The NAHB “Buy Now” Advertising Assistance Program initiated by the Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association (CRBRA) in Latham, N.Y. near Albany helped change the minds of many potential home buyers who were sitting on the fence waiting for prices to fall, according the HBA’s executive officer, Pam Krison.

“Implementing the ‘Time to Buy/Buy Now Campaign’ at CRBRA exceeded our expectations,” Krison said. “It created positive effects on so many levels. In addition, it strengthened relationships within our association and with our media contacts.”

The HBA’s ad campaign was used to specifically target the potential home buyers who were getting most of their housing news from the national media, Krison said. Her HBA members wanted to tell potential buyers that, locally, the housing slowdown was much less dramatic than what they heard and read in the national news — and that buyers shouldn’t wait for the market to slip further.

NAHB’s “Don’t Believe the Headlines” print advertisement available through the grant program promoted the exact message the association wanted to get out to consumers, Krison said. The association customized the ad by using their market’s housing and economic information, which painted a brighter picture than seen in the national news. The members also advertised on television and used paid editorials to bolster their message.

Not only did Krison find the campaign to be extremely effective — the HBA’s Web site traffic tripled.

“The attitude of the members has been tremendous,” Krison said. “They have been very receptive to the campaign, and they love the results that they have seen.”

$1.9 Million Awarded to Date

To date, 103 HBAs in 32 states — including the Latham HBA — have received or been approved to receive nearly $1.9 million in NAHB advertising assistance. Including the matching funds that the HBAs contributed, the total value of their advertising campaigns is more than $5.7 million.

$1 Million in Grants Still Available

NAHB is encouraging HBAs that have not yet received or been approved to receive grant money to apply for NAHB “Buy Now” grants.

The NAHB “Buy Now” Advertising Assistance Program provides grants to qualifying HBAs in three categories:

• HBAs conducting ad campaigns in the top 10 media markets (Tier 1)
• HBAs with more than 250 members operating in areas outside of the top 10 major media markets (Tier 2)
• HBAs with 250 or fewer members (Tier 3)

To qualify for grants, the ads must deliver a “buy now” message, be placed in 2007 and conducted in markets that have experienced a major decline in home sales and housing production.

To Apply

To learn more about the program, eligibility considerations and requirements, click here, or call Niki Clark at NAHB at 800-368-5242 x806l.

To view a list of the HBAs that have received or been approved for grants, and their grant level categories, click here. [Return to top]