I'm beside myself looking at the progress Lennar has made in the social media space.  Though homebuilders have a reputation of not being quick adapters of Internet technologies, this big builder is breaking away and setting the pace.  A quick glance on the home page and you will easily find Lennar on Facebook,  Lennar on Twitter, Lennar on YouTube, Lennar Communities, and Lennar on Wikipedia to name a few.  

Now some might tend to believe that Lennar is just jumping on the Buzz Bandwagon, until you actually visit those Web 2.0 sites.  Granted, not everyone in the social space really understands effective social media marketing.  Not Lennar.  Social media has had the broad sweeping impact it has because it has more powerfully and conveniently enabled person to person connections.  Social media is about making connections with people and Lennar gets that. 

Personal Experience

I'm following Lennar Corporate on Twitter.  One of the Twitters I received was from a discussion on Lennar's Corporate Facebook page.  You can easily follow along with the path to this connection.   

First, go to www.Lennar.com.

Second, click the Lennar on Facebook link.

Third, scroll down about 75% to the Discussion Board.  It's right under the First Time Homebuyers image.

Fourth, click the Discussion Board topic What does your new dream home include? 

Fifth, you will see my response to their question.

Sixth, you will see that an unknown person in Post #3 commented back to me.  And in Post #4 you will see Kay Howard, the Director of Communication, responded to me personally.

Both on a personal and professional level this is awesome.  Lennar sends out Twitters to all its followers asking for input.  Wait a minute.  Builders asking consumers for what they want in their dream home?  Wow.  There are a couple things going on here.

First, Lennar is asking for consumer feedback.  What a great way to get REAL market intelligence.  How many times do companies just guess at what consumers really want?  No more guessing.

Second, because the unknown in Post #3 and Kay Howard replied to my feedback, I feel as though Lennar is listening to me personally.  When I as a consumer feel a company is listening to me and that they care about me, I can now have a relationship with them beyond the sterility of the typical transaction.  I can now begin to have a relationship with a company like I have a relationship with a person.  To me, Lennar is no longer this cold outer shell of a company.  Now I really like Lennar.  This is the power of connecting with consumers using social media.

It's always been difficult for consumers to identify and associate with a big company but Lennar is opening the doors to online connections like few large companies have and even fewer builders.

So What Does It All Mean?

1.  Lennar has overcome the objections and fears of having public conversations online.
2.  Lennar has overcome the objections and fears of the transparency social media demands.
3.  Lennar has opened the doors to allowing people to connect with the PEOPLE at Lennar.

Lennar is way out in front.  Lennar has created places for consumers to gather, get to know Lennar, and to converse with each other.  This is how you prevent consumers from attacking. With all the negativity about homebuilders on the web, the building industry is ripe for making these kinds of connections.  While it may appear to some that this will open the door to more negativity, I say it will open the door to far more positivity both in marketing and in selling.

Nobody likes change.  It's hard.  It's inconvenient.  It's uncomfortable.  Social media is not going away.  If one of the biggest builders in this country can step out into social media, every builder can.  All you have to do is look at what Lennar is doing.

Additionally, I count 32 Lennar divisions using Facebook and/or Twitter in their social media marketing efforts.

What Other Builders Are Using Social Media?

New Homes Directory has created the Big Builder Social Media Network, a resource for finding the social media links of big builders so you can participate in the conversation.  Go to www.MySpace.com/NewHomesDirectory

Kay, I'm dying to hear what you had to do to overcome all the objections to social media we are hearing from builders.  We would all love to hear your comments.

Jim Adams - CEO
New Homes Directory.com