Meritage Homes: Realtors Are the Strategy

The house down the street might be a builder’s biggest competitor. It is already finished, the landscaping is established and there is no waiting for construction to wrap up. And if the buyer likes it, they may be able to move in within weeks.  Andy Dugger, division sales manager with Meritage Homes, joins host Carol Morgan on Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio to discuss what he is seeing in the Atlanta new home market, how buyer priorities are shifting and why the builder considers Realtors a central part of its sales strategy.  ## **Atlanta New Home Builders Are Competing With Resale Inventory** New construction is competing with more than other builders. Atlanta’s large and aging resale housing stock gives buyers another option, often with the advantage of a faster move-in timeline. Builders must account for that when they bring homes to market.  Meritage Homes addresses that demand with its closing-ready guarantee, offering homes that can close within 60 days. The approach allows the builder to compete not only on home quality and price, but also on the buyer’s preferred timeline.  ## **Homebuyers Are Shopping for Affordability, Not Just Price** Affordability goes well beyond the number on a listing. Interest rates, monthly payments, everyday expenses and the ongoing costs of homeownership all factor into the decision, making the overall cost of a home just as important as its purchase price.  > “Affordability is just a major issue across all purchasing decisions people are making,” Dugger said. Meritage Homes offers rate buydown opportunities on qualifying homes, including rates as low as 4.99% and 5.5% fixed for 30 years. Dugger said conversations with buyers often focus on how financing affects their monthly payment and what they can comfortably afford.  ## **Energy Efficiency Is Part of the Homebuying Conversation** Energy efficiency may not be the first thing a buyer asks about when touring a new home, but it can have a meaningful impact on the cost of ownership. Meritage Homes builds its homes with spray foam insulation and full encapsulation, and Dugger said the company highlights those features as part of the long-term value of a home.  ## **Realtors Are Meritage Homes’ Sales Strategy** For Meritage Homes, Realtors are not simply another marketing channel. They are a critical part of the business model.  > “Realtors are the strategy. They’re not part of the strategy. They are the strategy,” Dugger said. More than 40% of the company’s deals last year involved Realtors who had worked with Meritage Homes before. Some agents bring multiple buyers to the builder each year, making those relationships valuable well beyond a single closing. Meritage Homes supports those partnerships through its Agents Rocks program, which provides participating agents with exclusive information, incentives, open house opportunities and, for top-tier agents, listing opportunities.  ## **Social Media Works Best When Realtors Provide Useful Information** A beautiful home tour can attract attention, but useful information can turn that attention into a lead. Realtors who are generating business through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms are creating content that gives consumers a reason to reach out rather than simply showcasing a property.  > “I think the polished home tours help with views, but the information is really what drives people to reach out to somebody,” Dugger said. Dugger shared the example of a Realtor who completed 31 transactions in her second year, including 28 new construction deals. Nearly all of those leads came from social media, demonstrating how new construction expertise can become a powerful content and business-development strategy.  ## **Builders Can Help Realtors Create More New Construction Content** Realtors do not have to create every piece of content from scratch. Meritage Homes gives agents access to model homes, amenities, spec homes and sales consultants that can help them develop content for their audiences. A Realtor could spend an afternoon filming in a community and leave with enough material for weeks of social media posts.  Meritage Homes also works with Denim Marketing at events to create social media stations where Realtors can film professional content and learn techniques they can use on their own. For builders, those efforts extend the reach of their communities. For Realtors, they provide another way to demonstrate their new construction expertise.  ## **Realtors Can Grow Their New Construction Business by Learning the Process** Realtors who primarily work in resale may be less familiar with the timelines and processes involved in new construction. Dugger encourages agents to connect with new home sales professionals and learn where they can add value for buyers.  That knowledge can help Realtors prepare clients for the differences between a resale transaction and new construction. It can also give agents a steady stream of relevant topics to share online, from construction timelines to the stages of the homebuilding process.  ## **Strong Builder-Realtor Relationships Can Create Repeat Business** A successful builder-Realtor relationship should not end at the closing table. Meritage Homes views those relationships as opportunities for both sides to grow their businesses over time. That distinction matters in a market where buyers need more guidance and Realtors are finding new ways to connect with potential clients. A builder that gives agents access to inventory, information and content opportunities becomes more than another option in an MLS search. It becomes a resource Realtors can return to for their next client.  ## **The Atlanta New Home Market Rewards Builders and Realtors Who Adapt** Atlanta’s new home market is asking builders and Realtors to think differently. Buyers are comparing new construction with resale inventory, scrutinizing monthly costs and looking for more information before making a major purchase. At the same time, Realtors are using social media to build relationships with buyers long before they walk through a model home.  For Meritage Homes, the answer is not simply to build a better house. It is to meet buyers on their timelines, help them understand the full cost of homeownership and build lasting relationships with the Realtors helping them navigate the market.  > “When you have a business partner that wants you to succeed, that’s when it becomes transformative in their business as well,” Dugger said. To learn more about Meritage Homes, listen to the full episode and visit https://www.meritagehomes.com/.   ### **About Meritage Homes** Meritage Homes is a leading U.S. home builder focused on designing and building energy-efficient homes for today’s homebuyers. Founded in 1985, the company operates across multiple markets throughout the country, including Metro Atlanta. Meritage Homes combines thoughtful home designs, energy-efficient features and a streamlined homebuying experience to help make homeownership more attainable.  ### **Podcast Thanks** Thank you to Denim Marketing for sponsoring Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio. Known as a trendsetter, Denim Marketing has been blogging since 2006 and podcasting since 2011. Contact them when you need quality, original content for social media, public relations, blogging, email marketing and promotions. A comfortable fit for companies of all shapes and sizes, Denim Marketing understands marketing strategies are not one-size-fits-all. The agency works with your company to create a perfectly tailored marketing strategy that will suit your needs and niche. Try Denim Marketing on for size by calling 770-383-3360 or by visiting www.DenimMarketing.com.        ### **About Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio** Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it. Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio was recently honored on FeedSpot’s Top 100 Atlanta Podcasts, ranking 11th overall and number one out of all ranked real estate podcasts. The post Meritage Homes: Realtors Are the Strategy appeared first on Atlanta Real Estate Forum.