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Why Builders Are Different

Audience: Marketing and sales teams
Purpose: Understand why generic tactics fail and industry-specific strategies succeed

The Five Critical Differences​

1. Extremely High-Consideration Purchase​

The reality:

  • $30k-$100k+ investment (often second-largest after home purchase)
  • 3-18 month sales cycle from first thought to contract
  • Permanent results (15-20+ years)
  • Major life disruption during construction

Marketing implication: Need content for EVERY stage, not just "ready to buy now." Most audience is 6-12 months out.

2. Trust Is the Primary Currency​

The challenge:

  • Homeowners invite strangers into private space with tens of thousands of dollars
  • Industry reputation problem (distrust is the default)
  • They're not price shopping — they're risk shopping

The data:

  • 92% read reviews before hiring
  • 88% trust reviews as much as personal recommendations
  • 72% will pay more for better reviews

Marketing implication: Build trust FIRST, sell SECOND. Transparency beats flashy claims.

3. Relationship-Dependent Sale​

The process:

  • 7-11 touchpoints before contract signing
  • Involves aesthetics, communication style, personality fit, gut feeling
  • Not transactional — deeply personal

Marketing implication: Show the PEOPLE. Prospects need faces, voices, personality through content.

4. Complex, Multi-Stakeholder Decisions​

Who's involved:

  • Spouses/partners (both must agree)
  • Extended family input
  • Financial advisors
  • Designers/architects
  • Friends/neighbors for recommendations

Information asymmetry:

  • Buyers don't know fair pricing, materials, timelines, red flags
  • Contractors have all the knowledge
  • Gap creates anxiety

Marketing implication: Educational content that reduces asymmetry builds trust fastest. Answer the questions they're Googling at 11pm.

5. Referral and Reputation Driven​

How remodelers get business:

  • Referrals: 40-60%
  • Online reviews/search: 25-35%
  • Social proof: 10-15%
  • Paid advertising: 5-10%

Hyper-local reality:

  • Homeowners want contractors NEAR them
  • Ask neighbors and local Facebook groups
  • Attend local home shows
  • Check local review sites

Marketing implication: Local visibility >> national SEO. Dominate "best remodeler in [your city]."

What This Means for Strategy​

Generic tactics that fail:

  • Aggressive sales pitches
  • Price-focused messaging
  • One-size-fits-all content
  • Hiding problems or pricing

Industry-specific tactics that work:

  • Educational content (Big 5 framework)
  • Transparency (pricing, problems, comparisons)
  • Video marketing (faces, personality, process)
  • Assignment Selling (pre-qualify with content)
  • Local visibility (Google Business Profile, local SEO)

Framework Applications​

Marcus Sheridan's Big 5 directly addresses builder challenges:

  • Pricing → reduces information asymmetry
  • Problems → shows you understand buyer fears
  • Comparisons → positions you as advisor
  • Reviews → provides third-party validation
  • What to Expect → sets realistic expectations

Gary Vee's Day Trading Attention works because remodeling is visual, story-driven, and relationship-based. Perfect for high-volume social content.

Learn More​

Builder marketing is relationship marketing. Build relationships before asking for the sale, educate before pitching, build trust before talking price. Do this consistently, and you'll become the most known and trusted remodeler in your market.