What do today’s new construction buyers really want and what are builders still getting wrong? In this episode of the Anewgo of New Home Sales Podcast, Anya Chrisanthon sits down with Chattanooga powerhouse Realtor and team leader Grace Frank to unpack the latest design, pricing, and buyer-behavior trends shaping 2025 and beyond.

You’ll hear how Grace built one of the top new construction teams in her market, why she’s obsessed with smart design and “mystery shopping” through open houses, and what she’s seeing on the ground with relocation buyers, energy-efficient homes, and multi-generational living.

In this episode, we cover:

• The state of the Chattanooga new construction market and why secondary markets are booming
• Why price parity between resale and new construction is changing buyer expectations
• Single-story vs. two-story, masters on main, flex spaces, and the rise of zero-lot-line homes
• Energy efficiency that actually sells: solar, insulation, HVAC, and how to talk ROI vs. “saving the planet”
• Design mistakes that make new homes sit — and how to create timeless, “wow” kitchens and baths
• How multi-gen layouts and on-property studios/in-law suites are reshaping floorplans
• What’s really happening with commissions post-lawsuit in new construction and resale
• Builder incentives that still work: rate buydowns, design credits, and smart lender partnerships
• Why builders should treat open houses like live focus groups (and do a lot more of them)
• Tips for working with relocation buyers who are shopping remotely but want to feel confident in a move
  
  

If you’re a builder, marketer, or on-site sales pro planning your strategy for 2026, this conversation will help you rethink product, design, and customer experience so you can sell more homes in a shifting market.

Heading to the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2026 in Orlando? In this episode, I’m joined by Rick Baldonado, National Director of New Construction at Homes.com, to break down the must-see sessions, can’t-miss parties, and where to find both Anewgo and Homes.com all week long.

👉 Catch Rick’s previous episode on Homes.com for builders: Homes.com for Builders: Your Listing, Your Lead

Featured IBS 2026 Education Sessions

Session 1 — Storytelling + Tech
Digital Chemistry: How Storytelling & Tech Can Win Buyers’ Hearts (and Sales)

When: Thursday, Feb 19 | 11:00–11:30 AM
Where: Sales Central
Speakers: Anya Chrisanthon, Alaina Money-Garman & Chad Davies

Session 2 — Innovation & Affordability
Reshaping Home Building: Innovative, Efficient & Affordable Communities That Last

When: Tuesday, Feb 17 | 10:00–11:00 AM
Where: West 308C
Speakers: Beth Byrd & P. Allen Smith

Session 3 — AI Buyers + AI Assistants
AI Buyers & Sales Assistants: Revolutionizing Your Website’s New Home Shopping Experience

When: Wednesday, Feb 18 | 10:15–10:45 AM
Where: AI & Tech Studio – West 230

Speakers: John Lee, Barrett Davis, Mel Cervin

Find Anewgo & Homes.com at IBS

• Anewgo is sponsoring Sales Central this year-come see us there, meet the team, and get hands-on with our latest tech.
  
  
• We’ll be showcasing our AI Sales Assistants and how they transform your website into a truly interactive new-home shopping experience.
  
  
• Homes.com will have a major booth presence on the expo floor-Booth S4082 put it on your “must visit” list to hear what’s new, what’s next, and how builders can get more from their listings.
  
  

Awards & The Nationals

• 🏆 Anewgo is officially a Silver Finalist at The Nationals—and we’re up for Gold!
  Our nomination is for Best Website, awarded for the stunning, high-performing site we created in partnership with Garman Homes. This project represents the future of what an AI-ready, fully interactive, conversion-focused builder website can be… and now it’s in the running for the industry’s top honor.
• We’ll chat about why The Nationals are considered the “Oscars of new home sales & marketing,” what the night is like, and why it’s one of the most energizing celebrations of innovation, creativity, and talent in our industry. Fingers crossed for Gold!

Parties & Networking

IBS is as much about connections as it is about content:

Homes.com Party (Wednesday Night @ PBR Cowboy Bar)
Co-hosted with Anewgo and Builder Designs—this is shaping up to be the marketing + sales party of IBS.
👉 Email me for your invite!

🥂 We also chat about:

IBS House Party
YP events and leadership connections
How to maximize networking if it’s your first time at IBS

In this conversation, we cover:

• How AI buyers and AI Assistants are reshaping new home search and websites
• Why Sales Central is the heartbeat for sales & marketing pros at IBS
• Practical tips for first-time attendees (shoes, schedules, sanity!)
• How

To watch this webinar with slides CLICK HERE

Buyers aren’t just searching anymore: they’re asking, and they expect instant, intelligent answers. In this webinar, Anewgo CEO John Lee breaks down how AI Sales Assistants are redefining digital engagement and why traditional websites and basic chatbots can’t keep up.

You’ll learn:

-Why today’s static, page-based websites create friction—and what “AI-ready” websites do differently
-The key differences between a traditional chatbot and a true AI Sales Assistant (memory, context, personalization, multimodal search, and more)
-How AI transforms the home shopping journey, giving buyers real-time answers, curated matches, and visual guidance
-What AI-powered qualification looks like when every message is tracked, analyzed, and scored
-How AI Assistants reshape lead capture, follow-up, and sales workflows—for OSCs, onsite agents, and marketing teams
-A first-look preview of Anewgo’s upcoming AI Assistant ('Robin'), built on real builder data and trained through an industry-specific AI Academy

If you’ve been wondering how AI will change buyer expectations—and what builders need to do to stay ahead—this session is your roadmap.


📅 Book time with Beth Byrd: https://calendly.com/beth-anewgo

What happens when an enterprise SaaS seller discovers that improv and stand-up can make you a better salesperson, teammate, and leader?
Kevin Hubschmann, founder of Laugh.Events, joins Anya to break down how humor, active listening, and “yes-and” thinking can transform high-stakes sales conversations, especially in emotional industries like homebuilding.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why comedy skills = better communication, curiosity & connection
• The difference between being funny and using humor effectively
• How to shrink the fear of failure (yes… bombing on stage helps)
• Improv rules every salesperson should steal (active listening, yes-and, F-your-good-idea!)
• How humor lowers defenses, builds trust, and boosts customer satisfaction
• Simple, low-stakes exercises any sales team can use to collaborate better
  
  

Whether you’re in new home sales, leadership, or just want to communicate like a human again, Kevin’s approach will help you sell with more confidence, and have a lot more fun doing it.

🔗 Connect with Kevin: Laugh.Events
🔗 Sign up for LaughRx newsletter: laugh.events
🔗 Follow Kevin on LinkedIn: Kevin Hubschmann

Author and Blue Gypsy Inc. founder Leah Fellows joins Anya to unpack the playbook behind elite Online Sales Counselor (OSC) programs, and her new book, Attract, Engage, Convert. We cover what great OSCs actually do, how to hire the “unicorn,” and why top-down leadership buy-in is non-negotiable. Leah shares practical tactics for warmer websites, video-first outreach, ungated content, and human-centered nurturing—plus how to blend chat/AI tools without losing the personal touch.

You’ll learn:

-The must-have traits of a high-performing OSC (and the biggest hiring mistakes to avoid)

-How to structure training, processes, and metrics that move appointments → sales

-Website essentials for OSC success: strong CTAs, visible human presence, and smart use of video

-Why gating hurts conversion—and where to earn contact info instead

-Turning cold leads warm: segmented follow-ups, personalized video, and practical nurture tracks

-Smooth handoffs: chat/AI → OSC → onsite, with clear communication and accountability

-When (and how) to audit your existing OSC program for quick wins

Guest: Leah Fellows, Founder/CEO, Blue Gypsy Inc.; author of Attract, Engage, Convert.
Topics: online sales counselors, new home sales, home builder marketing, AI assistants vs. chatbots, lead nurturing, conversion optimization, customer experience.

If you’re a builder or marketer ready to level up your OSC program—and your conversions—this episode is your roadmap.

Is your marketing ladder missing the first rung? Jason Rhoads (Rhoads Creative) joins Anya to break down why builders should fix websites and assets before throwing money at ads, and how AI search (AIO) is changing everything from discovery to conversion.

We cover:

-The Digital Marketing Ladder: the 8 steps

-UX that sells: lead-gen flows, visual content, virtual tours, data-tagged assets
-AIO to SEO? Preparing your site to “talk to bots” and win AI answers
-Content that feeds LLMs without becoming AI slop (voice, structure, schema)
-Analytics that prove ROI: CRM tie-ins, attribution, appointments → sales
-Paid search today (rising CPCs) and what’s next for social/TikTok search
-Practical AI workflows: brand-tuned GPTs, faster content ops, better insights

If you’re a homebuilder or marketer wondering where to put budget in 2026, this episode gives you a ladder to climb: one smart rung at a time.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:05 Jason’s path & why builders need better data
03:00 The Digital Marketing Ladder
06:10 Websites & assets: the #1 ROI lever
09:10 AI search and “bot-to-bot” readiness
12:20 From SEO to AIO: content that ranks in AI
20:05 Validating the AI recommendation: trust pages that matter
24:00 Visuals that feed AI (not just look pretty)
26:00 Measuring ROI with CRM + attribution
28:30 AI tools/workflows Jason recommends
31:00 What’s next: TikTok search & beyond
33:00 One thing overwhelmed teams should do now
34:30 Where to find Jason

Tech CMO and author Kae Kronthaler-Williams joins Anya to discuss what it takes to build equitable, high-performing teams in industries like tech and homebuilding—where women have often had to carve their own paths. Drawing from decades of leadership experience, Kae shares how to challenge assumptions, design strategies that fit your market, and create environments where everyone can thrive.

She and Anya explore how bias shows up in everyday business decisions, why diverse teams outperform uniform ones, and how to balance data-driven insights with human understanding. Kae also talks about the role of AI in empowering marketers to focus on strategy and creativity, rather than repetitive tasks.

Whether you’re leading a team, navigating a career in a male-dominated field, or looking to build a more inclusive culture, this episode delivers practical insights you can apply right away.

📘 Kae’s book: Not Made for You: How Women in Tech Can Challenge Bias, Claim Their Space, and Thrive in a System Built for Men
🌐 Learn more & follow Kae: kaewilliams.com

Want more qualified appointments without racing to the bottom on price? Marketing leader Ken Tucker (Changescape Web) breaks down a practical AI speed-to-lead system for home builders, covering AI phone assistants, OSC roles, answer-engine optimization, and a content machine that actually moves the needle.

What you’ll learn

• Why “first response wins” (and how AI makes it instant—24/7)
• AI voice/chat setup: FAQs, escalation rules, booked-appointment targets
• Where OSCs fit next to AI (and how to keep the “talk to a human” option)
• Tech stack sanity: CRM + ops tools, APIs/Zapier, and subscription audits
• Content flywheel: short videos → blogs → social → press → email
• Answer-Engine Optimization (AEO): schema, local SEO, reviews, Reddit/LinkedIn signals

Guest: Ken Tucker — author of Content Marketing for Local Search (updated with AI strategies)

Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:40 Ken’s IT→Marketing journey & podcast lessons
03:30 Speed-to-lead: why first wins (even vs. price)
10:30 OSCs, AI chat/voice, and instant response
12:45 Training AI with FAQs + escalation to humans
20:10 Jobs & AI: repurposing roles, “rejection-proof” follow-up
21:30 Local content with AI: FAQs, repurposing, signals
26:00 AEO, schema, Bing/LLMs, reviews & reputation
34:00 How to reach Ken + final takeaways

Links
🎧 Watch/listen to more episodes: https://anewgo.com/podcast
🔗 Ken’s site: changescapeweb.com