Recently, I immersed myself in the New Home Trends Institute’s exploration of their 24 Trends for 2024, and it struck me that these insights may help shape homebuilders’ marketing and content plans for the coming year.

The webinar, hosted by John Burns Real Estate Consulting, unfolded a treasure trove of actionable trends, providing a goldmine for developers, homebuilders, and marketers to tap into immediately. Harnessing this wealth of data isn’t just an option; it’s a strategic imperative.

Fortunately, integrating these trends into your plans for 2024 doesn’t demand an overhaul of your existing campaigns. Think of it as a strategic tune-up, aligning your narrative with the pulse of consumer sentiments. We know that the year ahead promises a tapestry of both positive and negative storylines around the market and economy — and as marketers, we must stay nimble, ready to pivot when the market demands a shift in the conversation.

To kickstart this transformative journey, I’ve distilled insights from 5 of the 24 trends identified by the New Home Institute, presenting practical ways to infuse these revelations into your content.

The best part? It doesn’t have to break the bank; your marketing team or agency consultants can bring these ideas to life.

Reliability Matters:  Authentic Content Reigns

Direct-to-consumer brands do this very well. Apparel, beauty, and retail are all focusing on the customers’ lifestyle and beliefs and pairing it with the brands’ beliefs in compelling ways. It may seem easier to do this when you’re selling a less expensive product, but homes are a great fit for this kind of content. Your home is a place to feel safe, secure, build memories, start a family – it’s where your cultural experience starts.

• Add relatable imagery and stories to your content calendar. Perfectly designed ads are okay but prove to not perform as well anymore.
• Create a series called: Roots & Dreams Unveiled: Tales from Our Community. Showcase 3-5 families who live within your neighborhoods and share what their daily lives are like. Park trips, neighborhood walks, trips to the market – share as user generated content (UGC).
• In addition, interview each family about their 2024 personal goals, their 2024 bucket list, habits or practices they’re hoping to adopt… these questions are endless.
• Splinter this short and long-form content across your social media, YouTube, website and email.

Bells and Whistles Take a Back Seat:  Creative Use of Space is IN

How are families leveraging their space and getting creative within their existing home? With affordability woes, builders need to focus on creative use of spaces rather than including the nice-to-haves.

• Research how families are leveraging their space within homes. Make-shift playrooms, dual guest and office spaces…
• Partner with a home décor or renovation company to assist that family with renovating a room.
• Document the home transformation in a case study and share across your owned platforms.

New Search:  Social Media Dominance

More than 50% of consumers get their news from social media. The way consumers are sourcing information is shifting and will impact how they find brands, establish beliefs and form opinions. Homebuilders and developers need to have a trusted, credible, and relatable presence on social media. Share three pillars: Home, Community and Education.

• Create a community series on social called: Corners & Connections: Our Community Chronicles. Showcase the home features, community lifestyle, local businesses, the high school football team, and a book club in your neighborhood.
• Leverage UGC from homeowners when possible.
• Share educational content around homebuying. Create short form, digestible content and call it: {Insert Homebuilder Here} HomeBuyer’s Blueprint: A Step by Step Guide to Buying a New Construction Home.

Blue Zone Mentality:  Healthy and Connected Living

Blue zones earned their cultural spotlight through the 2023 Netflix documentary: Live to 100 – Secrets of the Blue Zones. It highlighted areas where people lived to be over 100 years old because of food, exercise, and relationships.

Consider hosting a “Blue Zone Experience Day” within your community, where you invite your interest list to a taste of the lifestyle that contributed to the longevity of Blue Zone communities.

• Host cooking demonstrations or healthy eating events within the model homes that showcase Blue Zone-inspired recipes.
• Organize workshops led by health and wellness experts focusing on Blue Zone principles like nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Provide practical tips and recipes that attendees can incorporate into their daily lives.
• Set up wellness checkpoints within the community where attendees can access health screenings, consultations, or informational sessions about maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
• Create designated areas within the community for socializing and building connections. This could include communal spaces, coffee shops, or gathering spots where patrons can engage in meaningful conversations and strengthen relationships.
• Hire a videographer. Edit and splinter this content to use across all platforms throughout 2024.

Selling Joy:  Capturing Moments of Whimsy

There is a street in Sendero, the first village within Rancho Mission Viejo, that creates a winter wonderland of lights during the holiday season. Residents stroll along the streets, neighbors hand out hot cocoa, and kids dance under snow machines. These small surprise and delights are what make lasting memories for families, and you want to capture those moments in your marketing.

• Capture the joy of these community traditions through images, stories, and homeowner interviews and share them across your social media platforms.

This strategic infusion of trends isn’t just about staying relevant; it’s about creating resonance with your audience. As you navigate the marketing landscape in 2024, these insights will not only guide your campaigns but elevate your brand’s connection with the evolving desires of your audience.

Lindsey Ricciardelli is the founder of Hello, HomeBuyer, a consulting firm that leverages the power of homebuyer research and real-time consumer sentiment to supercharge marketing strategy.

Lindsey has over 15 years of experience and has had the privilege of partnering with celebrated homebuilders and developers, specifically creating marketing strategy for master planned communities, 55+ communities and second-home developments.

If you’re a developer or homebuilder in need of real-time home buyer research and consumer sentiment that will fuel your marketing strategy – email Lindsey here.

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