October column for Builder & Developer magazine now online

My column for the October 2015 issue of Builder and Developer magazine is now posted online.  This marks the 25th year anniversary of the magazine!

For this issue, entitled "A Look Back Over 25 Years of Market Strategy," I and other columnists were asked to provide an overview of the changes we've seen in the building industry over the last 25 years.

An excerpt:

Another big change has been the shift from large builders focusing on specific niches -- such as entry-level, move-up or luxury homes -- to broadening their scope depending on local conditions. As a result, the importance of valid, verifiable quantitative market research -- coupled with qualitative local expertise -- has never been more crucial to avoid product, pricing and marketing blunders. 

Having once worked for a builder which went bankrupt trying to grow too fast in new, unfamiliar markets while failing to appropriately address higher marketing and merchandising costs, I can attest that following gut instinct simply doesn’t work as well in a much more complicated world.

To read the entire column, click here.

To read the entire October 2015 issue in digital format, click here.