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Builder Blues Brewing
Builders feel the heat before the fire even starts
Splits and Caps Daily: Action for Agents
April 17, 2025
📈 Market Move:
Home Sick
Builder confidence is up slightly... but don’t let that fool you. The real story? Tariffs are already doing damage. Even though many haven’t kicked in yet, just the whiff of them has suppliers jacking up prices. Builders are now staring down nearly $11K in added costs per home — and that's before the hammer fully drops.
So while April looked okay on the surface, the next 6 months? Murky at best. Sales expectations are dipping, costs are rising, and the only ones winning here are the tariff whisperers.
Reminder: just talking about tariffs can shift markets. No actual policy needs to land — just the vibes. Meanwhile, builder confidence is still lower than last year, and some regions are already in the red zone.
This isn't a crash, but it's definitely a wobble. Don’t be surprised if the housing market gets Trump-era trade war flashbacks soon.
🌟Quote of the Day:
"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together." — Vincent van Gogh
⚡ Quick Win:
Follow-Up Flow: 80% of deals close after the 5th follow-up. Most agents quit after one. Be the one who doesn’t.
🎉 Fun Fact of the Day:
OG Zillow: Ancient Romans used graffiti to advertise homes for sale or rent.
Imagine scrolling Zillow, but it’s just a wall next to a coliseum that says: “3BR villa, decent vibes, wine cellar, negotiable goats.”
📚 Book Recommendation:
"Brand Storytelling" by Miri Rodriguez—Alright, so here’s the play — if your brand still sounds like a stiff PowerPoint from 2008, this book is the wake-up slap you need.
Miri Rodriguez (who, by the way, ran storytelling at Microsoft — so yeah, she knows a thing or two) takes you deep into the art of storytelling that sells. Not in a manipulative "let’s trick people" way — but in a "make your audience feel like the hero of your story" way.
Think less ads, more empathy. Less features and benefits, more make ‘em feel something. She breaks down frameworks, gives you real examples, and makes a compelling case for why storytelling isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the whole damn game.
If you’re a real estate agent, entrepreneur, or basically anyone trying to stand out in a noisy world, this book’s a cheat code.
🔑 Takeaway: People don’t buy products. They buy stories. Your move.
Every “overnight success” started with months of crickets.
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