Zonda announces major business acquisition

Zonda, one of the leading data providers in the homebuilding industry, has acquired Builders Digital Experience (BDX), the company announced on Wednesday. 

By extension, Zonda also acquired NewHomeSource.com, one of the largest listings platforms for newly constructed homes, and Envision, a new home design platform. Founded in 2000, BDX is owned by a group of 24 leading U.S. homebuilders, including Lennar, PulteGroup, KB Home and Beazer Homes, and it boasts more than 1,200 active builders on the platform.

The acquisition marks a milestone in Zonda’s path to streamlining the new home shopping process. Zonda will be able to integrate its new construction data and tech platform with the leading portal for U.S. new home listings. Zonda also operates Livabl, Canada’s leading new construction listings site.

“By combining a new home listings portal with Zonda’s deep dataset, we’ll be able to better serve the unique needs of home shoppers, ultimately driving more connections with buyers and awareness for home builders,” Jeff Meyers, CEO of Zonda, said in a statement.

“With the help of Zonda’s data, consumers will soon be able to find, tour, and compare specific homes within a new home community, a far more dynamic experience than seeing a model home listing and sample floor plans,” Meyers added. “This is a game changer for the industry and will not only create a more engaging platform for consumers, but will yield incredibly rich data for builders to inform their business and pricing strategy.”

Home shoppers will be able to utilize a premium digital homebuying experience, while builders will be able to leverage new data about consumer buying habits and trends to conduct better marketing strategies.  

The demand for new construction isn’t waning. According to Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), new homes accounted for about 30% of the total inventory on the market in 2023, compared to the historic norm of 12%. Experts expect this year to be another strong one for homebuilders, with an industry sentiment survey recording a strong score earlier this month. 

“This acquisition is a historic moment in the new home industry that will drive more leads and awareness for builders and their homes,” Kevin Krone, CEO of BDX, said in a statement. “Zonda, with their deep data and technical experience, is the ideal choice to take our vision to the next level. As builders race to keep up with consumer demand for new homes, we’re excited to have Zonda take our tech platform to the next level and ultimately fuel growth for the entire industry.”