manufacturedhomelivingnews.com Manufactured Home Living News
In a survey by Contactually, among the three most important statistics driving sales and marketing facts in real estate for 2016 were:
1.) 80% of all homebuyers are searching online. Some other surveys have put that figure significantly higher. What they all agree on is that home buyers are looking online for their future homes.
Most shoppers want access to every possible detail about the home they are interested in, before they go see it. They may not read or watch it all, but knowing it’s there earns the respect of serious buyers.
2.) Gen Y (also known as Millennials) accounts for 68% of all first-time buyers. A recent NAR report used a similar figure (to see the related article at left, click here.) So, understanding the Gen Y/Millennial market will be key in 2017.
3.) 83% of all homebuyers want to see pictures and/or visually rich images of the home online. Buyers are spending more time online doing research. They want to see model homes, videos or experience a virtual tour of the homes they’re interested in, before going to see a home in person.
Historic Advantages, and Hang-ups…
The manufactured housing industry offers a great, true-to-life-story that all home shoppers should consider. That’s also a reality that all housing professionals should strive to understand and share.
With baby boomers retiring at the rate of some 11,000 plus daily – and Millennials/Gen Y hitting the housing market in record numbers in 2017 – quality, appealing and affordable living are high on the list for these and other groups.
Some Manufactured Home (MH) Industry professionals candidly lament in private, that many in manufactured and modular housing have been slow getting on board with the public’s thirst to know – before shoppers go and look in person.
So, it’s no surprise that when an operation fails to provide prospective buyers the experience they want, those MH Industry businesses are thus limiting the sales they would otherwise make to savvy, value-and-appeal conscious home shoppers.
Change is Coming!
The Next Step in Home Shopping is HERE…
But change is on the horizon for many. It’s already here for some independent and corporate leaders in the factory-crafted home industry.
Sunshine Homes and Clayton Homes have been doing pioneering work in 3D, videos, and digitally-rich marketing for over a year. ManufacturedHomes.com has been pushing that forward-looking trend too.
More recently, Skyline Homes building facilities in San Jacinto, California (see skylinehomesofcalifornia.com), and their Mansfield, Texas (see skylinehomesoftexas.com) websites have added added those modern online shopping features. So, their customers can now enjoy a robust home-shopping experience.
We’ve previously interviewed Skyline’s senior VP, Terry Decio (see the interview linked here, and the video interview above).
About a year ago, Skyline brought on a new CEO and President, Rich Florea.
On our sister trade publication’s Daily Business News market reports on MHProNews, we’ve noted Skyline’s performance has been shooting skyward.
No doubt Florea, Decio and their team are key factors for the firm’s increasing sales volume. As or more important for consumers is that they’ve achieved this growth while maintaining their historic reputation for excellent service to the homebuying customer – underscored by an A+ BBB rating.
Here on MHLivingNews, we continue to watch developments and do reports that home shoppers, manufactured home owners and others will find of interest. It is all part of our continuing coverage of the affordable housing crisis solution that is hiding in plain sight. ##
(Image credits are as shown above.)
