BUILDER’s Twitter Directory for the Housing Industry

Are you on Twitter? Is your competitor? Better check this list.

By Alison Rice

Social media—engaging, personal, and best of all in this economy, inexpensive—has become the business tactic of choice for smart companies who want to connect with new and longtime customers.

Want proof? Just look at this list. When BUILDER joined Twitter in October, only a handful of builders were on the free online service, which allows users to send short (140 characters, max) updates to a network of “followers” about their activities. Our original list of “Tweeple” included just 10 builders and 16 other housing-related Twitters, from manufacturers to bloggers.

As you can see from the directory below, that list has expanded substantially. For now, we’ve broken the list down into magazines published by Hanley Wood (BUILDER’s parent company), Hanley Wood editors, state and local HBAs, builders, and other housing-related Twitter users who don’t fall into the previous categories mentioned.

To check out a specific person or company’s Tweets, go to www.twitter.com, add a slash ("/"), and then the person's username. For example, here is BUILDER Online's Twitter feed. If you want to hear more from them, log into your Twitter account, visit their feed, click to “follow,” and their updates will appear in your Twitter timeline.

If you don’t have a Twitter account, you’ll need to establish one and “follow” other Twitter users to establish your own personal newsfeed. If you are new to Twitter, it is sometimes easier to learn how it works by following people with whom you share an interest, such as wine, parenting, or cycling. Just do a keyword search under “find people” and you’ll discover countless people to “follow.” You may also want to see if news organizations in your city are on Twitter; the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and others post headlines and links to major stories during the day.

Alison Rice (@freshbrewedit) is senior editor, online, at BUILDER magazine. Is your housing company on Twitter? Email us to add your firm to this list. Please include your Twitter "@" name and a short blurb about your firm.

Selected Hanley Wood Publications
@AHFMag: Affordable Housing Finance magazine
@aquaticsintl: Aquatics International
@bigbuilder: Big Builder magazine
@builderonline: BUILDER magazine
@customhomemag: Custom Home magazine
@ebuild: Hanley Wood's source for building products information
@ecohomemagazine: EcoHome magazine

Hanley Wood Editors and Staffers
@craiglwebb: Craig Webb, editor of ProSales magazine
@ddersin: Denise Dersin, editor in chief of BUILDER
@freshbrewedit: Alison Rice, senior editor, online at BUILDER
@jeandimeo: Jean Dimeo, editorial director at EcoHome, ebuild, and Building Products
@jodibice: Jodi Bice, marketing manager at Hanley Wood Market Intelligence
@ktom17: Katy Tomasulo, deputy editor at EcoHome
@LaurenHunter_HW: Lauren Hunter, products editor at Remodeling
@LeahThayer: Leah Thayer, senior editor at Remodeling
@lshaver22: Les Shaver, senior editor at Multifamily Executive
@products_hound: Nigel Maynard, senior editor, products at BUILDER and residential architect
@raeditor: Claire Conroy, editor of residential architect
@sfreed: Stacey Freed, senior editor at Remodeling
@syaussi: Sarah Yaussi, editor of Big Builder
@teresaburney: Teresa Burney, senior editor at Big Builder and BUILDER

Builders Who Tweet
A
American West Homes: @AWHomes
B
Bonterra Homes: @BonterraHomes
Bowen Family Homes: @bowenfamilyhome
C
Capstone Homes: @capstonehomes
Casas Del Oso Luxury Homes: @casasdeloso
Centex: @Centex, @CentexIR
D
Del Webb: @DelWebb, @DelWebbChicago
D.R. Horton: @drhortontampa
E
F
Ferris Homes: @FerrisHomes
Fred Williams Homebuilder: @fwhomebuilder
G
H
Hammontree Builders: @hambuild
Hubbell Homes: @HubbellRealty
I
J
K
L
Lee Michael Homes: @leemichaelhomes
Lennar: @Lennar, @Lennar_CHS_MBH, @Lennar_Sac, @Lennar_Virginia , @LennarTucson, @homesInlandLA, @newhomesFresno, @LennarPhoenix, @LennarGvilleSC, @LennarCACoastal, @LennarLasVegas

M M.D. Custom Homes: @MdCustomHomes
Martell Home Builders: @martellhomes
Meritage Homes: @meritagehomes, @legacyhomes, @montereyhomes
M/I Homes: @mihomes
Monte Hewett Homes: @montehewett
N
Norwood Builders: @norwoodbuilders
O
P
Plattsburgh Housing Outlet: @plattshousing
Pulte: @PulteHomes, @PulteChicago
Q
R
Richport Properties: @richportprop
River Sound: @river_sound
S
Schell Brothers: @SchellBrothers
Schulyer Builders: @schuylerbuilder
Sharp Residential: @sharpresidentia
Simmons Homes: @simmonshomes
SmartHomes: @smarthomes
Standard Pacific: @StanPacHomesRal, @stanpachomescha
T

Tom McHaffie: @tommchaffie U
V
W
Wilshire Homes: @homehelper
Windsong Properties: @windsonglife
Woodland Homes: @woodlandhomes
X
Y
Z

State and Local Home Builder Associations
@biasc: Building Industry Association of Southern California
@DeirdreReid: Deirdre Reid, director of member services for California Building Industry Association
@indybuilders: Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis
@Klusman: Dan Klusman, communications director, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Wash.
@mbaceo: Sam Anderson, executive officer, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Wash.
@pcba: Polk County, Fla., HBA
@RickMBA: Rick Miller, COO, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Wash.

Other Housing-Related Twitter Users (bloggers, real estate news sources, building products manufacturers, suppliers, multifamily companies and consultants, public relations firms, and more)Numbers
@30lines: social media resource started by multifamily real estate experts
A
@agallihar: historic restoration and slate, metal, and tile roofing by The Durable Group
@ajgoldman7: construction lawyer and blogger
@AptMarketing: advertising network for apartments
@AtlantaPR: PR firm with builder and developer clients
@ATLMarketing: Atlanta marketing firm for builders and real estate agents
@austintowers: covers downtown Austin, Texas, real estate
B
@btsmarie: social media and marketing for home builders and real estate
@buildingbrands: branding agency specializing in advertising and public media
C
@chicago_homes: Chicago Tribune real estate news
@chrischeatham: green building lawyer and blogger
@ConcreteThinker: Portland Concrete Association
@constructionlaw: construction lawyer and blogger
@cpsinc: Computer Presentation Systems
@Custom_Arch_LLC: custom solid wood framing arches
D
@dennisoneil: Internet marketing firm serving home builders
dwotapka: real estate reporter for Dow Jones
E
@eastcoaststairs: custom interior-staircase company in Connecticut
@eddoss: Internet marketing for new homes
@enduraproducts: door manufacturer
@elaineishere: green building expert
@Eric_Urbane: exec at Urbane Apartments, Mich.
@ESHdotcom: Online community of builders, buyers and home owners on Maryland’s Eastern Shore
@expresslien: online construction lien filing and management service
F
@fixhousingfirst: lobbying effort on behalf of home building industry
@FlammerPR: PR firm with builder and developer clients
@FloorDesignsNV: Las Vegas flooring company
G
@gatedepot: California company selling gates and gate automation
@greendecoder: Tennessee-based green building expert
@greenwombat: Fortune magazine writer on sustainability
@Greg_Peninger: security and low-voltage firm in Texas
@guildquality: customer satisfaction surveying and performance reporting for builders, remodelers, and more
H
@HNN: Housing News Network (affiliated with Meritage Homes)
I
@identityPR: marketing firm serving home builders and developers
J
@jajohnson1827: home plans
@jaysonmanship: specialist in new home referrals and marketing
@JELDWEN: window and door manufacturer
@jillremington: real estate consultants specializing in marketing, sales and business development
@johnherbert: green building specialist
@jonkolbe: residential and resort design and marketing
@JTGoldberg: kitchen and bath designer for builders and homeowners
K
L
@Ladin_Ventures: commercial real estate firm in Minneapolis
@LassoCRM: real estate customer relationship management software
@LaurelZ: specializes in apartment marketing
@ltrosien: multifamily consultant and educator
M
@marktaylorAZ: multifamily property management firm based in Arizona
@mdu1109: specializes in multifamily and student housing
@mdutech: multifamily technology experts
@mercyhousing: affordable multifamily housing developer
@mfguide: multifamily expert
@mikelayne: Marvin Window & Door territory manager based in Charlotte, N.C.
@mikelyon: consulting and training for Internet sales and marketing
@MikeSturdivant: technology manager for the Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC)
N
@mynewplace: marketing platform for apartments
@NewWestRealty: real estate firm in Chicago
@NikkiH: handles PR for Rheem
@noradepalma: building products PR and social media
O
P
@patcurry: freelance editor and writer
@pcbc_TheShow: Pacific Coast Builders Conference, held annually in San Francisco
@pkitano: social media and real estate
Q
R
@reinsoncreative: public relations and consulting on real estate and retirement issues
@remodelers: matching service for contractors and homeowners
@renownmktg: PR and marketing for firms in residential construction and building products manufacturing
@ridgefieldsply: independent lumberyard in Connecticut
@robertbanks: co-founder of BuildDirect
S
@scottwolfejr: construction lawyer and blogger in Louisiana and Washington
@sharishapiro: green building lawyer and blogger
@sigwood_lauren: woodworking and carpentry firm specializing in kitchens, stairs, railings, and more.
@strongwallgroup: green development firm
T
@TBLK: Timberlake Cabinetry
@TheHomeDepot: giant home improvement retailer
@tkotula: promotions and PR director for Apartments.com
@tonyacash: Atlanta marketing firm for builders, real estate agents, and others in industry
@TTho: media and public relations for builders, developers, and more
@TweetIncentives: Internet advertising for builders
U
@UrbaneApts: Michigan apartment firm
@UrbaneHotList: recently rented units from Urbane Apartments
V
X
Y
Z