4 minute read

Community Owners Work With Local Retailers to Fill Homesites

WWhen a potential customer called Mountain View Estates in Rossville, Ga., in search of a home for rent, it could have been a very short conversation. Rather, it spurred a conversation about what was possible, and represents the beginning of a formal relationship between small community owners and local retailers.

“When COVID hit, we wanted to look at alternatives to buying direct-from-the-factory due to pricing and delivery times. It just became what this small mom and pop had to do,” Mountain View Estates owners and SECO founder Dave Roden said. As queries for homes for sale and homes for rent continued and even heightened through the pandemic,

Roden and others turned to the local retail network for inroads on new homes. In Roden’s case, he called

Morgan Robinson at a nearby Clayton Home Center.

“We want to open doors to affordable housing for more people, and this relationship has helped provide quality, affordable homes to more families in the local area,” said Robinson.

Roden said Mountain View now has taken seven new homes to show, and five have been sold.

The goal is to supply and fill a dozen new homes to Mountain View each year.

“When her sales staff finds someone who might want to live in a park, they send them our way,” Roden said. “When we get a lead that visits us looking for a home or rental, we send them to Morgan and her folks. It’s a very good business relationship.”

Roden said he has helped other community owners understand the value of maintaining a sales pipeline by building stronger relationships with dealers near a community. At Mountain View, Roden said it’s been refreshing working with a retailer again after many years of having a full home sales operation and buying direct.

“If you’re a small mom and pop outfit like us or don’t have the sales staff, or have trouble finding financing, have a small advertising budget, or limited time to do social media and website development, I’d encourage you to reach out to your local retailer,” he said. “Maybe if you are set up to buy directly from the factory, have the trained staff in place, and have the advertising/media part covered, you should still continue … for us, COVID changed the way we had to do business.” MHV

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