This week on The Home Builder Digital Marketing Podcast, Monaca Onstad of OnPlace joins Greg and Kevin to discuss how home builders can build a brand story around the communities they build in and connect more authentically with home buyers.
Most home builders are proficient at marketing their floor plans. Monaca says,
“I know that’s their product and that’s what they want to sell, and most builders are doing a great, great job. Builders are really into their product because they’re builders. They love building homes. This is what they do.”
However, home builders can overly focus on the floor plans and not emphasize the community enough. Monaca explains,
“Sell the vision first and then the floor plan. Maybe talk less about your floor plans, more about the community and what’s happening there, especially on social. Because people, once they start falling in love with the community, they’ll figure out what floor plans you have. I’m not saying hide it and don’t talk about it at all, but don’t go directly to this is a three-bed, two-bath kind of thing. Because again, we can get those anywhere.”
One of the most important aspects of selling the community starts with the brand story. Monaca says,
“So, starting with the right story. We like to make sure that story is authentic, that it’s just not made up, like really try to tie it into something around the community and then stay true to brand. So, I think that one of the things that makes a really true place is creating the brand that really starts with something and then following through with that brand, really just embodying the brand. So, placemaking, there’s not just one word for it, but it’s really trying to make sure that you’ve got that vision. What is that story?”
Listen to this week’s episode to learn more about how home builders can create a story around the neighborhoods where they build, which will resonate more genuinely with customers.
About the Guest:
Monaca Onstad is the founder and CEO of OnPlace, a placemaking firm focused on driving home sales and leasing efforts for master planned developers and home builders across the nation. With over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry, Monaca launched OnPlace in February 2022 to help her clients create meaningful, connected communities through strategic programming. OnPlace specializes in amenity planning, lifestyle design and management, information center operations, and fractional marketing services.
Monaca is a nationally recognized leader in the placemaking, community relations, and lifestyle space. She was named Best Lifestyle Director in the U.S. in 2018 by the NAHB Sales and Marketing Council and ranked among the top four lifestyle directors in the country from 2019 through 2022. Her public service includes roles as a Manatee County Planning Commissioner and board member of both the Manatee Community Foundation and Lakewood Ranch Community Activities. She is also an active member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Lifestyle 55+ Residential Development Council and the New Home Trends Institute (NHTI) MPC Council.
Monaca co-hosts the Smith Lane podcast, where she explores community-building and placemaking with industry leaders. The show is inspired by her roots on Smith Lane—a close-knit street in her hometown—where neighbors supported each other through life’s highs and lows.
