Making the Builder Channel Work with Rebates
Rebates—the mere mention of the word is often enough to cause building product manufacturers to shudder. “Why pay for the business you already have?” they say.
While this might have been true of builder loyalty programs in the past, the times have changed.
Today, builder rebate programs are not only the key to keeping and growing the business you already have, but they’re also the key to driving new business, especially with those hard-to-find local builders that make up a large portion of the market.
The HomeSphere Ecosystem
HomeSphere has created a unique ecosystem for residential builders and manufacturers that uses rebate technology to the mutual benefit of both parties.
Builders use My HomeSphere™ to simplify the rebate management process. The program makes it easy for builders to find and process rebates on more than 1,500 building products and materials from over 80 participating manufacturer brands. These rebates then get bundled into a single monthly check, saving builders a significant amount of time and money.
The traditional model of builder rebates ends here, but HomeSphere has changed the rules of the game by using product information from builder closings to power HomeSphere-IQ™, an advanced builder discovery and analytics platform for manufacturers.
HomeSphere’s builders represent the largest community of builders in the United States, constructing more than 17 percent of U.S. homes in 2017. As such, manufacturers using HomeSphere-IQ gain unprecedented insight into the builder channel through the data collected by processing rebates.
With nearly 2,200 active builders submitting home closings, our participating manufacturers know exactly who installed their products and where. More importantly, they also know which local builders aren’t installing their products, so they can take action to win more business. No other platform offers competitive intelligence like that.
Since My HomeSphere and HomeSphere-IQ are seamlessly integrated, you can connect with local builders with a simple click of a button. Better yet, our platform allows builders to raise their hands to let you know when they’re interested in using your products.
But HomeSphere-IQ takes it one step further by allowing manufacturers to control the message they present to local builders. Not only can our manufacturers manage how their products appear in our digital catalog, but they can also further optimize the builder channel with targeted product campaigns in coordination with HomeSphere’s Marketing Services.
Taking digital local
As powerful as HomeSphere-IQ is, when it comes to forging relationships with builders, technology can only get you so far. In truth, there’s no substitute for face-to-face contact.
Local builders are busy, and it can be difficult to schedule a meeting without a personal introduction. That’s why developing builder relationships has always been a hallmark of HomeSphere’s service.
HomeSphere’s Regional Market Specialists have spent years cultivating relationships with builders. These in-market experts live in the region they represent and understand local building conditions. Not only can they help you make introductions, but they can also identify leads and help you promote your products to local builders.
Optimize the builder channel
With state-of-the-art builder discovery technology and unbeatable in-market expertise—HomeSphere makes the builder channel work.