In luxury real estate—particularly in remote second-home markets—success isn’t about “build it and they will come.” It’s about crafting the story, executing the vision, attracting the right people, and creating demand from the ground up.
Our inhouse sales and marketing team from Martis Camp Realty has followed this approach from the very beginning. Nearly two decades later, Martis Camp has become the gold standard for luxury real estate in the West. With over 550 completed homes, our team has served 2,000 plus clients generating over $3.5 billion in total sales in the community. However, the success isn’t just about building great homes and world-class amenities, it’s about creating a market from the ground up, and making strategic investments in sales, marketing, and storytelling to bring it to life.
CREATING A MARKET WHERE ONE DOESN’T EXIST
Unlike communities within the Tahoe basin, Martis Camp isn’t on the lake. We had to overcome this by building an entirely new value proposition—one rooted in lifestyle, family experience, and exclusivity highlighted by our key amenities. That required more than beautiful homesites and well-designed homes, but rather a consistent effort to get potential buyers physically to the property.
Second-home markets are unique. People vacation, fall in love with a place, and they start imagining themselves owning a slice of it. But you can’t wait for that realization to happen organically. You need to compel people to take a look. Strategic spending in onsite client hosting, marketing—events, targeted digital ads, partnerships, social media channels, public relations, and other tools—drives interest and ultimately delivers buyers physically to the property. That’s the foundation.
This strategy is woven into everything we do from our messaging cadence to our technology stack.
MARKETING AS AN INVESTMENT, NOT AN EXPENSE
Too often, developers view marketing as a cost center and expect immediate results. Some in the industry may expect to see immediate demand and ROI from marketing dollars, however it can take years to see the return.
Marketing is a grassroots engine. And like any long-term investment, it builds value. Smart developers track results, iterate, and embrace the long game. It’s not just about today’s sale—it’s about building an ecosystem of interest and engagement that continues to compound.
A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH: MACRO VISION + PRODUCT EXCITEMENT
Successful buyer acquisition blends two core elements:
- The Macro: Consistent messaging of the broader lifestyle and community story—why this place, why now, what does it feel like to be here.
- The Micro: The individual property—the product that stirs emotion, matches aspiration, and drives urgency to act.
This strategy is woven into everything we do from our messaging cadence to our technology stack, and we run our brokerage with the mindset that we are not just promoting the quality of the real estate, but arguably more important, the lifestyle that comes with it. Platforms like HubSpot help automate content dissemination, but it’s the emotional resonance of our lifestyle brand that keeps people engaged before, during, and after their physical visit.
EVOLVING WITH THE MARKET
Real estate cycles shift, and we have seen shifts become more dramatic and more pronounced especially in the last decade. COVID-19 brought an unprecedented surge in second-home demand, but as we return to more normalized conditions, we see that the fundamentals matter. You can’t just throw capital at a project and expect success. It’s important to remember that momentum—once lost—is hard to regain.
That’s why a well-executed, fully integrated sales, marketing, and public relations strategy is non-negotiable. It’s the difference between hoping the right buyers find you and building the pipeline that drives real results.
THE BOTTOM LINE
In second-home real estate, especially in non-urban areas, developers must think beyond construction. Strategic and holistic spending—when targeted, measured, and story-driven—is the spark that brings buyers to the table. And when those buyers arrive, inspired by vision and grounded in experience, that’s when a community truly begins to thrive.
As President and Broker of Martis Camp Realty, Brian Hull has led his team through the growth of this exceptional community since 2006, contributing to over $3.5 billion in total sales.
