Kelly Fink, general manager of Milesbrand, and Courtney Stewart, VP of client relations at Denim Marketing, join host Carol Morgan to discuss the 2025 International Builders’ Show (IBS) on this week’s Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio episode. In this podcast segment, Fink and Stewart discuss what most excites them about IBS and what topics they hope are discussed during sessions at the event.

IBS is not only the largest annual light construction show in the world, but also a chance for home builders, suppliers, agents, marketers and other real estate leaders to get together and foster connections. Fink is most excited to see some of Milesbrand’s clients in person at The Nationals awards and meet with her fellow trustees on the National Sales and Marketing Council.

There are many highly anticipated topics for IBS 2025, from use of AI and data for marketing to housing affordability and how builders are constructing homes in response to recent natural disasters.

Stewart said, “I think one of the conversations that we have a lot, that I am expecting people to talk about on the education side, is how to reach the right audience for your communities, your homes, and then how to convince them to buy despite the market conditions.”

Fink, along with Lisa Welter of JTB Homes and Carol Morgan of Denim Marketing, will be discussing strategies for brand growth during the “Building an Impactful Brand: Beyond Colors and Logos” session. Fink’s portion of the session focuses on branding strategies for master-planned communities. From the Great Recession to COVID-19 pandemic, master-planned communities must be able switch branding focus to adapt to economic challenges. Welter will discuss how her company differentiates its two brands and Morgan discusses how to make social media branding stand out.

“So, the topic, is ‘Beyond Logos and Colors.’” said Fink. “You know, really understanding more about why it’s so important to build an effective brand and invest in that for long term success.”

Morgan will also be presenting in the Jam (b) session: “Do This, Not That: What Homebuilder Marketing Experts Really Want Builders to Do.” This fast paced session also features Greg Bray with Blue Tangerine, Barbara Wray with Wick Marketing and Dennis O’Neil with ONeil Interactive Inc., this session will highlight best practices for digital marketing in the housing industry.

Stewart and Fink also share some of their best tips for establishing a brand identity and how to avoid making common mistakes that drive away customers.

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• Cohesive messaging: It’s important to create a personality for your brand and stick to it! Whether that’s with a new brand kit or editing photos for social media, there are many ways to take your branding to the next level with consistency.
  
• Unique brand DNA: If you were to remove the name and logo off two builder websites, would you know the difference? Identity begins with individuality, which is what Fink is trying to communicate to clients.
  

Fink said, “If you’re not aligned, you’re not going to create the same experience for each buyer.”

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• Use a CRM: Data is everything when it comes to digital marketing. It is important for builders to understand their buyers and follow the buyer’s journeys through the site, social media and email campaigns.
  

“It helps us to be able to track what’s happening and get better data that ties in, you know, with your website data, with the online data that we can see on social,” said Stewart. “All of those different things, and being able to follow that, your buyer journey, through to the CRM and what happens is so important.”

They also mention the importance of visual strategy with quality photography and decorated models at communities, as well as regularly updating your website and social media.

“That’s the first thing people usually come to gather information about you,” said Stewart. “So not having a strong website is really harmful in your marketing strategy, and keeping it updated, especially when it comes to availability…keeping that updated on a consistent basis is so important.”

Carol Morgan is also releasing the second edition of her book “Social Media for Your Business” at IBS, which delves into using social media as a key component of a strong marketing program.

Tune in to the whole episode to learn more about the 2025 International Builders’ Show. For more information about the National Association of Homebuilders, visit www.NAHB.org. More information about Milesbrand can be found at www.MilesBrand.com/.

Based in Denver, Milesbrand offers real estate professionals with highly creative, memorable solutions. The marketings agency boasts three core values – respect, full engagement and growth – to deliver results for its clients.

Milesbrand is up for 13 awards at the annual Nationals Awards Gala, hosted by the National Association of Home Builders and National Sales and Marketing Council at IBS 2025.

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.

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.