures and photography (even if it’s stock imagery).
• What key public dates do we know? Get ready to communicate amenity progress, presale pricing, floor plan releases, and lot releases. Create a schedule for when this information will be available and updated to prepare and equip the marketing and sales teams.

Each new asset becomes an opportunity to connect and reconnect with prospects through email updates, social content, and paid media and turns the pre-construction period into a steady flow of updates that build momentum and keep your interest list engaged.

Focus on Lifestyle Content

Early in the process, you may not have photography, renderings, or amenities of the community or homes to show.

Most home building marketers fear a blank slate when it comes to launching a new community, but consider these tips to help you get started on community marketing without those assets.

• Build a sense of place. Use regional photographs or lifestyle stock images that reflect parks, trails, lakes, recreation, or nearby attractions. Mix in some interiors of past homes you've built so it feels a little more real. If you already know the floorplans to be built, show past photos of those builds.
• Use AI to research the location. This tool will help identify what buyers will love about the area, such as top employers, local restaurants, school details, or drive times to everyday essentials. Include these as bullet points in your early stage marketing.
• Don't be afraid to collect leads. Even a simple message like “Homes coming in 2027 from the $500s” can be enough to start building a high-quality interest list when nothing real exists yet.

(Pro Tip: Research what other brokers or communities may have done for other nearby communities. You may not have to reinvent the wheel.)

Treat It Like a Product Release

A well-planned rollout should feel similar to a new product launch. Each new asset becomes an event, whether it’s a floor plan release, a virtual tour, a model home walk-through, or early-bird pricing.

Once you've identified these customer-facing assets early in the planning process, you can tell early-stage visitors what they’ll get when they add their info to the interest list (e.g., "Sign up and be the first to learn about special events or early-bird pricing!) And when you’re ready to release that information, alert your interest list first to deliver on that promise.

We call this the "value proposition" and use it extensively to help builders boost lead generation throughout the presale process.

This type of discipline is common among large developers with entire teams and agencies to guide the process. But for smaller-volume builders and developers, these tips can be transformative and help maintain interest throughout every stage of the project, from excavation to closeout.

Launching a new community in the early stages doesn’t have to be overwhelming. When you combine technology, lifestyle content, and a structured rollout plan, you can create genuine excitement and attract (and even retain) prospective buyers well before construction begins.

If you're ready to bring your new community to life, start by defining its unique story and developing a clear plan for how and when you will release key assets, an exercise that turns early planning into a solid playbook to generate excitement and presales.