Modular housing is stuck in neutral. Many people agree that modular
housing is the best way to build; whether it’s a new home,
a development, FEMA (not HUD) disaster housing, mancamps, hotels, apartment
housing and multi-family but nobody is taking this message to the general
public.
After all the turmoil of the past few years, modular
construction in the residential, light commercial is still only 3-4% of the
total unit construction even though housing is bouncing back. Local planning and zoning commissions are so uninformed about
modular housing that even the mention of it brings to mind single and double
wide trailers on steel frames. Moving up the ladder to county and state
regulatory agencies only broadens the prospects that modular will be placed
under increasing scrutiny making it difficult and sometimes impossible for a
factory or the local builder to meet all the codes and requirements that seem
to be aimed at deterring modular construction.
The general public has more faith in a 25 year old framer
driving a old pickup truck that has magnetic signs on the doors stating that he/she
is a “New Home Builder” than they do for the modular home builder that works out
of his or her office/showroom. The problem is the modular home industry’s lack of marketing to new home buyers.
Cavco, Clayton, Champion are not helping clear up the
problem of people equating modular homes with HUD homes. All these companies
build both and many show them on the same dealer street lots. I remember
dealer that started carrying “Hudular” products from the same factory that was
supplying him trailers putting up a flashing neon sign that read “We now sell
modular homes.”
So who is responsible for not informing the general public
about modular homes? Apparently no one is.
Every modular home factory has a
website that gives a good explanation of what they build along with the
floorplans they offer. But is that enough? No! Very few of these factories have
a marketing plan of their own and there is absolutely no nationwide modular
industry marketing plan. A Facebook page is not a marketing plan.
Modular home builders design websites that tell the visitor
about modular construction but most of the sites are almost apologizing for
using modular by explaining why it is superior to site built housing. Builders
need to make their site less about modular and more about what the builder can
do for the new home builder. Again, a few years back I walked into a modular
home builder’s office/showroom and saw 3 digital picture frames, one on each
wall of the waiting room, showing continuous photos of finished homes,
kitchens, bathrooms, etc. There was not a single picture of a modular being set
or manufactured. I was watching the photos so intently that the owner had to
come over and tap my shoulder to get my attention.
This is not to say that modular home builder shouldn’t tell
their potential home buyers that they build with modular construction. It only
reinforces that since there is no national marketing to support these builders they must compete with the site builders on a level playing field before they
explain that the home the buyer fell in love with is modular. Builders need to
stop being the first line of marketing for modular housing.
So who does speak for modular housing? Besides yours truly,
not many. I’m highlighting three organizations that say they speak for the
modular housing industry. You decide if what they are saying is actually
helping the residential modular housing industry. Are they marketing our
industry to new home buyers and could any of them actually begin to be our
standard-bearer?
First stop: BuildingSystems Councils of the National Association of Home Builders.
The first paragraph on their website states their goals.
The Building Systems Councils (BSC) is the leading resource
for the concrete, log, modular and panelized home building industries. Whether
you are a manufacturer, builder, vendor, or consumer, the BSC is here to serve
your needs. Target a specific council, or explore general systems-built home
information. The BSC aims to educate and inspire through consumer-friendly
documents and interactive learning tools.
They are holding Showcase 24 this Oct on
with the purpose of awarding fellow members for the work they do for our
industry and for excellence in building. The highlight is the Jerry Rouleau
Award for Excellence.
What is missing from their website is any kind of marketing
for residential modular homes. The NAHB website is jam packed with features of
site built homes as is their Facebook page but little or nothing about modular
is promoted. This is the old dog that
probably will never learn a new trick when it comes to modular home marketing.
I give this a ranking of 2 out of 10 on the Modcoach “Excellence
in Marketing” scale.
Second stop:
Their goals are also on the first page of their website.
The Modular Building Systems Association is the only
national organization dedicated exclusively to serving the modular housing
industry. In an effort to improve construction productivity and efficiency, the
MBSA promotes the advantages of modular construction to builders, government
agencies and the general public. MBSA also advocates at the state and federal
level to ensure a fair and competitive playing field for the industry.
Tom Hardiman and his crew of dedicated associates are trying
to resurrect one of the oldest names in our industry. Are they there yet? No.
Are they laying the foundation for the future? Yes. The people at the MBSA know
their way around all aspects of marketing and I’m looking for good things from
them.
They are advocates for our industry and are planning lots of
things to benefit both the modular factory and the modular home builder.
I give this a ranking of 3 out of 10 on the Modcoach
“Excellence in Marketing” scale.
Last stop:TheNational Modular Housing Council, an affiliate of Manufactured Housing Institute.
Their website really doesn’t state what they are doing to
help the modular home builder attract customers to our industry. Rather, their
focus seems to be a blog and some featured articles mostly about manufactured
housing along with builder resources.
The builder resource section is very good and if you’re a
builder please take a few minutes and search through it if you haven’t already.
Their “codes corner” is helpful but comes up short on details. There is a
section for “local jurisdiction adoptions” but there is no way to tell when any
of them were last updated. There is a link to the now defunct Modular Housing
Training Institute and another that lists all their members by state where you
will mostly find double wide factories.
And they offer next to nothing in the way of marketing
modular homes to prospective new home buyers.
I give this a ranking of 1 out of 10 on the Modcoach
“Excellence in Marketing” scale.
As you look through the Internet searching for anything
modular, only one company keeps coming up…..Blu Homes. Are you comfortable with them being the most recognized site of the entire residential modular home industry?
Where do we go from here? I wish I had some quick and clever answers but I don’t. If you have any suggestions on
what we can do to begin a marketing program to help show new home buyers the
benefits of modular housing, send them over.
