Builders Club Rewards Atlanta April 2025

www.buildersclub.com | Builders Club Rewards 27 News 2024 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Revealed ATLANTA— The 2024 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report results are in. Compiled by Blue Gypsy Inc, Denim Marketing and Melinda Bro- dy & Company the survey compares the follow-up e ff orts of 50 home builders across the country for 30 days. The builders were chosen randomly, with nearly 30 coming from the 2024 Builder Top 200 List. The survey reveals a variety of statistics and inter- esting fi ndings regarding follow-up methods used by home builders during the homebuyer journey. E ff ective lead follow-up is critical for home builder sales. Marketing gen- erates website tra ffi c, but without prompt and engaging follow-up, leads and marketing investments are wasted. Online Sales Counselors (OSCs) are crucial in delivering a positive customer experience to convert leads. Melinda Brody & Company, known for its e ff ective video mystery shops, employed an online shopping protocol for this survey to assess online lead response. Mystery shoppers submitted inquiries via builder website con- tact forms during standard business hours, posing speci fi c questions about builders or communities. Responses were tracked for 30 days and ana- lyzed, comparing builders utilizing OSCs (78%) to those without (22%). “Marketing dollars are still precious, even with today’s increased reach,” Denim Marketing President Carol Morgan said. “Each lead is a valuable opportunity to create a memorable interaction with a potential customer and consistent, systemized follow-up is key.” The 2024 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report compares builders with and without dedicated OSCs to provide actionable insights on cus- tomer follow-up. The report uses a diverse sample to evaluate factors such as speed, personalization and touchpoint variation, o ff ering recommended benchmarks and best practices to improve the customer journey. Some key fi ndings in the 2025 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop are: • 38% of builders never followed up by email. • 36% of builders never followed up by phone. • 50% of all builders sent text messages - 76% were from OSCs. • 22% of all builders sent video emails - 100% were from OSCs. • 78% of builders had online sales counselors in 2024, a 15% increase from 2023. • 13% of OSCs failed to send a single personalized email. • 26% of OSCs neglected phone follow-ups entirely. • 73% of builders without OSCs never followed up by email. • 13% of builders with OSCs never followed up by email. • 75% of builders without OSCs took over 3 days to respond by phone. “Builders with OSCs consistently outperform their counterparts, achiev- ing signi fi cantly higher rates of follow-up, including using a diversity of touchpoints and better frequency and responsiveness,” comments Leah Fellows, President of Blue Gypsy. The 2024 Online Homebuyer Mystery Shop Report is available for down- load at https://denimmarketing.com/onlinemysteryshop. Visit https://DenimMarketing.com to sign up for the Denim newsletter, view the full portfolio and more. Call 770-383-3360 for information on packages and fi nding the perfect fi t with Denim Marketing. Morgan en- courages you to “Try us on for size; you will fi nd Denim to be comfort- able, reliable and personal. Our agency isn’t one size fi ts all – neither are jeans!” About Denim Marketing: Whether stonewashed, faded or indigo blue, marketing strategies from Denim Marketing are tailored to meet each client’s needs and niche. Established in 1999 as Flammer Relations, Denim Marketing began with the basics, providing public relations services to clients. The company has expanded its services over the years to become a full-service strategic marketing agency specializing in strategic marketing, media relations, blogging, social media, promotions, advertising and much more. Denim Marketing aims to be a go-to source for companies looking for a comfortable fi t, strong relationships and results. Stay in touch with Denim Mar- keting by signing up for the newsletter at www.DenimMarketing.com and following @DenimMarketing on social media. For more information, call 770-383-3360 or email [email protected].