Your Playbook for Construction Sales Jobs

So you’re interested in new home sales as a potential career path. That’s great! A new home sales career, including construction sales jobs, can be very rewarding, offering ample opportunities for strong client and team relationships and learning pathways. 

But getting started in a new home sales career path is easier said than done. It requires knowing your sales skills inside and out, understanding how to organize them into a strong resume, and explaining them well in an interview. It means understanding your weak spots and where you need to grow as a future new home sales professional, along with your strengths and how to best advertise them.

It all begins with a deep understanding of the industry, what’s expected, and how to showcase that you’re a perfect fit for the role. 

In this article, we’ll cover:

• What exactly do new construction sales jobs look like?
• Steps to become a new home sales associate
  • Building your new home sales resume
    • Example skills new home sales companies might look for 
    • Examples of strong resumes 
  • Creating a strong personal brand online
    • LinkedIn 
    • Other social media platforms 
• Getting started in the search 

Read on for what’s expected in the role and how you can best prepare to land it 🏆

What exactly do new construction sales jobs look like?

A home is at the center of our lives and the place where families are built and create experiences that will last a lifetime. Those in construction sales jobs are responsible for leading customers through the very moment that defines one of the most exciting chapters of life for many — homeownership. 

They cultivate and maintain strong relationships with clients throughout every milestone of the home-building journey. Their role in the journey is crucial, as they act as a critical resource to educate customers and set essential expectations for a successful new home build. 

Here are some core responsibilities that every new home sales consultant typically takes on:

• Provide exceptional customer service and guide customers on the home building/buying journey
• Use marketing initiatives to grow brand awareness with the local realtor community and potential home buyers to generate adequate traffic and sales
• Participate in recurring sales training via a proprietary sales enablement platform, as well as in-person
• Collaborate on an ongoing basis with the local sales team and present quarterly business plans to our builder partners to meet given sales goals
• Manage model home during all hours of operation, including most weekends, while maintaining the model home, sales office, and community appearance

Given the interactive nature of the position and the amount of client interaction required throughout the home-buying journey, new home sales consultants must enjoy interpersonal interactions. Other traits that can make one a “rockstar” new home sales consultant include a positive attitude, empathy, and active listening skills. 

At the right company, new home sales consultants will be part of a challenging, inclusive work culture emphasizing personal development and recognition. The ones who reach the greatest levels of success are motivated, goal-oriented professionals who are always looking to take the next step toward greatness in their careers.

Steps to become a new home sales associate 

The first step to landing your dream construction sales job as a new home sales associate is knowing what your target companies want when it comes to requirements and preferred skills and qualifications. To start, make sure you have a strong resume in place and a personal brand that shows off your unique personality and accomplishments.

Building your new home sales resume

Example skills new home sales companies might look for 

There are certain criteria that most new home sales companies will look for in candidates. Here’s a list of some common sales essential skills (not just new home sales related) you’d want to list on your resume:

• Product knowledge
• Client acquisition and retention 
• Goal setting and forecasting 
• Closing sales
• Written and verbal communication skills
• Self-motivation
• Organization
• Time management 
• Attention to detail 

Of course, you want to select the most important details and experience to include under each bullet above you choose to add to your resume. This will help provide color to hiring managers who are curious for specifics and examples showcasing a skill you have come to life.

Hard skills, like specific online proficiency and licensing, are also required for many roles. Here’s a more detailed sample list that we include on our new home sales consultant job descriptions at New Home Star:

• Passion and skill for interacting with customers in large purchase decisions. 
• Proficient computer knowledge/skills (i.e., MS Office Suite such as Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
• Able to work onsite during business hours - including weekend days
• Having real estate licenses in the location of hiring
• Reliable transportation is required to facilitate travel throughout your workday
• Valid driver's license and current liability insurance is required
• 2+ years of experience in a sales/service/professional business role preferred (dependent on the level of role you’re interviewing for)
• A bachelor's degree or higher is preferred

Example of strong resumes

When crafting an exceptional resume, there are a few things to keep in mind. Here are some high-level tips:

• Bullet point accomplishments in the role instead of a write-up of daily operations. This shows how you have quantifiably benefited the company. 
• Include a summary that offers a quick overview of your experience. 
• Make core skills easily viewable.

Of course, experience level and background will vary for each position. An entry-level role will look a lot different than a director-level position, so play to your strengths and highlight how your previous experience relates to the position you are applying for.

Creating a strong personal brand online

There are many reasons why building a strong personal online brand is critical to land a job in new home sales. These include:

Visibility in target market:

• An active online presence increases your visibility within your industry and target market. The more visibility you have, the more you’re recognizable and memorable to potential clients — which can, in turn, lead to increased opportunities and sales.

Networking opportunities:

• Social media platforms like LinkedIn offer excellent networking opportunities. By actively engaging with industry peers, potential clients, and other professionals, you expand your network, learn about industry trends, and uncover new sales opportunities.

Access to a broad audience:

• Social media channels provide platforms to reach a global audience — you can connect with anyone at any time of the day. Through social media, it’s easy to find connections beyond your immediate geographical location, leading to expanded reach and new business potential. 

Social selling:

• Social media platforms have become integral to the sales process. Leveraging social platforms for social selling involves building relationships, sharing valuable content, and engaging with potential clients in a more personalized way. An active online presence makes you more effective in using these platforms for sales activities.

Showcase your social media savviness:

• In the digital age, many business interactions occur online. If you have a strong online presence, you demonstrate your ability to adapt to new tools and modern communication trends to stay relevant in a technology-driven business environment. Employers want employees who are tech-savvy and familiar with the latest and greatest tech tools. 

The first step in creating a strong personal brand online is defining your personal brand. As this article consolidating expert sales opinions discusses, ask yourself the following questions:

• What makes you different from other sales ops experts? 
• Who are you trying to reach and impress? 
• What do you want them to know and feel about you?

Read on for more specific recommendations targeting each platform 🔎

LinkedIn 

The LinkedIn blog has some great resources for optimizing your profile. Some of the top steps from their guide to a better LinkedIn profile in 2024 include:

1. Choose the right profile picture: Use a professional and high-quality profile photo. Ensure that you appear approachable, friendly, and confident to make a positive first impression.
2. Add a background photo: A background photo adds an element of visual appeal to your profile and can showcase your personality.
3. Make your headline more than just a job title: Craft a compelling professional headline that clearly communicates your role and value proposition. Use keywords relevant to your industry and expertise.
4. Turn your summary into a story: Write a concise and engaging summary that highlights your experience, expertise, and passion for your industry. Focus on the value you bring to clients and how you can solve their problems.
5. Avoid buzzwords! Keep the language simple and direct, avoiding any sales (or other) jargon. 
6. List your relevant skills: List skills relevant to your sales role. Encourage colleagues and clients to endorse your skills, as this adds credibility to your profile.
7. Grow your network: Connect with individuals you’ve worked with or currently work with and who are in your space. The tool is amazing at resurfacing people you may have connected with in the past in one way or another, so stay open to LinkedIn recommendations and to adding more sales professionals to your network!
8. Follow relevant influencers in your story: Here’s a place to start for finding relevant sales influencers on LinkedIn. These influencers often provide helpful insights on industry trends and share relevant articles that can help you stay on top of news you should know.  

And most importantly, keep your LinkedIn profile regularly updated! Many people forget to update it with their latest accomplishments or milestones. Make it your primary source of truth for all job searching that showcases all of your history and impressive achievements to date.

Other social media platforms 

Besides LinkedIn, several social media platforms can be critical for sellers to build and maintain a personal brand. Yes, these media platforms matter, even if your profile picture is the only available part. 

The choice of platforms depends on the nature of the industry, target audience, and content preferences. Here are some social media platforms that sellers may find valuable for personal branding:

• X:

• X is a fast-paced platform particularly effective for staying updated on industry trends and joining relevant discussions.

• Instagram:

• Instagram is visual-centric and best for sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses, highlighting achievements, and offering visual content to engage your audience.
• Facebook:
  • On Facebook, you can share relevant content, connect with clients, and participate in industry groups to expand your network.
• YouTube:
  • YouTube provides a platform for sellers to create and share educational or informative videos — product demonstrations, tutorials, or discussions on industry trends. For new home sales professionals, it offers a chance to engage with popular YouTube channels and learn from influencers in the space.
• Quora:
  • Actively participating and answering/asking questions on Quora allows sellers to engage with topics related to their industry, positioning them as experts and helping to build credibility.
• Reddit:
  • Engaging in relevant subreddits provides an opportunity to share insights, participate in discussions, and connect with potential clients in a more casual setting.
• TikTok:
  • This one might be more niche, but some sellers choose to leverage TikTok to create engaging and creative videos, especially if their target audience includes a younger demographic.
• Medium:
  • Medium, a platform for publishing longer-form articles, can be used to share in-depth insights, industry analyses, and personal experiences. This is ideal if you’re an expert in a certain topic in new home sales and have an opinion you want to write a lengthier article about. You can then share the article across your other social channels (or snippets of it) and build more credibility. 

Ready to get started on your path to landing a new home sales job? With the right knowledge about the current job market, the right resume, and knowledge about building an online presence, you’re well on your way.

The good news: we’re hiring entry-level positions at New Home Star, and we want to talk to you if you think you’re a good fit! See our open positions on our career page here.