Jim Sorgatz

Why Is Experiential Marketing Essential for Home Builders?

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

^{A giant wall wrap printed by Outhouse, “floating” candles, and authentic table decorations create the perfect setting for a Hogwarts themed party.}

There is a much more businessy answer to this question, but I’m going to start by introducing Darin Keezer, our VP of Operations. Most people know Darin as a number cruncher, spreadsheet whiz, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD) specialist, and an all-around smart guy. Many people don’t realize he is also an expert on experiences and a brilliant party host (watch out, Martha!). Whether it be a Wizard of Oz Halloween or a Harry Potter Birthday bash, Darin and his wife Angie create the most amazing experiences for their two daughters and others. I am so jealous! With all the chatter about left brain vs. right brain – how is it possible that someone so technical can also be so immensely creative?

The bottom line is Darin and Angie know their audience and what kind of experiences they crave. With this knowledge, they put in the time, effort, and expense to create the best, most engaging experiences possible.

People crave personalized experiences. And after spending a significant amount of time sitting at home the past couple of years, we are seeking them out more than ever. In response, companies, and their marketing teams, are ramping up efforts to create unique, hands-on experiences for clients/customers. Salesforce tells us, “Brands who can facilitate outstanding customer experiences will be the ones that will differentiate themselves. And it’s not a secret to executives, as 68% of marketing leaders claim their company is increasingly competing on the basis of customer experience.”

_{Darin and his wife Angie turn their backyard into the road to the Emerald City.}

Outhouse and our digital marketing and web development partners like Blue Tangerine, Group Two Advertising, Meredith Communications, Adlanta Creative, Denim Marketing, A2 Digital Consulting, Boe Creative, Bokka Group, Evolution Marketing, Flying Orange, Kovach Marketing Pepper Glen Creative, Rhoads Creative, Wick Marketing, and 616 Marketing, and more understand the importance of experience when marketing for home builder clients. In today’s scroll through, swipe left, swipe right world, home builders need to stand out from the crowd if they want to be memorable. Experiential marketing gives a competitive edge to forward-thinking builders.

So what does experiential marketing encompass? A few general examples include:

Demos
Events and festivals
Activities and kiosks at trade shows
Unique brand experiences
Retreats

In other words, pretty much anything that actively engages clients/consumers.

_{Darin’s Halloween experience gives Tim Burton a run for his money.}

How does this relate to home building? The past couple of years have been huge for our industry. As the pace slows down, the top builders are elevating their homebuyer experience to grow sales. Static floorplans and stick renderings are out. Interactive Floor Plans, Interactive Site Plans, Visualizers, User-Controlled Virtual Tours, onsite Interactive Sales Kiosks, and community events/open houses are in. Today’s tech-savvy home buyers expect and respond most positively to experiential marketing online and in your sales centers. This interactive community map created for SoMi by Homes Built for America is a prime example.

_{Click the image to engage with the multi-layered site map, interactive floor plans, and more for SoMi, the new community by Homes Built for America.}

Here are the most significant benefits you will see if you create a more engaging website and sales center:

Increased Brand Awareness
Emotional Connection: People purchase products based on emotions — positive, hands-on experiences move them closer to conversion.
Word of Mouth: Draw potential buyers by giving people something to talk about on social media with a fun activity and a hashtag.
Lead Generation: Outhouse has designed our Interactive Floor Plans and, Interactive Sales Kiosks to deliver leads directly to your inbox. Participatory social media campaigns can generate leads as well.

Humans crave experiences. Think about that when you open a new community or redesign your website. A day at Six Flags can be fun. But, like Darin with his Harry Potter-themed parties, the best theme parks (Disney, Universal) understand people want more than a simple roller coaster. They return again and again for the experience – the interaction and emotional connections.

Outhouse has dedicated significant time and resources to developing online experiential marketing tools housed on a single Virtual Interactive Platform. Compelling on their own, our Interactive Floor Plans, Interactive Site Plans, Animations, Virtual Tours, and Visualizers are even more engaging when builders roll them all into an Interactive Sales Kiosk.

The benefits of experiential marketing are numerous. Outhouse is here to help you explore, learn how to create emotional connections with homebuyers, and discover which online and onsite engagement tools will boost your sales. Contact us today to learn more.

“Learning Never Exhausts the Mind”

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

Builder Digital Marketing Summit – Live!

September 21-22, Phoenix, AZ

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” We love this quote from Leonardo da Vinci. And learning from experts and peers is the objective of the Home Builder Digital Marketing Summit, a two-day, action-packed, educational event! Reviews from prior years’ attendees bring this point home:

“I love that you had actual builders speaking! We hear from the same people over and over…. It’s wonderful to have some new voices in our industry!“

“The Summit was thought-provoking and insightful; I took away valuable information that I could use with my team.“

“Relevant topics and a plethora of actionable processes that can be implemented to start garnering results are a win in my book!“

Our Summit is Back and In-Person!

After two years online, we are excited to be hosting our fourth annual Summit in person once again, September 21-22 in downtown Phoenix, AZ. Taking place at the Found:RE hotel, we have an exciting line-up of leading industry experts who will guide you through two days of presentations, round table breakout groups, builder panel discussions, and networking. The curriculum is designed specifically for home builders seeking to optimize website and digital marketing strategies, furthering your ability to effectively grow sales.

Learn from the Experts

Explore with us the use of digital marketing to evolve the home buyer journey. Our speakers including Greg Bray and Cabe Vinson from Blue Tangerine, and Kevin Weitzel from Outhouse, will lead attendees through discussions on the most effective online tools, SEO, lead generation, digital marketing tactics, and more. Featured speakers include:

Stephanie McCarty Chief Marketing & Communications Officer Taylor Morrison

In her role, Ms. McCarty leads brand marketing, employee, customer and shareholder communications, media relations and PR, ESG initiatives and reporting, and crisis and issues management. In the last year, she has implemented an online customer experience strategy that includes innovative, industry-leading customer acquisition tools and products—establishing Taylor Morrison as a differentiated, progressive brand and helping to move the future of home shopping forward.

Dana Spencer National Vice President of Sales K. Hovnanian Homes

Ms. Spencer has been in the home building industry for nearly two decades beginning in 2003 with Pulte Homes, Pardee Homes, and Woodside Homes, generating over $70 million in sales in her career as a sales consultant. In 2011, Dana relocated to Arizona moving into sales leadership. In 2018 she was recruited by K. Hovnanian Homes to serve as Vice President of Sales with the Arizona Division. Six months later, she was promoted to her current role as the National Vice President of Sales where she leads the corporate sales efforts, initiatives and strategies on a national level.

Bob Mirman CEO and Owner Eliant, Inc.

The mission of Mr. Mirman’s 37-year-old firm Eliant, Inc. is to assist consumer-driven companies in systematically delivering an extraordinary experience to every customer, thereby turning delighted customers into referral generators. Eliant has provided international customer experience monitoring, training, and consulting for over 1,600 homebuilders and major mortgage and escrow firms across the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. They also provide customer experience management services for BMW, Toyota, Beckman Instruments, IBM, and many others.

Network with Other Builders

Valuable learning takes place not only when we listen, but when we actively engage with each other. Alongside presentations are round-table discussions, builder panels, and an evening networking event. These opportunities to interact with each other help participants see how the knowledge we gain can be put to practical use.

Take Away Valuable Information

The valuable expertise packed into these two days will help you turn up the volume on your digital marketing. Whether you need to fine-tune your existing strategy or decide what first steps you should take to get your homes online, you will come away with new ideas, questions answered, and some great new business contacts. We can’t wait to see you there! Learn More & Register

Inclusion Sells

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

Although I have always been a big proponent of inclusion, a photo I recently stumbled across on a clothing website really got me thinking about the topic and its relation to new home sales. In the world of fashion – old comes long before age 30. It’s rare to see models who are middle-aged, heavy, or imperfect in any way. Let’s be honest, who doesn’t like pretty!

Orelebar Brown is a men’s clothing brand I had never heard of. But on their website, I see a handsome, older man with wrinkles, greyish hair, and a surfer coolness. The little voice in my head shouts, “I want to be THAT guy!” Yeah, there are the younger, handsome 20-year-olds in the background of the same page, but there is just something about the confidence and life-well-lived attitude this man exudes. And, he is probably the most representative of a buyer who can afford the $200 t-shirt – this is an expensive brand!

As a company that prides itself on a culture of acceptance and diversity, our marketing team at Outhouse has noticed a recent shift by many famous brands to be more inclusive. In the fashion world, Victoria’s Secret now features plus-sized models. MAC cosmetics has their transgender cover girls. Even Gucci recently launched a campaign featuring all-black models. Many other brands are also thinking outside the box to present advertising that is much more inclusive. The bottom line is we want to see happy people that look like us. We all can’t be cover models. And sometimes, that inclusiveness needs to stretch beyond looks. People with limited physical abilities, including those who are visually impaired or blind, want to “see” themselves in advertising as well.

The move towards inclusion holds true for the housing industry as well. This topic is increasingly top-of-mind for builders and builder marketing agencies. Late last year, an episode of The Sales & Marketing Power Hour hosted by Outhouse friends Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing, and Kimberly Mackey of New Homes Solutions, focused on ”Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.” In a recent post on LinkedIn, Jennifer Cooper of Evolution Marketing, the featured guest on our April 27th “Sales Office of the Future” webinar, shared an article about Old Navy letting TikTok write its spring ad campaign. In the post, Jennifer queries, “What happens when you ask your customers what they want to see in an ad?” In another post, Andrew Bazan from Lennar shares a Bloomberg article, “Removing Resumes From Hiring Process Can Improve Diversity.” Hmm…this an intriguing idea!

Although the Fair Housing Act stipulates that models used in advertising must represent both majority AND minority groups, a random review of home builder websites shows plenty featuring primarily happy, healthy, young, white families with a mom, dad, and 2.5 kids. This vision of America may appeal to many, but it certainly is not representative of our country’s demographic make-up. It also sends a subtle message of exclusion, most likely not intentional, as builders are typically happy selling to any buyers who qualify.

Our industry is in a tremendous period of growth, so appealing to the broadest range of home buyers may not seem of paramount importance. But the tide will turn again at some point. Builders whose websites and ad campaigns draw a diverse group of buyers will better position themselves to prosper as we head into the next inevitable downturn. So, take a look at your website and marketing. Do you see yourself? Do you see friends and neighbors? Do you see the family down the street who may appear slightly different? If you are missing anyone, now is the time to make adjustments—your marketing matters. Even if you are a luxury builder, those families buying first-time homes today may be looking for more upscale homes tomorrow. According to the Prophet Brand Relevance Index, top brands like Apple, TED, Bose, Android, and Fitbit are human-centered. “Brands are finding success in our new normal by connecting with us as humans—by appealing to the head and the heart.” And, we achieve connection when people see themselves, the vision of themselves they are trying to achieve, in our marketing efforts.

Rules of Engagement

October 1, 2024
By Jim Sorgatz

Penguins surrounding expedition gear sitting a rock.

In the military, rules of engagement are a directive specifying the circumstances and limitations under which forces will engage in combat with the enemy.

In Antarctica, the rule of engagement is – bring on the penguins!

Hundreds of penguins walking along a beach. Snow covered ice shelf and mountain in the background.

I recently had the good fortune of taking an expedition to the great white continent. Superlatives are not unwarranted. The icebergs are astounding. The clouds are incredible, unlike anywhere else I have ever been. They feel so close you can touch them. The landscape is otherworldly. And the penguins are utterly captivating and engaging. The Antarctic Treaty dictates that visitors maintain a distance of 15 metres from the penguins, but that doesn’t mean they won’t come to check you out! Penguins are as curious about us as we are about them.

Leopard seal lazily resting on black sand.

Not only are penguins the stars of the show for adventurers like me, they also draw crowds of other animals by sea to Antarctica. Technically, it all starts with the krill, but penguins are a favorite food of leopard seals, fur seals, sea lions, and sharks. And all are prey to killer whales. Watching the circle of life play out in real-time has its sad moments, but it is also one of the most fascinating spectacles on earth. With landings in both Antarctica and the Falkland Islands, I saw more penguins than I could count. Is it possible to get tired of them? For countless other explorers and me, the answer is an emphatic NO! They are SO engaging!

Rules of engagement apply to home builders as well. To sell homes, you need to engage home buyers. Traditionally, this has been accomplished with model home tours and glossy brochures. Although those still play an essential role in new home sales, today, home builder websites are the stars of the show. What used to be seen as a sales mechanism for younger buyers is now the primary marketing vehicle for home builders to reach all generations. This means engaging tools like interactive floor plans and site maps, visualizers, virtual tours, Matterport tours, and interactive sales kiosks are no longer options. In the home building industry, they are a necessity.

Penguin with baby chicks sitting in their pebble nest.

As potential home buyers become more web-savvy, they seek a more sophisticated online experience. This is where connected, interactive platforms, like the Virtual Interactive Platform (VIP) by Outhouse, come into play. Beginning with an interactive site map, potential buyers can click on lots to view interactive floor plans, renderings, animations, virtual tours, visualizers, and more. The beauty is entire platform is built upon a single site map.

Penguins relaxing on a white sand beach. Tall grass in the foreground.

Do not underestimate the power of virtual tours and visualizers. As builders begin moving towards a “buy now” option online, these interactive tools contribute significantly to your website’s ability to engage homebuyers and sell new homes. User-controlled virtual tours allow families to tour your homes from anywhere in the world. Interior and exterior visualizers encourage potential buyers to customize homes, increasing their vested interest.

In addition to incorporating interactive tools on your website, boosting engagement with these tools should also be part of the conversation. There are several best practices to accomplish this. The 2-3 click rule, for example, is the maximum number of clicks to get to your interactive floor plans. Other guidelines relate to how your interactive floor plans and site maps open (iFrames vs. responsive opens). Some of these apply specifically to one tool or another. The team here at Outhouse, or one of our website development partners like Blue Tangerine, Bokka Group, Adlanta Creative, Kovach Marketing, 616 Marketing, Power Marketing, Group Two, or Meredith Communications, are happy to review these with you.

A group of 9 King Penguins.You can see their orange necks.

The goal is to draw homebuyers in and keep them engaged on your website. Like the penguins in Antarctica, interactive tools are the star of the show on home builder websites. Implemented correctly, they keep buyers coming back and, ultimately, increase your conversion rate.

Education Sessions We’re Digging at IBS 2022

March 28, 2025
By Jim Sorgatz

With the International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando only a week away (Feb 7-10), we wanted to give a quick overview of some of the great educational sessions presented by Outhouse, industry partners, clients, and friends. The event may be smaller this year, but the programing is top-notch! We also look forward to exploring the show floor, attending The Nationals, the VIP Builder Party, and meeting up with you all. Speaking of the Nationals, the Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast featuring our own Kevin Weitzel is a Silver Award winner. We are excited to be in the running for the Gold!

Here are a few of the sessions we look forward to attending.

Strategies & Success Secrets for Creating the Online Home Shopping Experience Buyers Expect

Featuring Outhouse’s own Kevin Weitzel, and Greg Bray of Blue Tangerine
Thu, Feb 10 \ 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm EST \ W308-C
Homebuyers now have an online expectation that must be met and are more comfortable than ever purchasing a home without having to physically visit it. Join us for an engaging discussion with a group of top industry technologists who will show you the online experience your customers expect and expose how e-commerce technologies can drive new home sales.

The Power of Dynamic Thinking: Embracing Change as the New Normal

Featuring Al Trellis of Home Builders Network and Kevin Oakley of Do You Convert
Mon, Feb 7 \ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST \ W304-A
In this Master Workshop, a powerhouse panel of industry experts explore the concept of dynamic thinking and how you can create a culture of change across your organization that constantly allows for improved operations, competitiveness and profitability. From design through delivery, you’ll explore and rethink all aspects of your business.

Marketing Strategies for the Future: Level Out & Level Up

Mollie Elkman of Group Two, Kerry Mulcrone of Kerry & Co., Bryan Mecsey of Zillow, and Karen Schroeder of Mayberry Homes
Mon, Feb 7 \ 1:00 pm – 4:00 pm EST \ W304-C
As the clouds part and things begin to level out, now’s the time to reassess your marketing efforts and set a course that keeps you ahead of the competition. This Master Workshop has you covered! The Marketing Umbrella approach is about thinking broadly when it comes to research, strategy, branding, content, digital and experiential marketing. We’ll explore the five elements for building a marketing plan with low spend and big results, and dive deep into the most effective tools out there.

Managing Through Success Complacency: Keeping Your Team on Top of Their Game

Chris Hartley and Cory Charles of K. Hovnanian Homes, and Jennifer Cooper of Evolution Marketing
Tue, Feb 8 \ 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm EST \ W311-C
How do you keep your team on top of their game regardless of market conditions? By sharing a proven process, a panel of experts will take you through the steps that support sales, marketing and training to ensure your team does not fall victim to a great market. Learn how to build, develop and grow powerhouse teams that focus on customer experience, sales and marketing. Understand what roles are vital in today’s world, how to train your teams for success and how to get buy-in for roles that you need in the future.

Extreme Makeover Sales Edition: Empowering Your OSC to Guide Sales Conversion & Customer Experience

Featuring Ingrid Prince of Century Complete, Leah Fellows of Blue Gypsy, Cori Masters of Beacon Homes – Shared Drive, and Heidi Schroeder of ECI | Lasso
Wed, Feb 9 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ W315
Are you letting your OSCs take the lead, and are your customers getting what they want? If not, it may be time for an Extreme Makeover of your lead handling process. In this fast-paced, game show style session, our five OSC experts will provide their unique and spirited views to this process. Receive unmatched advice as you learn today’s best practices for lead qualification and conversion while giving your customers the experience they desire.

From Prospects to Profits: A Systemized Process for Sales Success

Featuring Erik Cofield from Association of Professional Builders
Wed, Feb 9 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ W311-C
Numbers tell a story, and learning to generate and read numbers within your sales process allows for tremendous insight and smart, accurate decision making. But no manual process can deliver the numbers, the story and benefit of an automation one. In this interactive session, learn how to systemize your sales and leverage your numbers into formulas, decisions and a process that will lead to a great level of success.

How K. Hovnanian Uses AI & Digital Engagement to Put Buyers in Control of Their Buying Journey

Bassam Salem of AtlasRTX and Dana Spencer of K. Hovnanian
Wed, Feb 9 \ 10:15 am – 10:45 am EST \ Tech Bytes – W230
K. Hovnanian Homes has been at the forefront of new digital technologies to reduce friction between builder and buyer throughout the entire customer journey. Explore how they use their website as an important salesperson, and learn about their wildly successful digital assistant, ‘Ana’, text messaging, and other automated technologies that have helped them revolutionize the digital homebuying process.

Does Your Website Have a “Buy Now” Button?

Greg Bray of Blue Tangerine, Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing, and Paul Gortzig of Bokka Group
Wed, Feb 9 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W311-A
Car dealers have perfected selling cars online — even allowing for a variety of options and upgrades. Why haven’t home builders figured this out? This session focuses on what home builders need to add to their websites to make “Buy Now” possible. Integrating technology with marketing messaging and learning how the sales team supports the customer experience for early adopters is key.

The New Rules for New Home Sales: Reevaluating Your Sales Process & Tactics in a Digital World

Matt Riley of New Home Inc, Chad Sanschagrin of Cannonball Moments, and Myers Barnes of Myers Barnes Associates
Wed, Feb 9 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W315
In 2020, builders hurried to adapt to a shift to complete online selling. From home tours to closings, every step evolved to a virtual system. In 2021, the unprecedented demand pushed builders and new home sales professionals to their limits. In the haste to keep up, did you institute the best practices? Have you maintained the fundamentals you need? This advanced session will help you look at what works and where you can improve your sales system.

Is Your Sales Team Ready to Keep “By Appointment” Going?

Kimberly Mackey of New Homes Solutions Consulting, Melanie Mickie of Engel & Volkers, and Linda Hebert of Diversified Marketing and Communications
Thu, Feb 10 \ 11:15 am – 12:15 pm EST \ W311-C
For years, sales trainers have preached the value of setting appointments versus simply relying on walk-in traffic. After everything we have experienced in the past two years, have our sales teams finally seen the wisdom in doing so? Data shows that scheduling appointments creates a far better customer experience and equates to approximately 50% better closing rate. Working by appointment also generates more quality time with buyers, fewer tire kickers, more qualified buyers and much more. Join us to learn the systematic approach to help your sales team recognize the continued value of working by appointment and build their sales flow.

Uncover Hidden Gems in Local SEO Optimization

Cabe Vinson of Blue Tangerine
Thu, Feb 10 \ 11:15 am – 11:45 am EST \ Tech Bytes – W230
You understand the importance of SEO. You’ve spent a lot of time and money to optimize your content, site, profiles, meta data and more. Yet you still find yourself asking the question: “Why isn’t my business showing up at or near the top of the search results?” In this Tech Bytes session, uncover some strategies you can implement now to build upon your SEO foundation and improve your local search result rankings.

60 Design Ideas in 60 Minutes

Featuring Dave Miles of Milesbrand, and more
Tue, Feb 8 \ 9:15 am – 10:15 am EST \ Tangerine Ballroom – West Hall F3
In this fast-paced session, industry-leading architects, interior designers, developers and builders will share the most current design ideas and strategies that you can use to update your elevations, renew floor plans, animate streetscapes, enhance amenities and develop dynamic neighborhoods. Using a wide array of drawings and photos, the panelists will show you how cutting-edge design can capture your buyer’s attention and make the sale.

Tools for Growth & Protection When the Market Ebbs & Flows

Mike Dildine and Jared Maybon of Highland Homes
Wed, Feb 9 \ 3:45 pm – 4:45 pm EST \ W304-C
Markets will always have their highs and lows, and for many small business owners, those variations can stunt or slow desired growth, or restrict holding the status quo. This session will highlight the tools used to help builders and remodelers not only accelerate growth beyond their goals, but also protect them from losing traction when conditions of uncertainty, even unprecedented ones, surface in the market.