Since the real estate market is in the pits, its a good time to look at someone who has actually adopted Killer Brand strategy in the housing market.  There is a builder in Atlanta ($250k to $1M+) who understands branding because he started his career as the Assistant Brand Manager on Minute Rice.  He went from rice to home improvement stores in Florida to home builder in Atlanta.

His name is John Weiland and his concept that “Dream Homes Still Exist” resonates from billboards all over town. Some times they even have bread baking in the oven of a home for sale. Another builder friend tells me that Weiland homes knock down about a 16% premium vs. comparable properties, pretty close to the 19% premium that a McKensie study shows for brands over commodities.

You may even live in a John Weiland home.  A quick check of his website shows that the Weiland brand has expanded into Nashville, Charleston, Charlotte and Raleigh.