So what caused the drastic changes? What made it necessary to question such a simple, straightforward need and the mode of fulfilling it? The most obvious answer (and the correct one in my opinion or I wouldn’t be offering it to you) is the availability of choices.

8When there is only one option that is the option that is used. And likewise, if an individual is aware of only one option, that is the option that is used. And similarly, if an individual is convinced that one option is better than another that is the option that is used.

You may wonder why we are discussing eggs. Eggs are a solid example of a need that has been in existence for so long that no one questions the fact that they will be bought and sold.

As long as people are around they will need (and want) to eat. Other such needs are obvious. After eating the most obvious need is shelter.

While natural shelters were all the rage "once upon a time" they are really only fully appreciated in our modern times during times of desperation, extreme survival, and dire emergencies. Other than that, most people look for a bit more in their mode of "shelter" nowadays than the nearest cave with convenient cover from the rain.

The same evolution of available options we discussed with the egg is evident when it comes to "shelter." Today’s purchasers find themselves with a plethora of options when it comes to which home to purchase; especially once they’ve made the decision to build a new home.

It used to be that if someone decided to build a home they contacted their local contractor and that was it. He took it from there.

10He had built other homes in the area and they were in use and apparently he was able to fulfill their need. Build it and they will come and all that. But we are all very aware of the myriad changes that have been wrought in this particular industry, and so are most of the buyers out there.

You might still run across the rare individual who is going to go to the nearest builder because they are in the area they are familiar with regardless of their standing with other local builders and national competitors. This is the same individual who will go to the grocery store they always visit because they feel comfortable walking in the doors, they know where to find the eggs and they know which cashier is the quickest.

But this individual is not as common as many think. Most purchasers know the value of their money and want to stretch it as far as it will go.

They research and they take unofficial surveys of friends and family to try to ascertain which product will best fulfill their needs. And all the time, smart builders are doing their best to put themselves in front of prospective buyers as the solution to their every individual requirement.

We call it sales and marketing. Advertising is all well and good. Sales are an accepted necessity, but the combination of both of these, along with appropriate research and statistical analysis to increase company profits, is the key to success in today’s new home building market.

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