-
Before buyers spend years in a home, they'll spend critical hours in a welcome center, a sales center, or a design center. A disconnect at any one of these points can be the difference between a customer who is happy to refer friends and family and one who just wants to get the whole thing over...
-
It takes Olthof Homes six fewer days to close a house now than it did last June. But the St. John, Ind.–based builder didn't find that time in the sticks and bricks of its homes. It shaved the days from its “soft cycle,” the time between when the buyer signs the contract and the builder breaks...
-
There's something to be said for keeping it local. At least that's what Melbourne, Fla.-based Holiday Builders' marketing director Gary McCann said when he chose CK Communications (CKC), a local full-service communications firm, to work closely with the builder's marketing team on a new branding...
-
The global marketing information services firm J.D. Power and Associates is widely known for its analyses and rankings of automobiles and home builders, but now the Westlake Village, Calif.–based company has turned its sights on major appliances.
-
By really listening to recommendations from its suppliers and contractors, tying the company's back-office system to practical business tasks, and focusing on construction quality, Keller Homes in Colorado Springs, Colo., is sure to score well on the J.D. Power ratings every year.
-
Though some builders are skeptical, consultant Paula Sonkin of J.D. Power & Associates maintains that there is no correlation between the size of the home builder and how well it does on the annual J.D. Power customer satisfaction scores.
-
A HOME BUYER'S EVOLUTION into a homeowner is a difficult transition. After being wooed by personal sales service during the buying process, the homeowner often feels abandoned by the builder once the check is signed.
-
Sometimes it's best to make change happen by bringing in hired pros.
-
New Surroundings looks like a lot of builder Web sites that offer community information. But what sets it apart are two things: its interactive qualities and its depth.
-
Fewer callbacks, streamlined inspections, happier consumers, and (gasp!) even lower insurance premiums have resulted from the focus on quality.
-
Builders who think their buyers need some help filling out a J.D. Power and Associates survey might want to think again.
-
During the first month or two, the willingness of new buyers to refer their friends to their builder is primarily driven by their evaluation of the home's initial "work manship and installation" quality, and their experience during the purchase process.
-
While the builder is looking to wrap up, the buyer is still in the middle of the ride; his or her dream has yet to be completed.
-
If buyers are to enjoy the home buying ride, anxiety must be eased and builders must provide some light at the end of the tunnel.
-
Builders are grappling with the fact that it is no longer so much about the quality of the home but more about the quality of the home buying and homeownership experience that drives customer satisfaction and referrals.
-
Builders committed to delivering a great home buying experience and not just great homes must recognize that putting the customer at the center of everything they do requires turning their cultures -- and their operating procedures -- inside out.
-
THE NAHB RESEARCH Center is celebrating the nationwide rollout of its National Housing Quality (NHQ) Certified Builder program at this year's International Builders' Show. The center piloted the program for more than a year and is now helping builders across the country to realize the efficiencies...
-
New home buyers are more satisfied than ever with their builders, even as the number of units built and the average price of a house increases
-
David Weekley Homes takes action to regain lost footing in Austin.
-
Lessons from the hotel industry put Pulte on top in J.D. Power survey.