You can pour concrete with surgical precision. Frame out a luxury build so clean it should be in a museum. Use the latest building science to make a home smarter than its owner. But if your marketing game looks like it was poured with a blindfold on, none of that brilliance as a customer home builder is getting through. The truth? Custom homebuilders are making some major marketing mistakes that are costing them leads, reputation, and revenue.
We work with some of the best luxury builders in the country. And even they fall into these traps. Here’s the first in our series of mistakes that custom homebuilders are making—and what to do instead.
Mistake #1: Custom Homebuilders Try to Appeal to Everyone
You’re not Amazon. You’re not selling to everyone. You’re building custom, high-end homes in specific neighborhoods for specific kinds of buyers. So why are your ads and social media trying to “go viral” or appeal to every tire-kicker with a Pinterest board?
We had a lead come through for one of our clients the other day that said in the message, “We know we can’t afford you, but we just bought our first home and want to renovate it.” My client didn’t understand why I was so happy. It means that we have identified our ideal client, and that even though this couple had followed our luxury content, they also knew they were not our ideal client and tried anyway. We’ve become aspirational. And guess who is actually taking action on our content – it’s the people who CAN afford us. The ones that are perfectly fine with the $700 or more per square foot when it means generational quality, with the best building science.
Here’s the truth: Going viral is a vanity metric. Profits, not views, build your business. When you’re clear on who your perfect customer is—maybe it’s a retired executive relocating from Chicago to Scottsdale, or a tech founder finally building the dream house in Sedona—you can tailor your message to them. Speak directly to their lifestyle, their concerns, and what they actually value: quality, craftsmanship, energy efficiency, peace of mind.
The fix?
Nail down your only. Complete this sentence: “I’m the only …”
Ready for the rest?
We’ve broken these down into 16 bite-sized blogs (one for each “Sinful Sixteen” mistake from the e-book). Each one will tackle the real issues homebuilders face—from ignoring analytics to quitting too soon to hiding in plain sight.
You’ll get real advice. Actionable fixes. And a little tough love.
Stay tuned for:
✅ Mistake #2: Ignoring the Facts (A gorgeous website doesn’t mean it’s working.)
✅ Mistake #3: No Marketing Education (Your nephew on TikTok doesn’t count.)
✅ Mistake #4: Quitting Right Before It Works (Spoiler: That’s when it starts working.)
✅ …and 12 more coming your way.
If you’re a custom homebuilder who’s tired of doing “what everyone else is doing” and getting meh results, it’s time to work differently. Smart marketing is like a well-built foundation—everything lasts longer when it’s done right.
Need a marketing strategy that doesn’t end with “spend more on ads”? Let’s talk. Our Social Media and Website Audits are chock full of usable information that can take you further. Contact us today.
