Signals: What We're Tracking
Groundworks is pledging 5,000 new skilled trades hires over five years—nearly 1,000 of them leadership roles. The foundation and water management company is targeting career changers, veterans, and no-experience candidates, offering them in-house training and an employee ownership model.
Why it matters: The company is building its own labor pipeline rather than waiting. Builders and designers have a version of that option, too, by supporting trade programs, apprenticeships, and partnerships in their own markets. [More on the effort→]
"Preview" listings are going mainstream, with major real estate portals now showing homes publicly before they hit the MLS. These listings don't include days-on-market counts or price adjustment histories. The pitch is that it's a way to gauge buyer interest ahead of an official launch.
Why it matters: The shift signals a decline in private listings, pulling early opportunities out of closed networks and into public view. Of course, that hits both ways: more eyes on spec homes, but more competition for lots. [Read NAR's statement→]
Heard!
"You Know Nothing About the Process of Selling a Home."
—A real estate agent's objection at a Thurston County, Wash., hearing, just before the board voted to require a home energy score before any property can be listed for sale. [Learn more→]
There's a new case against playing it safe on spec homes. Personalization is now a selling point, according to recent Zillow data. Listings highlighting custom features now sell for 3.2% more than expected. A gourmet kitchen designed for the home chef, for instance, adds a 3% premium, while a golf simulator gives a 2.7% boost.
More: Consider building against buyer personas. One custom builder told us he maintains five or six distinct profiles that inform every spec home decision. One example: the "baby chaser," Boomers relocating to be near grandchildren. [See what other features sell for more→]
