|
Indiana Builders Paint a Brighter Picture of Local Market
Armed with extensive local statistics, the Home Builders Association of St. Joseph Valley (HBASJV), which encompasses South Bend, Ind., is putting the national housing crisis into perspective for local news outlets.
Two recent news stories highlighted the facts that the builders of St. Joe County want consumers to know about the state of their local industry: “Area housing outperforms national market” appeared in the Tribune Business Weekly and local CBS affiliate WSBT-TV broadcasted a story in which “Experts say local housing market poised for turnaround.”
Such optimistic headlines weren’t always the case. “After we read one-too-many sensationalized articles in the South Bend Tribune about the national housing market, we realized that something had to be done,” said Barbara Carmichael, executive officer of the builders association.
HBASJV and the Greater South Bend-Mishawaka Association of Realtors® combined their resources and efforts to tackle the negative media coverage.
For inspiration, Carmichael brought several of the Myth Buster success stories from NAHB’s online Myth Buster resources to the meeting to show how other markets had found a way to make a difference in their local press.
The first order of business was to gather as much statistical research on the local market as possible. “Tom Gruber, our government-relations liaison, did a great job of finding the numbers to show how our market is outperforming the national market. The Realtors® also provided the numbers for the resale side that we didn’t have,” said Carmichael.
In fact, when the upbeat statistics were provided to media outlets, there was a surprised reaction and one reporter contacted NAHB to verify that the numbers were in fact realistic for the area.
Media Response
HBASJV also benefited from Gruber being able to use the contacts he had made while on staff at the South Bend Tribune to arrange a meeting with the newspaper’s editorial board in which builders presented the local angle. That information subsequently began to be reflected in the newspaper’s housing coverage.
Local media quickly started viewing the HBA as a credible resource. “Immediately upon our return to the office from the editorial board meeting, two of the area’s television stations interviewed us to get the local perspective on real-estate stories they were reporting,” said Carmichael.
And news stories recently have shown much more balance between the national and local numbers, she said.
Seeing HBASJV’s successes in the press, the nearby Builders Association of Elkhart County (BAEC) decided it was time to bust the myths in its market as well. BAEC’s board of directors recently approved funds to allow the association to move forward with its own campaign.
To help show your side of the story in the press, go to www.nahb.org/mythbuster to access the continuously-updated resources available and to read more Myth Buster success stories about locals around the country.
For more information on the Myth Buster resources, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
|
