Builder Magazine

09/10/2026

Today's insurance market is shifting: rising carrier competition, growing demand for resilient construction features, and improving capacity in select markets.

For builders, that means new opportunities to enhance the buyer experience, highlight the long-term value of resilient building practices, and help homebuyers secure coverage earlier and more seamlessly in the homebuying journey.

Swipe through for Tom's full market update and connect with him to talk insurance strategy 👉 https://westwoodinsurance.com/partners/builders/

Westwood Insurance Agency

09/08/2026

Bringing up incentives early can feel responsive. It may also be training the conversation to focus on price.

In an analysis of nearly 46,000 in-person home buyer conversations, incentives appeared in almost 79% of sales discussions. The median first mention came just seven minutes into the conversation.

The timing matters:

• When incentives surfaced within five minutes, sales representatives initiated discounting 46% of the time.
• When the discussion occurred after 60 minutes, representative-initiated discounting fell to 19%.
• In 44.5% of those later conversations, neither side discounted at all.

An incentive introduced before discovery can become the conversation. An incentive introduced after discovery can solve the right problem.

👉 Explore the full analysis: https://bit.ly/46KuYUu

Rilla

When a potential buyer hesitates on cost, the reflexive instinct is to sweeten the deal with flex cash, closing-cost assistance, interest rate buydowns, or other incentives. But an analysis by conversation intelligence company Rilla suggests that sales teams could benefit from a more deliberate appr...

09/03/2026

💧 Moisture management goes beyond choosing the right products.

In this BUILDER Session, builders Jimmy Tanghongs and Walt Tomala explore where moisture problems often begin—and how thoughtful planning, proper installation, trade coordination, and strong communication can help reduce risk and create more durable, higher-performing homes. 🏠

Watch Beyond Code: Managing Moisture Risk in Modern Residential Construction, underwritten by Henry.

🔗: https://bit.ly/4iLJ13q

09/03/2026

The labor shortage is not only a hiring problem. It is a building-system design problem.

When experienced crews are difficult to find, every extra installation step becomes a potential schedule delay, quality issue, or callback.

Builders can reduce that exposure by selecting envelope materials that:

• Combine multiple functions into one system
• Minimize separate taping and sequencing steps
• Make correct installation easier to verify
• Reduce uncertainty about product compatibility

The most valuable material may not be the one with the longest feature list. It may be the one that removes the most jobsite decisions.

👉 See how builders are adapting envelope specifications to today’s labor realities: https://bit.ly/4ycxhvf

Henry Company

It’s not exactly breaking news: Building contractors are still facing workforce challenges, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Per an Associated General Contractors (AGC) survey in late 2025, 92% of contractors report having a hard time filling open positions. From fewer new workers enteri...

09/01/2026

Power outages are reshaping how builders think about home resilience. New research explores why. Propane Education & Research Council

👉 Learn more: https://bit.ly/45faHG3

08/25/2026

Zonda and M/I Homes announced their partnership on the 2027 Virtual Concept Home.  
 
This immersive digital model offers a new way to experience home design before a single wall is built. Rooted in the theme “designed for life, built for hope,” M/I Homes will bring the concept home to life as an actual home. Proceeds from its sale will benefit Pelotonia and its mission to accelerate innovative cancer research.
 
The 2027 Virtual Concept Home by NewHomeSource 🏡 will be unveiled at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas in February 2027.
 
Link in bio to learn more.

08/25/2026

High-performance windows can help meet stricter energy and storm requirements, but their added weight can make installation slower, more complicated, and more expensive.

Lightweight glass systems are changing the tradeoff. Some are up to 40% lighter than conventional options, while impact-rated units can be nearly half the traditional weight. For builders, that could mean easier handling, faster installation, greater labor flexibility, and more freedom to use larger window and door openings.

👉 See whether lightweight glass could be the future of high-performance windows: https://bit.ly/4zuTYMC

MITER Brands

As energy efficiency standards rise across the country, and coastal areas adopt increasingly stringent impact requirements, builders are turning to high-performance windows and doors with triple-pane and impact-rated glass to meet code. In traditional configurations, both add serious weight. That ad...

08/20/2026

Delayed closings can put real pressure on builders.

Even as home insurance availability improves, the closing process can still hit friction when underwriting requirements shift, carrier terms change, or buyers are not prepared early enough.

The practical takeaway: insurance planning should start sooner.

When builders make insurance part of the process from contract to close, they can help reduce surprises, protect margins, and give buyers more confidence before the finish line.

👉 Learn how builders can improve closing reliability and reduce unnecessary risk: https://bit.ly/4gjgGP1

Westwood Insurance Agency

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) recently reported 13% of new-home closings are delayed, costing home builders untold thousands of dollars in unplanned expenses. Eliminating friction points at closing is an imperative for all builders. No builder should have to sacrifice margin to cover co...

08/19/2026

Buyers may not know today whether they will want an EV charger, solar panels, battery storage, or backup power in a few years.

That gives builders an opportunity: build homes that can adapt.

A scalable home uses smart electrical planning so future upgrades are easier, less disruptive, and more practical. That might mean reserving panel space, planning conduit routes, or choosing systems that can support added loads over time.

The insight for builders: future-ready does not have to mean fully loaded at closing. It can mean ready for what comes next.

👉 Learn how scalable homes can help builders deliver long-term value for buyers: https://bit.ly/4xFNAR6

Schneider Electric

Rooftop solar, battery storage, advanced energy monitoring, and backup power are all desirable amenities that some buyers want today. Others may not consider them until years after closing. That uncertainty presents builders an opportunity. Enter the scalable home. What is a Scalable Home? From an e...

08/13/2026

Floor plans repeat street to street, but homeowners are refusing to let the tile repeat with them.

Tile used to stop at the kitchen and bathroom because that’s where water resistance mattered. Now, it runs up bedroom walls, wraps kitchen islands, clads the fireplace, and enhances headboards.

Get the full breakdown of where tile is showing up next ➡️ https://bit.ly/3S5Jvqk