Pricing is one of the most important decisions made by any business organisation. Economists use the term market clearing price to identify a price at which sellers are prepared to sell because they feel they are getting a fair price, and buyers are prepared to buy because they feel they are getting value for money. If prices are too high or too low the market will fail to clear. The housing market provides us with an example of a market-place that is often slow in clearing – when prices start to fall, sellers are reluctant to sell their properties because they feel that they will make a loss. When prices are rising, buyers may be more reluctant to make a purchase.
Students will be aware that the prices of houses provide one of the most common subjects for conversation in this country. This case study sets out to examine a key aspect of house pricing – how Bryant Homes, one of this country’s leading builders of houses, goes about pricing its new properties.
Objectives
Business specialists like to talk about the 4 Ps of the marketing mix – product, place, promotion and price. In examining how Bryant goes about pricing its houses, it is helpful to consider first the other 3 Ps. Bryant is able to price its products in the premium range because it offers some of the very best new homes (product), in attractive and sought after locations (place) and, of course, its promotional literature reflects this upmarket image.
The Bryant case study provides a fascinating outline of the key factors that go into pricing decisions in the new home market. The right price today will rarely be the right price next year because there are so many variables in the housing market. The successful organisation needs to be alert to find out what these changes are. That is why market research is so important to an organisation like Bryant Homes. Bryant needs to update the latest information available about demographics, buying patterns, changes in the availability and cost of land, the state of the economy and many other variables.