They also get into why weekly (or - gasp - DAILY?!) reporting cadences can break marketing & operations, the danger of outsourcing customer context to a summary line, and how personalization at scale doesn't mean more automation. 

• Beth: It’s ok to show the same pair of jeans
• Jackie: AI still needs a human eye
• Kevin: Business decisions come first

• SOLD OUT! Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026

• Google: There Is Nothing Special To Do For Generative AI Responses In Search
• Personalize or Perish: What 2025 Taught Us About Online Sales
• Google confirms deploying goto URL redirects to search results links

They also unpack HubSpot's new AI visibility tool, YouTube's change to how views are counted, OpenAI apparently pulling back from Reddit, and why comparing today's market to 2008 might be the better perspective for your team to use. Plus: purchased contact lists, LinkedIn AI slop conspiracy theories, and a reminder that squirreling away still works.

• Beth: "Attribution is BS" rises from the dead
• Jackie: A decade of 20% effort, finally run at 100%
• Kevin: Why buying a contact list isn't necessary in 2026

• SOLD OUT! Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 - Join the waitlist to be the first to know if tickets become available.

• What Home Builders Should Know About HubSpot's New AI Visibility Tool
• YouTube Is Making a Major Change to How Long-Form Video Views Are Counted
• OpenAI Seems to Be Backing Away From Reddit as Reddit Adds More AI
• 3 Alarming Predictions With the Housing Market on Pace for Its Worst Year Since 2011

AI literacy over better prompting: Many assume better prompting alone can fix AI's blind spots, but the deeper issue is a lack of AI literacy. Understanding how these systems are trained and retrieve information, without needing deep technical expertise, builds a stronger mental model of what AI is and isn't qualified to help with.

"Complexity as competence" is a red flag: Britney coins this term for self-proclaimed AI experts who use technical jargon to project authority on AI search, even though no one has actually reverse-engineered how AI search ranking works, and warns how this can mislead stakeholders.

Bias is structural: Because the internet overrepresents Western, high-frequency content, AI models magnify existing societal biases (illustrated by the Starbucks South Korea campaign controversy). 

What questions do you have for Britney when she joins us at the Summit in Austin?

https://www.linkedin.com/in/britneymuller/

https://www.niwrc.org/mmiwr-awareness

The team also digs into why late-summer budget conversations shouldn't feel panicked, why reallocating spend usually beats adding to it, and how a $5 cost-per-click on a niche banner ad is nearly always a red flag.

• Julie: Have you ever broken the law for marketing?
• Caroline: Reallocate before you spend more
• Kevin: Holy AI

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – 95% sold out! 

• Claude’s new Scarlet Letter watermark is invisible—for now
• Google confirms testing new buttons on home page to drive users to AI-powered search features
• The Chart Isn't The Patient 

The conversation explores why Tim O'Brien avoids incentive-driven sales tactics, invests in integrated tech platforms, and treats each community's performance individually rather than chasing company-wide fixes. 

Tim O'Brien Homes has kept stable, strong sales performance (20%+ appointment close rates) for years without dramatically increasing marketing spend or traffic, showing that alignment between value and sales process matters more than volume.

From adopting HighArc early to building an internal data and analytics team that integrates other systems, Tim O'Brien has invested in connected data infrastructure well ahead of many builders their size.

Ryan's leadership philosophy centers on supporting experienced sales managers rather than imposing change for change's sake, built on a track record of hitting sales goals.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryanhillgartner/

They also cover Google's new AI content labels, the risk of leaning too hard on AI for blog content, and how to communicate to buyers that a brand-new home might actually be the best deal on the market right now.

• Julie: Your best content is hiding in plain sight
• Caroline: Sell the lifestyle before the listing
• Jackie: Stop defending, start communicating

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – 90% sold out! Don't wait to get your ticket.

• Google rolls out AI content labels in asset studio
• Google May Be Penalizing AI-Generated Content As Thin Content
• The best deal in housing might be a brand-new home—how builders are winning over first-time buyers

They also break down the Q2 Online Sales Benchmark data, talk through the risks of AI-generated content strategies, and unpack what happened when OpenAI's newest model got a little too curious for its own good.

• Julie: Getting ahead of the aftermath
• Caroline: Zoom in, zoom out
• Kevin: Fix the root, not the symptom

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – 90% sold out! Don't wait to get your ticket.

• Q2 Online Sales Benchmarks
• OpenAI and Hugging Face partner to address security incident during model evaluation
• Google Local Services Ads Transitioning To Google Ads Platform
• It Works Until It Doesn't: AI Content Strategies That Backfire

They also discuss why builder websites are burying their best photos and whether Google's new social signals in Search Console are actually helping you or just helping Google.

• Julie: What to do when a community has less-than-ideal neighbors?
• Jackie: Not my fault, but it is my problem
• Caroline: What Snuba taught me

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – Over 80% sold out! Don't wait to get your ticket.

• Most Builder Websites Hide Their Best Asset
• Google Is Using Social Media Signals To Mask AI Search Click Loss
• AI SEO: Writing That’s Specific May Get Cited More

Both admit that once they found "the one," specs like square footage, interest rate, and lot size stopped mattering. 

Karla contrasts the "black and white" certainty of new construction (known systems, no bidding wars, warranties) against the chaos of resale (unknown home age, competing offers, escalation clauses, surprise maintenance costs).

Many marketers are good at getting attention but fail to translate that into the emotional resonance that actually moves someone to buy - and that gap is where builders lose customers.

The 2008-2011 downturn taught hard lessons about how quickly fortunes reverse; those who lived through it built resilience that served them in later market shifts.

Working across 100+ builders at Do You Convert (vs. staying at one company) has built pattern-recognition and problem-solving skills that function like an industry "MBA."

Push through the tough, absorption-heavy first three years; patience, geographic openness, and long-term relationships pay off, with opportunities compounding around year five or six.

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – Over 70% sold out! Don't wait to get your ticket.
• Do You Convert is hiring! View all open positions.

They also dig into when marketing follow-up crosses the line from serendipitous to straight-up creepy, what a two-year-old spec home can teach us about listening to buyer feedback, and the growing tension between AI adoption and consumer trust.

• Julie: Sometimes the answer is a can of paint
• Beth: When follow-up feels like being stalked
• Jackie: Curiosity is a marketer's secret weapon

• Market Proof Marketing Academy – Virtual Event – Sign up for the interest list for next year.
• Online Sales and Marketing Summit – Austin, Texas – October 1-2, 2026 – Over 70% sold out! Don't wait to get your ticket.
• Do You Convert is hiring! View all open positions.

• Assuming Why the Competition is Winning is Killing Your Results 
• AI search adoption rises as consumer trust declines: Study
• OpenAI moves to automate ad creative

They also dig into a fresh wave of zero-click search data, what the ProBuilder Top 200 reveals about where builders are betting their innovation dollars, and why "we need more awareness" might be the wrong instinct when buyers are already worried about missing your listings.

• Julie: Follow the incentive the whole way
• Kevin: What’s keeping your leadership up at night?

• Market Proof Marketing Academy - Virtual - July 7-9, 2026 - Only 2 spots remaining!
• DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2, 2026 - Tickets are 70% sold out, don’t wait to get yours.

• Google Zero-Click Searches Hit 68% in Early 2026, Says Study 
• Betting the House: Insights from the 2026 Top 200 

Builders default to generic out of fear of missing buyers, but intentional design for a specific target actually expands the market by pulling people out of resale, rentals, and indecision. Only 36% of Americans feel at home in their home - that's the opportunity being left behind.

Erin also dives into how buyers aren’t making spreadsheet decisions, the status of the post-close relationship and how Sekisui House is operating a “happiest home” mission with their customers.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinboggswillis/

https://www.nature.org/en-us/

They also break down why UTM codes are not optional, what Realtor.com’s new AI-powered home search means for builders, and whether Google’s new Prospect Mode is worth a test or a hard pass.

• Caroline: Square footage? Never heard of her
• Melissa: Let AI tell you what your buyers actually want
• Julie: Fix the leak before you turn on the faucet

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2, 2026 - Tickets are over 60% sold out, get yours today!

• If You’re Not Using UTM Codes, Your GA4 Data Is Inaccurate
• Realtor.com Launches Real Assist AI, a Completely Reimagined Way to Find a Home
• New Google Ads Prospecting Mode Targets Brand-Unaware Users

They also dig into the CoStar acquisition of Zonda and what it could mean for new home listings, why Google is quietly retiring standalone display campaigns, and a friendly debate over whether Meta’s upcoming subscription tiers are worth a single dollar of anyone’s monthly budget.

• Beth - A magical marketing lesson
• Julie - Take the win, no matter how you got it
• Kevin - The doorman fallacy

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2, 2026 - Over 50% of tickets are gone, secure your spot today.
• Google Adds AI Mode To Search Box: 3 Things You Need To Know - Virtual Event - June 16, 2026 - Registration required, limited spots available.

• CoStar nears $800 million deal to buy Zonda in housing data push, sources say
• Google Is Retiring Standalone Display Campaigns In Favor Of Demand Gen
• Meta launches Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp subscriptions, with more to come, including AI plans

They also debate whether home builders are in the demand creation business or the desire creation business, unpack the Compass and MRED Zillow standoff playing out in Chicago, and break down what everything from Google Marketing Live 2026 actually means for builders.

• Julie - Don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater
• Jackie - Zoom out to see things differently
• Kevin - Demand vs. Desire

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - Over 50% of tickets are sold, get your ticket or sit on the waitlist.

• Chicago agents caught in middle as MRED-Zillow dispute hits listings
• Google Marketing Live 2026: Everything you need to know

Hear Kevin on the Intermodal Logisitics podcast mentioned in this episode.

They also dig into the latest news around Google Ads and a broad SEO shift that prioritizes brand recognition and trust over traditional keyword rankings.

• Julie - You have to create what the customer can’t see yet
• Caroline - Don’t blame the marketer
• Jackie - Pre-launch prep is key

• Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Oct 1-2 - Austin, TX - Over 50% of tickets are sold, get your ticket or sit on the waitlist.

• Google Ads adds Gemini-powered dashboards for real-time insights
• SEO’s new goal in 2026: Recognition, not rankings
• Google Ads Rolls Out Journey-Aware Bidding And New Pacing Controls For Advertisers

Rachel talks about her 5 college internships across companies of varying sizes before landing at Hershey Entertainment and Resorts, where she was part of a 40-person marketing team, got media trained as a fresh grad, and handled real crisis communications. Being surrounded by so many different marketing specialists taught her the value of mastering a single craft deeply, and showed her how broad marketing is as a discipline. 

Rachel spent significant time on the builder side with Keystone Custom Homes before moving to her current role, which she considers invaluable for having effective conversations with builders now. She dives deeper into the top two things that builders often overlook:

• Understanding where traffic comes from. Many builders don't know their traffic sources with any real specificity.
• UTM codes and tracking. There is still a large portion of the industry that doesn’t have a working understanding of UTM parameters or how to connect digital touchpoints to outcomes.

She also raises a practical issue many builders still struggle with: image order in listing feeds. Monument or exterior photos often end up as the first image everywhere, including on third-party sites, which may not always be the best approach. 

Kevin references a LinkedIn post about a Claude product priced at $100,000/month to replace a marketing team, and uses it to underscore an important irony: some builders are chasing AI tools while still unclear on what UTM codes are. The two then talk about how you can't get full value from advanced tools without having the foundational basics in place. You must understand the customer's digital journey and what data is and isn't visible before layering on anything sophisticated.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelhbpeters/

They also get into defending your foundation, tools, and strategies in a noisy market with less-than-hopeful headlines.

• Beth - Trust your foundation
• Caroline - Do one thing at a time
• Kevin - Fact-check the headlines

• Market Proof Marketing Academy - 3 Virtual Days - July 7-9 - Limited spots available, register today to elevate your marketing expertise.
• DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - October 1-2 - Over 150 tickets are already gone! Secure your spot today.

• Your OSC Team is Sitting on a Content Goldmine
• How I Do Content Engineering with Claude Code
• Google Tests ‘Ask YouTube’ Conversational Search Experiment

There is also a discussion about if the market is actually struggling, or if it just feels that way, and a conversation about Google's latest ad updates and miscommunications. 

• Julie - Don't be a comment thief
• Beth - Shift your perspective. 
• Kevin - Public Builders vs Private Builders

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Over 100 tickets are already gone, secure your spot today.

• We’re upgrading Dynamic Search Ads to AI Max
• Pending Home Sales Increased in March Despite Rising Mortgage Rates and Gas Prices
• March New-Home Sales Slide as Geopolitics Spook Buyers
• Google adds Read more links best practices

Caroline - Creating demand for the Flying Squirrels

Jackie - Saving minutes, not hours, with AI

Julie - Summit Excitement

DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Over 100 tickets are already gone, secure your spot today.

• Google Chrome Skills Turn Gemini Prompts Into Reusable Workflows
• A closer look at OpenAI’s ads manager – and how much work it still needs
• The Cockroach of Marketing Concepts Will Never Die 
• Google: We May Use Spam Report Submissions For Manual Actions
• A look at Taylor Morrison’s eye-catching marketing campaign

There is also a friendly debate around AI content strategy that ultimately lands somewhere simple: be clear, direct and useful, and the rest will follow.

• Julie - College visits are a masterclass in customer experience
• Caroline - Get a fresh perspective if something’s not working
• Kevin - Putting money into your problems doesn’t always solve them

• DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Tickets Now Available

• An OSC's Guide to Time Management
• How to design content that AI systems prefer and promote
• Is Now a Good Time to Buy a House?
• Spring housing market accelerates despite mortgage rate spike, Zillow's March Market Report shows

Hear why strong marketers should combine data, empathy, and real-world insight into consistent messaging and compelling stories to build trust and drive results, despite the doom-and-gloom headlines out there!

• Beth - Building (and not eroding) trust with customers over time
• Jackie - ChatGPT vs ChatGPT - are you asking the right questions?
• Julie - Marketers need to “touch grass” and connect their consumers experiences

• Market Proof Marketing Academy - Virtual Event - Register Now - July 7-9, 2026
• DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Austin, Texas - Tickets Available - October 1-2, 2026

• The 5 Rules to Data Storytelling
• Apple prepares to add search ads to Apple Maps
• Over Half of Home Listings Have Been Lingering on the Market For More Than 2 Months
• Digital-First Buyers Reshape Model Home Design

Rand brings the research and the reality check on how AI is reshaping search, exposing why its recommendations can fall short and why Google still holds the upper hand. Backed by years of experience and research, Rand cuts through the hype to show what’s actually changing (and what isn’t), from zero-click search to the murky world of AI visibility. It’s a sharp look at modern marketing - and a reminder that trusting platforms blindly is a losing strategy.

They examine how AI-generated recommendations often exclude well-established brands, suggesting that visibility in AI tools isn’t solely driven by traditional marketing performance. For niche and local industries, this creates uncertainty around what actually influences AI inclusion.

Using specific geographic search terms improves clarity of buyer intent, particularly for homebuilders, but AI tools still struggle to deliver consistent, reliable recommendations. Google’s deterministic model may offer more dependable results compared to probabilistic AI outputs.

While AI adoption grows, click-through rates from traditional search continue to decline, increasing the importance of zero-click visibility. Kevin and Rand discuss the limits of panel data in measuring behavior and the challenges of accurately interpreting industry-specific trends.

https://sparktoro.com/blog/new-research-ais-are-highly-inconsistent-when-recommending-brands-or-products-marketers-should-take-care-when-tracking-ai-visibility/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/randfishkin/

https://www.givedirectly.org/

They also discuss a new pricing tool for builders and its use for data-informed decision making throughout the home sales process, and how to combat “content decay” by intentionally refreshing content, not always reinventing it.

• Caroline - A quick, but confident, home buying process
• Beth - Steer clear of the rinse and repeat cycle
• Kevin - Optimizing for leads isn’t always the best idea

• DYC Online Sales and Marketing Summit - Tickets releasing soon - October 1-2, 2026

• Zillow launches Zillow Preview to bring pre-market home listings into the open
• Zonda Enterprise Accelerator Drives Faster, Smarter Home Selling 
• What Is Content Decay? (And How to Fix It Before It Tanks Your Traffic)

They also dig into what today's buyers genuinely want in a new home, the growing wave of long-distance relocations, and the early (and murky) buzz around ChatGPT ads, including why builders should think twice before responding to those "invitations" landing in their inboxes.

• Julie - Traditional ads aren't just underperforming; buyers are tuning them out entirely
• Beth - Exposure therapy for marketers: Getting comfy with Google ads
• Caroline - What one first-time buyer's search process reveals about how AI is actually changing homebuying

• Content alone isn’t enough: Why SEO now requires distribution
• Builders gut check what buyers may like vs. what they’ll pay for
• Long-Distance Moves Tick Up: Nearly 1 in 5 House Hunters Are Looking to Relocate
• Builders are receiving spam invites to initiate ChatGPT ads

This episode breaks down why buyers are worried about missing listings, how Compass’s new partnership could reshape the market, and what changing search behavior means for real estate marketing.

• Julie - You steer towards what you’re looking at
• Beth - Photos aren't enough for your campaign
• Kevin - The REAL reason your web traffic is declining - and why AI is getting blamed.

• Rise and Design - June 24-26, 2026
• Market Proof Marketing Academy - July 7-9, 2026
• DYC Summit - More Info Coming Soon - October 1-2, 2026

• Compass & Redfin - The Exclusive Listings Battle Heats Up 
• Search Happens Everywhere: New Research From SparkToro
• New Google Help Doc About Google's Web Crawling

This episode dives into smart homebuilder strategy: why “unsexy” homes can still win with the right storytelling, how YouTube and influencers may shape AI-driven search results, what shifting homebuyer age data means for targeting, and why overusing obvious AI writing patterns can quietly hurt engagement.

• Julie - Keeping the leads flowing by addressing concerns strategically, not hanging up red tape
• Jackie - The more money you spend on something, the more certainty you crave
• Caroline - Presale excitement is back - is it the year of the launch?

• Market Proof Marketing Academy
• Outshining the Flashy
• The Rundown: Why YouTube has become key for brand GEO strategies
• The Typical First-Time Homebuyer Is 35 Years Old
• The AI writing tics that hurt engagement: A study

Kendall explained that the event was created to address declining Q4 sales by generating urgency and a sense of scarcity among buyers while showcasing their homes. 

With five communities in focus, one new and four underperforming, the Legacy South team repositioned their under-visited model home gallery as a grand opening event. By highlighting new floor plans and hosting it before Thanksgiving, they aimed to create urgency and re-educate buyers on using their model home gallery for their home search.

Kendall and the Legacy South team intentionally closed four communities in December to manufacture scarcity, a bold move that ultimately fueled attendance and urgency. Incentives like $50,000 in savings and $10,000 flex cash, along with strong agent engagement, drove a surge of RSVPs in the final two weeks before the event.

Kendall described a successful strategy where Legacy South collaborated with a big Nashville influencer to create social proof and drive attendance. The event, held at a model home gallery, featured two large tents - one for a learning center with lenders and design teams, and another for entertainment and food. The event attracted over 250 attendees, resulting in 75 on-site appointments scheduled (plus 10–15 more within 24 hours), with 75% of attendees brand new to the builder.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kendall-thacker/

https://www.2ftprosthetics.org/

From unintended brand messaging in the biggest ads of the year to understanding the halo effect on your brand performance, this episode is full of the kind of compounding analytical attention to detail that actually converts when the market heats up. Listen in to discover where to focus your attention and efforts in this year’s spring market. 

• Caroline - We’re still thinking about the ads from the big game, but that’s not always a good thing.
• Jackie - Don’t underestimate the obsession you can create from a brand loyal person with the right content. 
• Julie - Are marketers judgier about AI, and does it matter? 

• The McMansion Era is over: How American homes have changed in 20 years
• U.S. House votes to pass Housing for the 21st Century Act
• The Halo Effect: Your Paid Media Went Offline, Can You Survive Without It?
• Chrome Extensions That Make Your Life Easier

If you need a clear next step for your spring marketing plan, listen in for real signals amidst the noise of today’s AI opinions, tactics to avoid the dreaded inventory birthday, and how to hone your messaging to convert locked-in buyers. 

• Kevin - You can’t get to urgency or action without attention, so start saying something 
• Jackie - Can a marketer really stop in-person disappointment before it starts?
• Beth - A tale of two interest rates (and the benefits you can’t cuddle up with at night)

• Google Local Hotel Photos "Good To Know" AI Labels
• The Shift From Search Sessions To Decision Sessions
• A surprising share of homeowners have high mortgage rates. Here’s the breakdown

The 2026 Ins and Outs List (Home Builder Edition)

Haley shares her take on what needs to stay and what needs to go in the housing industry this year.

A Customer Experience Horror Story

We get into Haley's real-life experience with the builder of her current home, and it's not pretty. From warranty issues to bizarre customer service interactions, she reveals what not to do if you want referrals and repeat business.

What Actually Counts as "Selling"

Kevin and Haley debate what sales actually means in 2026. The conversation touches on prospecting, follow-up, and why some sales managers are still blaming marketing for problems they could solve themselves.

The Relationship Problem

Why do so many builders actively avoid staying in touch with their homeowners? They explore missed opportunities and how to use consistent, helpful communication that keeps the relationship alive.

What's Coming from Novi

Haley teases some major product releases coming at IBS in Orlando. Plus, she shares what just launched, including co-buyer chat and something called the "Novi Nudge."

• Kevin will be interviewing Rand Fishkin this February - Please send in your questions about SEO, consumer behavior, and more to show@doyouconvert.com for the chance to hear Rand and Kevin discuss them live. 
• The DYC team will be at IBS - come find us on Wednesday! Karla is speaking Wednesday morning on a brand panel and Kevin is speaking in the afternoon on Marketing Against the Giants. You don’t want to miss your chance to learn and connect with us in real life.

• Caroline - Spamming doesn’t exist in silos, and neither do your buyers
• Julie - Doing the boring things right is still the best play
• Kevin - When there’s only one marketing brain at the table, you can’t bridge the gap

• New Research: AIs are highly inconsistent when recommending brands or products; marketers should take care when tracking AI visibility
• Every Marketer Says You Need “Taste”. Here’s What That Actually Means

From rethinking how buyers experience model home events to finding smarter ways to guide people toward a decision, this episode focuses on knowing your goal and designing the path to get there. If you've been feeling the rut of defaulting to familiar tactics, this episode will spark innovation and intention to get you to the next level. 

• Caroline - Yoga lessons on clear destinations and staying flexible with leading buyers there
• Beth - A sneak peek at an upcoming expert lens on events that changes how you think about attention, intention, and impact
• Julie - How “admin parties” thinking creates experience design for the work no one gets excited about

• Trump signs executive order targeting institutional investors
• ChatGPT to start showing users ads based on their conversations
• Single-Family Home Size Continues to Decline

From timeless struggles with SEO, content creation strategy, and letting sales teams be marketers, to the timely news of Redfin's CEO departure and the reigning YouTube SEO advantage, this episode covers wide territory your marketing team needs to know to succeed. Tune in and take notes!

• Jackie - An A/B test proves you don’t propose on the first date
• Beth - With events, a theme is not a game plan
• Kevin - A tale of two seasons (and one counterintuitive winner)

• Glenn Kelman leaves Redfin after 20 years as CEO
• Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Onsite Team Create Content
• YouTube is no longer optional for SEO in the age of AI Overviews
• The case for and against influencer-led Super Bowl ads

From early-year trends to Texas growth markets to President Trump’s latest comments on housing policy, the team leans into the nuance builders actually have to navigate so marketers can face down their challenges with increased clarity and control.

• Guest episodes come with a new charity gift twist in 2026- send in your guest recommendations and nominations to show@doyouconvert.com. 

• Caroline - Growth at DYC and how great marketers are built over time
• Julie - Parenting in an NYC subway leads to lessons on patience and pacing
• Kevin - A “brilliant” example of what can happen when experts don’t understand the systems they’re rewiring

• 2026 PPC Trends to get ahead of now
• Texas Triangle drives future of single family homebuilding 
• Trump threatens to ban institutional investors from buying single-family homes

From Google audience size changes to alleged customer journey changes, this episode is all about right-sizing, prioritizing, and knowing when to say no. If your 2026 to-do list is already growing out of control, this episode will help you find optimal grip on what really matters for your marketing.

• Beth - It's Barbs, not bots, that make difficult processes easy and enjoyable
• Julie - Catch the excitement that crests in January and turn it into something lasting
• Kevin - When the first 4,000 leads don't work out, do you keep going?

• Google lowers audience size limits across Ads
• Marketing Loves Declaring the End of Things That Still Work 
• The User Journey Isn’t Linear Anymore: It’s Always On

The team also dives into some of the biggest tech moves and platform plays (or rather replays?) that are sure to shape what happens in 2026. 

Listen and learn to start your year right.

• Julie – Less is more again this year
• Jackie – The mindset shift needed for post-peak performance
• Kevin – The age-old tug of war in company visions must be acknowledged before it can be improved

• Google’s real estate listings ‘experiment’ sends Zillow shares down more than 8%
• Google Enters the Portal Wars
• Meta Is Considering Charging Business Pages To Post Links

Drawing on financial-market frameworks applied to residential real estate, Trevor explains why traditional pricing indexes often lag reality and how alternative signals—like sentiment and probability—can offer earlier insight. 

The conversation invites builders and housing leaders to think more critically about timing, risk, and how market narratives are formed.

• Most housing data describes where the market was, not where risk and opportunity are forming next
• If pricing moves faster than reporting, how many decisions are already outdated by the time they’re made?
• Treating housing like a slow-moving asset may be the most dangerous assumption builders still hold

• Markets reveal more truth when people put capital behind beliefs, not opinions
• What would change if builders watched probability and sentiment instead of headlines and forecasts?
• The next competitive advantage may come from understanding expectations, not just transactions

• Trevor Bacon on LinkedIn
• Jason Lewris on LinkedIn
• Tampa's Hidden Supply Pipeline: Land Banking Fuels Mounting Market Pressure

From major brands’ flops to risky tactics built on good science, the team helps marketers chart a path through end of year planning that leans into what works and away from fads that will only dilute brand reputation in the year ahead.

• Beth – With costs top of mind, buyers need a vision before they’ll fall in love with a home
• Caroline – Write down your goals now before the year ahead buries them in busy-ness
• Julie – Goldilocks-ing content plans for 2026: finding the just-right-ness between structure and flexibility

• What View/Save Ratios Reveal About Buyer Engagement on Real Estate Portals
• McDonald’s Pulls Down AI-Generated Holiday Ad After Deluge of Mockery
• Brands look to experiential marketing as antidote to AI slop, digital fatigue
• Negativity Bias: Why Customers Don’t Want Anything To Do With You (And What To Do About It)
• Google updates links in AI Mode and expands Web Guide test in all tab

From consumer data use tactics to the trust gained from putting in real work, they share insights on the latest marketing trends and updates, giving homebuilder marketers room to reflect on the strength of their own consumer-facing signals and strategies headed into 2026.

• Caroline – Spotify Wrapped data assumptions: the good, the bad, and the funny
• Jackie – Brand promos are wearing out their holiday welcome in Jackie’s text messages
• Kevin – Kevin yearns for signals of effort that grow weaker as simulated intelligence replaces effortful thinking

• OpenAI hits pause on ChatGPT ads as CEO declares a ‘code red’
• Publishers turn to vertical video to compete with creators and grow ad revenue in 2026
• Zillow economists say the housing market will warm up in 2026, with more sales and modest price growth

If solving for attribution headaches, automation concerns, and leveraging limited budget across the right platforms are on your end of year to-do list, this episode will help reveal what matters most to your buyers right now.

• Just a couple seats left for January’s Market Proof Marketing Academy - don’t wait until it’s too late to save your spot!
• If you manage Online Sales too, OSA and OSAL are coming up in early 2026 too. Check them out today!

• Beth – Tales from the home-search front: back-in-market woes made worse by AI search
• Julie – Doorbusters aren’t busting like they used to, but homebuilder marketers can create urgency where retail lost the plot
• Kevin – Are you sure you can’t respond to everyone who wants to do business with you?

• Sellers are taking their homes off the market at the fastest pace in nearly a decade
• Pew: 84% Of Adults Use YouTube As Platform Growth Continues
• The Pinball Customer Journey Has Replaced the Marketing Funnel

From breaking out of narrow thinking to sparking authentic connections with your audience, they share practical ways to transform your marketing by starting with the underlying thoughts that ultimately shape strategy. 

Learn how to stand out, ignite that spark, and stay ahead before an avalanche of AI noise drowns out your message.

• Beth - Can a brain scientist teach marketers how to avoid categorical thinking traps?
• Julie - A school tour sheds light on building a great onsite experience

• Meta's AI tools are going rogue and churning out some very strange ads
• Adobe to buy Semrush for $1.9 billion
• As AI slop spreads on social media, brands have lessons to learn

From anniversaries to fishing lures to funnel metrics, the takeaway is the same: your audience determines your strategy. The right nuance can change everything.

• Market Proof Marketing Academy 2026 enrollment is nearly full. With fresh curriculum and expanded expert sessions, grab your spot now.

• Julie - Who cares about 100 years? And how? And why?
• Jackie - An apparent a-fish-ionado, Jackie shares how her lure strategy relates to changing bait in digital advertising 
• Kevin - Funneling more of nothing (good) still gets you nothing

• ChatGPT Ads Are Coming — and They Won’t Look Like Google Ads
• The Starbucks “Bearista” Cup Craze: When Product Drops Become Cultural Events
• Meta to launch no-ads subscriptions in the UK

From the struggles that shape resilience to the real story of search data for builders, this episode is a reminder that you don’t have to internalize the valley, or the narrative.

Story Time

• Jackie – Pain points and growth spurts look the same in retrospect
• Kevin – If seemingly constant change has you reaching for more control, choose focus over fakes

In the News

• Post to Google Business Profiles: An Untapped Realm in the Building Industry
• October 2025 Monthly Housing Market Trends
• Scams at Scale
• State of Search Q3 2025

• Tech is giving us a mirror; turn it into a map
• New tools are revealing what buyers actually trust and why
• Nick’s own emotional arc with Zillow’s ChatGPT experiment: from frustration to fascination

• The settlement flipped on the lights, yet shadows from the past still linger
• Why buyers now want (and expect) more control in every transaction
• How builders can back empowered buyers without burning agent bridges

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickaufenkamp/

https://www.youtube.com/@DIYHomebuyer

• Market Proof Marketing Academy 2026 is open for registration! A high-energy, hands-on virtual event designed to fast-track marketing mastery for homebuilder marketers. Space is limited - save your spot before it’s gone.

• Beth – Redefining wins beyond sales and measuring momentum that moves the business forward
• Jackie – Three quotes to keep every recovering perfectionist grounded and thriving
• Julie – Leadership means being the calm in Q4

• https://www.doyouconvert.com/blog/the-limiting-factor-to-sales-results/
• Zillow Pulls Matterport Tours from Listings (Blames CoStar)
• 10 Surprising Takeaways from the Minds of Today’s Homebuyer 
• Google Officially Shuts Down Privacy Sandbox 

• From dream browsing to financial fit: affordability filters get real
• Listings trends are shifting from static to cinematic (and the scroll times prove it)

• The new new construction buyer: Gen Z (and their parents)
• Which considerations are rising fast in buyer decision-making?

Whether you love or hate the rapid pace of change lately, this episode dives into the major shifts shaping the market and more.

Interest in the January Market Proof Marketing Academy is at an all-time high, with a record number of people on the list. Tickets go live this week, so make sure to grab your spot before it’s full! You can find out at the link above.

• OpenAI’s newest feature - Is the “app within the app” ahead of its time or an empty gimmick?
• A sea of content - Questioning the repercussions of AI’s explosive growth in video content creation
• Furloaned - How to prepare for the extended consequences of the current government shutdown

Listen in and send us your thoughts and questions. 

From Meta’s surreal new playground to the delicate relationship between builder breakthroughs and removing “limiting factors,” this episode looks at how curiosity and clarity drive progress, even when tech or timelines get in the way. 

The next Market Proof Marketing Academy is just around the corner, but the waitlist is already almost full! If you want in on this unique opportunity to learn from DYC’s best and brightest - regardless of whether your builder works with Do You Convert - this is your chance. Seize the moment before the last few spots are gone.

• Does the future belong to fewer, bigger players?
• Love the growth leaps, but remember to value every step
• Fever dream frontiers - is Meta wooing creators or consumers?
• Weighing the privacy costs of the “customized everything” digital dream

• Compass to acquire Anywhere, creating world's largest brokerage
• Meta "Vibes" is released - will anyone care?
• Advertising in 2030

Here are the five big questions he tackled:

• Beyond discounts: what really drives buyer traffic?
• Online sales: speed or personalization?
• Resale vs. new: who wins when rates drop?
• The holy grail: is it possible to achieve volume and margin?
• 2026: what’s ahead for builders?

Listen in for unfiltered answers that challenge assumptions, spotlight bold strategies, and point to the realities shaping the immediate future of homebuilding.

Together they break down what to do when you need credibility and what's more powerful than certainty in your messaging right now.

• How your leaders think you’re using AI vs how you should be using it
• Why objections aren’t the problem you think they are
• Hear Kevin build an end of year campaign theme on the spot

Listeners attending the 2025 Online Sales and Marketing Summit in Chicago in just two short weeks will have the chance to hear from Kim and other leaders live in Beth Russell's panel session, Everything the Light Touches is Yours: Real World Influence from Marketing Leaders. You won't want to miss this chance to hear Kim and her powerhouse peers dive deeper into real wins and lessons learned.

• Growth is Not Linear - How Kim pivoted from agency-side builder experience, to consulting for builders, before finally going all-in on one culture that captured her heart
• Stay the Course - The crucial advice she has for everyone doubting this market right now, pulled straight from her time striking out on her own to serve builders during the 2008 recession
• Find Your Fit - Ideas and encouragement on where to find your perfect fit, even if it lands you in an unexpected seat or an entirely different part of the business

Listen closely - this short episode packs in some big questions and even bigger topics in today's ai-driven digital marketing landscape.

• Beth - finding secondhand joy in watching others do creative work
• Jackie - building your own breadcrumbs if you're doing something BIG
• Kevin - the inherent conflict between truth and storytelling at the heart of being a marketer

• GEO x local SEO: What it means for the future of discovery

Summit 2025 is almost here, with over 100 builders already sending attendees, many bringing their entire online sales or marketing teams. Registration closes soon, and the best hotel rooms are going fast.

• Beth – Why one marketer’s 10‑hour flyer problem is more common than you think—and how a new rubric helps teams reset without shame.
• Jackie – Everyone’s in sales now. A builder’s moment of clarity becomes a team‑wide shift in accountability.
• Julie – The Buc‑ee’s effect. What a Texas gas station taught Julie about brand, consistency, and operational brilliance.

• Small Team, Big Impact: A Solo Marketer's Guide to Maximizing Outcomes
• AI‑Generated Content Doesn’t Hurt Google Rankings
• Instagram Content Will Now Be Searchable on Google

This episode previews Brian’s upcoming talk at the Online Sales & Marketing Summit, pulling from his research, fieldwork, and no-BS branding instincts to spark fresh perspective on how to break from the herd, build trust with brokers, and tap into what today’s buyers actually want.

• Builders that mimic competitors become the slowest zebra
• A standout product means nothing if no one can tell it’s different

• Gen Z wants a home they can paint and own, not just a good deal
• Agents are tired, anxious, and open to new kinds of partnerships

Listen now to get Brian’s take on off-MLS strategy, how to craft ads that actually move people, and why “get off my lawn” might be the most powerful copy you write this year.

Summit is selling out at a rate of 3-4 tickets purchased per day. Don't miss out - save your spot today!

Market Proof Marketing Academy for Spring 2025 is a wrap! But the waitlist for next time is officially live; save your spot and be the first to hear when fall dates are announced.

• Jackie – Spending $4K/mo on CRM with no OSC? Let’s talk
• Kevin – Some advice is expensive (not in a good way)

• Human vs. Machine: Who Should Be Steering Your Paid Ad Campaigns?
• How Outlier Home Builders Build an Edge, Even in a Slow Market
• Google Promotes AI Mode on Homepage Doodle

Even in a flat-lead environment, builders are hitting goals; not with silver bullets but with smart, grounded execution. Clarity outperforms complexity, every time.

This episode unpacks the journey through technical skill-building, data fluency, strategic thinking, and leadership, all with a lens toward avoiding the shortcuts that sabotage long-term success. If you're serious about your craft, this one will feel like a reset button.

In This Episode

The four stages of development, from “you don’t know what you don’t know” to conscious competence, including:

• Why fast-tracking your career might land you face-to-face with Lucifer himself
• Tactical ways to stand out and get ahead (hint: daily habits matter)
• Signs you've mastered your craft without realizing it
• When to shut up, when to risk it, and when to stop acting your age and get curious again

The doors are open. The questions cut deep. The answers? Not for the half-hearted. If you’re in the thick of a marketing career at any stage, this episode will leave you smarter, clearer, and maybe even a little more fired up to level up.

Listen now. Bring your questions next time: Office Hours exists to bring you a front-row seat into deeper conversations between a fresh pair of marketing eyes in the homebuilder industry and a seasoned pro serving up career-changing perspectives and playbooks.

He covers:

• What happens when you fight the tide (and lose)
• Why your best data might be lying to you
• How to spot a shark before the lifeguard does
• The missed wave sitting in your CRM

This isn’t a how-to. It’s a how-it-feels. And sometimes that’s the episode you need.

Tune in. The ocean doesn’t wait.

Note: The team experienced technical difficulties throughout this episode; please excuse any audio issues as we work through new processes and platforms.

Summit speakers are live on the site! Visit www.onlinesalessummit.com to read about our featured keynote speakers.

• Midsummer panic? Stop bending the rules and get back on track.
• Dust off those goals and remember with presale, process is progress.

• Find your Michelin strategy… no sabotage required
• When conventional wisdom and today’s trends are wrong for you

• Redfin: U.S. Home Prices Hit an All-time High
• Meta Advises Page Managers to Post Links in Comments

Listen now and rethink what’s urgent, what’s lasting, and what your audience really needs.

Listen in for a refreshing dose of validation, perspective, and tactical advice.

• Jackie – Feeling like firefighters
• Beth – Is it burnout or something else?
• Kevin – why it’s a win to find a lead-quality lie in the data

• Google Promoted Pins Come to Maps for Demand Gen Campaigns
• Meta Aims to Fully Automate Ad Creation Using AI 

If your brain feels overloaded or you’re tempted to chase the newest AI shortcut, this episode reminds you where the real value lies: in clarity, strategy, and staying human.

From Chris’s experience leading one of the largest media campaigns in real estate history to the quiet power of aligning incentives between builders and consumers, this episode is full of big bets anyone paying attention to the homebuilding industry will want to hear.

• A new take on how leads work
• Marc talks about how and why homes.com is “fixing what’s missing.”

• Chris' winning plays from the days of insurance wars
• Building a brand people actually like

• No paywall, no catch
• Matterports: now table stakes

Whether you're skeptical of another portal or curious about where this one’s headed, this episode offers an insider look at a platform that aims to reshape how new homes are found and sold.

Tune in, share it with your team, and keep an eye on what launches this summer.