Amy McCormick, National Sales Manager at Epcon Franchising, discusses new home sales and more in this episode of the Epcon Experts Podcast.
“We’ve spent a lot of time making sure that the buyer knows before they buy that we’re going to be alongside of them through the whole process.”
Host: Today on the Epcon Experts podcast, we have Amy McCormick with us. Thank you so much for joining today, Amy.
Amy McCormick, Sales Manager at Epcon: Thank you. It’s good to be here.
Host: Let’s just go ahead and dive right in. From your perspective, what are the most important traits that are necessary for an Epcon Franchise Builder?
Amy: I would say definitely being a lifelong learner, but not only willing to learn something new, but to apply it and actually be willing to make a change based on new information or trying something new.
Host: Can you give me an example of a builder who is executing sales at a high level? What are their secrets?
Amy: The first person that comes to mind is New Leaf Homes up in Akron, Ohio. They really embraced the Epcon process right away. They were those lifelong learners that I mentioned, and they were willing to apply what they learned.
They have held successful monthly events from the very beginning. They launched properly. They had a record‑breaking launch, but they held the momentum of their sales in Akron, Ohio the entire time. They’re nearly sold out, and they’re about to start their second community.
They’re also one of the few communities that’s selling at the same sales pace as an Epcon corporate community.
Host: Let’s switch over to you. What is your professional background, and what’s your current role?
Amy: I’ve been in real estate for about 25 years. I started in general brokerage, but came to Epcon, gosh, nearly 16 years ago. I started as a salesperson in the Columbus, Ohio region and then transferred as a salesperson to the Charlotte region when we opened a division down there.
Then became the regional sales manager for the Charlotte team. I loved coaching the sales pros down there. Then now, what I do is I am a resource for our Franchise Builders for all things sales‑related.
Host: What has kept you here at Epcon for well over a decade now?
Amy: I’ve been blessed to have several different positions for one, so I’ve had a wide variety. It wouldn’t be possible though without all of the opportunities that have been poured in to me through training. The company really embraces sales training and leadership training, and I’ve just been able to grow and grow. I’ve never really felt like I needed to go anywhere else.
Host: How do you train or coach other sales teams to build trust and rapport with buyers, especially those who may be new to building an entire community?
Amy: I spend a lot of time training in this area because it’s the most important piece. It’s not so much about having common ground, it’s more about listening to their story and giving them the respect of time for them to explain why they’re there, what they need, why they need it, why their home isn’t working for them anymore.
If you give a buyer the time to tell their story, they will trust you, especially when you demonstrate that you’ve heard their story and you understand what they need.
Host: What are the most common pitfalls that you see builders making?
Amy: You wouldn’t buy a McDonald’s franchise and change the burger recipe, would you?
Host: I would not.
Amy: That’s the biggest thing we see, is a builder might not be comfortable with the processes that we’re teaching them, and so they go around and reinvent the wheel or do it halfway. We see that time and time again. There’s nothing worse than starting a community with little momentum. You’re never able to gain it.
Host: How has the new home sales landscape changed in the last few years, and how should builders adapt their strategies to stay competitive?
Amy: They’re forever changing. That’s why I said earlier about being a lifelong learner and willing to change because the way people buy today is totally different than the way people bought two years ago.
I want to say that they need to be willing to change quickly with the times, learn new ways, new processes. We provide as much as we can for them in that area. Hey, we’re selling in the markets, too. We can say, “We’re experiencing the same thing you’re experiencing. Here’s how we’re handling it.” They just need to be willing to change the way they’re doing things.
Host: What role does technology play in the new home sales process today? What are tools that are effective or that you think are the most effective for our builders?
Amy: The most effective, I think, is the interactive floor plans and the virtual tours. I say that because we launch our sales often before the streets are even in.
Before we had this technology, buyers would say, “I want to see something. I want to see something.” Now they can see something. They can actually see the home that they want with the kitchen they want, in the colors that they want, with the sitting room exactly how they want it, with the exterior and the color and front porch that they want. It’s all there.
Now, the buyer doesn’t have to wait to see all of that before they can make a decision to buy, so we’re selling much earlier.
Host: What are some of the overlooked parts of the sales process that can make a major difference in buyer engagement? I feel like you’re touching on this a little bit, but are there some other parts of the actual sales process that are getting overlooked?
Amy: The two that come to mind would be the discovery period of the process, where we’re learning the why behind the why. Why does a buyer want something or why is their current home not working? How is it affecting them on a day-to-day basis? That’s very important to know that.
Then when we get into the home and we start showing the buyers, we call the demonstration phase, we start showing the buyers these homes, salespeople, time and time again, make mistakes like they’re just pointing out features that the buyer can clearly see.
Rather than saying, “How does this work for you? You said that you needed a space for your puppy. How’s this space? Is this what you had in mind? You said you didn’t want stairs anymore. Let me show you how this home has no steps from curb all the way to the shower.”
Host: Once a home sale is complete, I think we can both agree that the building process can be lengthy. What helps home buyers enjoy high buyer satisfaction after the sale?
Amy: We’ve got that down pat, too. We’ve spent a lot of time making sure that the buyer knows before they buy that we’re going to be alongside of them through the whole process. We have a process where our sales team and our construction team meet on Mondays, and they call every single buyer to let them know what’s happened in their home the past week.
It’s a great process. It gives the buyer so much confidence. It’s excellent. I would highly recommend that all builders do that. Also, it keeps the buyers from coming in and seeing something in their home and being fearful.
They might feel like they caught something, rather than us communicating to them, like, “Hey, you may see this. We’re on top of it. We’ve already got it taken care of.”
Host: I love that. That actually segues perfectly into my next question about what builders can do to eliminate buyer confusion or potential buyer’s remorse, which is exactly what we’re talking about. I think you’re mentioning communication. Can you overcommunicate to a buyer?
Amy: No. Not at all. That’s a great question. In fact, in addition to the scheduled Monday calls, we’re going to call if something comes up during the week. Our buyers tend to visit the job site, and we don’t want them to be surprised.
Also, we have community events going on. While they’re in construction, they’re a part of the community. We invite them to all of those events so they can start enjoying the lifestyle that they’re going to get before they actually even move in.
I think that’s the key, is constant communication. Sending a picture or a video of the trusses being swung across, it’s very exciting and it just makes their day.
Host: I want to shift gears here just a little bit for my last question for you, Amy. That is what are our builders voicing as their biggest concerns or challenges today, and how are you advising them through these?
Amy: I would say that sales is what they’re voicing today, and it’s just because of the uncertainty. If you turn on the news, you’re going to hear a lot of uncertainty. I think that your buyers come in wanting a new home, but unsure if this is a good time, or they’re being told it’s not a good time.
Like I said, whenever the market changes, we’re constantly providing training for our builders on how to handle those moments. Right now, look, all you can do is give them the confidence to move forward, explaining to them why now is a good time to buy and explaining to them what’s going to happen when rates go down.
For example, I should say, we know when rates go down, prices are going to go up. Would you rather buy the home at this price and be able to refinance your home, or would you rather wait until the rates go down and now you [have] to pay more for your home? That’s just an example.
Then the other thing is we have a lot of cash buyers too, and they aren’t sure what they should do as well. Giving them the assurance that one, it’s the right thing for them, their home is no longer working for them, and two, prices are still only going to rise.
Host: Amy, thank you so much for sitting down and chatting through all things new home sales today. Really appreciate your time.
Amy: Thank you.