I’m preparing a presentation on social media marketing for homebuilders at the industry’s preeminent annual convention, The Pacific Coast Builders Conference (PCBC). As leaders in this relatively new marketing field, our marketing experts are asked frequently to speak on social media as it relates to a variety of industries — and part of our process is to identify success stories to share. What’s difficult about this particular case is the dearth of examples I can cite in my presentation — homebuilders are still in the very early stages of adoption of social media tactics.

Now, this is a movement that has been slowly gaining in the real estate community for some time. Over the past two years, most builders decided to cease their print advertising in the local daily newspapers and other print outlets — whether that was forced by budget restraints or a desire to forge new territory. But still, with so many incredibly smart marketing professionals in this category, there are surprisingly few cases studies to share of savvy social media use.

And so, there is tremendous opportunity. Homebuilders have some catching up to do, but they are a resourceful group and will tackle this new marketing world quickly.

My co-panelists, Lora Heramb from Brookfield Homes and Jason Baer from social media strategy firm Convince & Convert, report similar findings — or lack thereof. There are a few examples of real estate developers and companies out there giving it a go:

lennar.com – their home page is optimized for social media, with their Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and other links easily accessible and right up front.
Builder Magazine’s Twitter list – A listing of builders using Twitter to connect with buyers.
A new blog started for Sales & Marketing Directors in the building industry called smartdirectors.com.
Steve Doyle, our Brookfield Homes client, has had tremendous success with his blog on the homebuilding industry.
Yet, there is still much opportunity for success and leadership in the building industry. As we start to work our way out of a devastating downturn that has left the entire industry reeling, those that are in place to do the rebuilding are generally the more seasoned professionals with years of industry experience. They know the industry has to change, that we will never go back to the ways we did it before. Some will try, and will soon realize the consumer has shifted – forever. Those that shift along with the consumer mindset will see the greatest success.

Stay tuned for more success stories and case studies about homebuilders using social media. Our agency is leading our clients into the deep end, and others are as well. I’m sure next year at PCBC, we will have tons of great examples as builders innovate and expand.