Newland Communities' Telfair in Sugar Land was the nation’s fourth top-selling master-planned community (MPC) for new-home sales in 2009, according to a survey by RCLCO, an independent real estate advisory firm.With 450 new-home sales in 2009, Telfair was one of only two Houston master-planned communities on RCLCO’s top 10 list to report a sales increase from the previous year.Sales increased 9% last year in the 2,018-acre community, located at U.S. 59 South and University Blvd. in Sugar Land. The increase helped Telfair move up two notches from 2008, when it ranked sixth nationally in the RCLCO report, which has been released every year since 1994.The only other Houston area community with a sales increase for 2009 was Cinco Ranch in Katy, also by Newland Communities. With 887 new-home sales in 2009, Cinco Ranch was the nation’s number one community in the RCLCO study.“These results are outstanding for us,” said Bob McLeod, Chairman and CEO of Newland Communities. “This marks the first time ever in more than 40 years we’ve had the top-selling community in the nation, and to do it during a year as tough as 2009 makes it an even bigger achievement.”RCLCO’s study showed that total number of net sales in 2009 for the majority of the best-selling MPCs dropped from 2008 levels with sales volume declining by as little as 8% and as much as 84%. Newland’s Telfair and Cinco Ranch were a strong exception to this trend, posting increased sales for the third year in a row. Also, 2009 proved to be the best sales year ever for Telfair since opening in 2006 and the third best sales year for the 19-year-old Cinco Ranch.
"Newland's sales success at Telfair and Cinco Ranch can be attributed to the product diversity our homebuilders offer, the proven established track records of these communities, and a highly focused marketing approach that speaks to our customer needs,” McLeod continued.
"Buyers needs have changed and they will continue to change. The communities Newland creates will continue to adapt to meet those needs. Value doesn’t just mean a lower price, or a smaller home. It means what fits their family and lifestyle needs. The way we market our communities, taking time to really understand our buyers and engaging with them on a more personal level, has changed as well," he indicated.
Houston’s strong showing in the RCLCO study underscores the fact that the city is a bright spot in the national economy.
Ted Nelson, Central Region President for Newland Communities said, “In the past few months, Houston has ranked very high in studies ranging from the nation’s healthiest housing markets to cities where the recession is easing. Overall, the Houston communities on the top 10 list represented 2,250 new-home sales, more than double those of the second ranked metro, Las Vegas.”