DEBORAH BLAKE
Deborah Blake’s experience with the 55+ mature consumer began at Del Webb, where her 22-year career spanned leadership roles in the Design Center, Sales and Marketing, Community Visioning and Start-Up, Operations, and ultimately, the national in-house Del Webb expert for the Pulte Group. She has been involved in the start-up and operations of large Sun Cities as well as the development of new age-qualified and age-targeted concepts to respond to emerging market and consumer segments, expanding 55+ market share for Del Webb in Sunbelt and four-season U.S. markets. She has developed organizations from the ground up, managed successful teams, and in 2009, as the national director of marketing, she led the repositioning of the Del Webb brand and was the in-house expert advising Pulte operators in 21 U.S. markets with the on-the-ground execution of the Del Webb community experience. Prior to launching The Ipsum Group in 2012, Deborah served as senior vice president of strategic marketing for Robson Communities, where she directed all aspects of repositioning the 40-year-old brand as a premium brand in the active adult community category. For the last decade, she has advised successful developers and homebuilders in the creation, development, and marketing of award winning and profitable 55+ active lifestyle communities.
ABOUT THE IPSUM GROUP
For over three decades, The Ipsum Group founder Deborah Blake has been focused on the business of creating communities and homes that respond to the needs and aspirations of the 55+ mature real estate consumer. Deborah started her career with the leading brand in active adult, retirement communities, Del Webb. After working with both public and private developers and homebuilders in executive leadership roles, she created The Ipsum Group over a decade ago to serve her clients with innovative and proven business strategies to win in the evolving 55+ consumer real estate market, including for sale and rental communities.
DEEP, BROAD, REAL-LIFE
EXPERIENCE
Homebuilders and developers will benefit from Deborah Blake’s real-life experience identifying top line revenue opportunities and deal killers before you put a shovel in the ground. Illuminating blind spots that create better results and return on investment. Take advantage of our unique perspective and decades of experience to differentiate your 55+ community and educate your smart and roll up our sleeves with your experienced operations team to implement expertly. We can bring the best and the brightest to the table and advise your trusted partners; consumer and market research, , community ideation and place making planning and development, branding and positioning, marketing, customer relationship management, sales strategy & training, home and amenity programming and design, lifestyle programming, partnerships, and resident relations, and HOA.
IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE EVOLVING 55+ CONSUMER
The ‘boom’ is here! 10,000 Boomers a day are turning 65. They control more than 70% of the discretionary income and equity in the U.S. The average age of the new home buyer is 63 and getting older as trends in ‘retirement’ are changing and happy, enriched, and healthy longevity is on the minds of many. The Ipsum Group experience spans destination Sunbelt locations, as well as the increasingly popular four-season, retire-in-place markets across the country. Deborah offers a one-of-a-kind context for how the consumer is changing and the deep, value-based motivations that have stood the test of time. Most importantly, homes, communities, and marketing that compel the discretionary boomer homebuyer and renter to move.
INNOVATIVE, PROVEN
BUSINESS STRATEGIES
For over a decade, The Ipsum Group has been sharing best practices and assisting developers and homebuilders to find their unique and compelling position in the growing and increasingly competitive 55+, active adult, retirement, age-targeted, for sale and rental real estate market. Deborah delivers modern consumer insights to inform consumer-centric innovation and proven business strategies so her clients can monetize the growing and diverse opportunities inherent in the 80-million-plus boomer population.
FOCUSED ON DEVELOPERS & HOMEBUILDERS
Success in the 55+ Active Adult category requires more than a market study or copying the best sellers. We focus on understanding each client’s unique company DNA and success factors, the local 55+ consumer profile and demand, local 55+ new homes and resale market, and developing and implementing a strategic plan that delivers a compelling and modern community that stands out from the competition.