Milesbrand is proud to announce it won two Gold Awards at The Nationals 2025, the premier awards event honoring North America's best in new home sales and marketing. Hosted by the National Sales and Marketing Council (NSMC) and held during the 2026 International Builders’ Show, The Nationals recognizes excellence across diverse categories, celebrating work that sets industry standards and drives measurable results.
These latest wins bring Milesbrand's total to an unprecedented 130 Gold Nationals Awards, solidifying our position as the world's most awarded real estate branding and marketing agency. The recognition reflects our continued commitment to creating strategic, results-driven work that helps home builders and developers connect with homebuyers in meaningful ways.
In a market flooded with generic messaging and indistinguishable offers, Milesbrand partnered with True Homes to create a campaign that shifted the conversation from fear to excitement. The challenge was clear: how do you motivate buyers sitting on the sidelines in an uncertain market?
The solution was bold. By value-engineering existing product, True Homes created an offer that felt almost too good to be true: a 3,000-square-foot home with a three-car garage in the $300,000s. The "3-3-3" concept gave the campaign instant memorability and credibility.
Milesbrand brought this unique and unexpected campaign to life through integrated execution across multiple channels: video content, streaming audio, website takeovers, dedicated landing pages with lead capture, social media campaigns, email marketing to both consumers and brokers, and outdoor advertising. The cohesive approach ensured the message resonated at every touchpoint.
The results validated the strategy. In just four months, True Homes sold 259 of these value-engineered homes, contributing 14% of the year's total projected sales. The campaign proved that when you combine unexpected offers with disciplined execution, you can break through market noise and drive meaningful action.
This Gold Award recognizes not just creative excellence but strategic thinking that delivers business outcomes. It demonstrates that bold ideas backed by integrated campaigns can shift buyer behavior even in challenging market conditions.
Rather than defend the location, Milesbrand doubled down on authenticity through the "Real Stories" campaign. The strategy centered on first-person accounts from actual residents whose experiences illustrated why Ave Maria's so-called remoteness was actually a strength for those seeking a certain quality of life.
The print component of this omnichannel campaign featured real residents sharing their authentic experiences. These weren't polished testimonials crafted by marketers. They were genuine stories that gave the messaging staying power, with stories prospects could touch, reread and share.
The approach resonated strongly with the 55+ buyer segment. These experienced homebuyers appreciated the authenticity and could see themselves in the stories of people who had made similar decisions. The campaign transformed what could have been a liability into proof of the community's unique character.
The overall “Real Stories” campaign results exceeded expectations. Despite rising interest rates and industry headwinds, Ave Maria achieved 422 sales by August 2025, including a record-setting May. Welcome Center visits increased 53% year over year. Perhaps most tellingly, resident involvement grew as more locals volunteered to share their stories, creating a virtuous cycle of authentic advocacy.
This Gold Award celebrates the power of real stories told by real people to overcome market challenges and drive measurable business results.
Both of these Gold Award-winning campaigns demonstrate core principles that define Milesbrand's approach:
Bold positioning matters. Generic messaging creates generic results. The 3-3-3 campaign succeeded because it gave buyers something unexpected to respond to.
Authenticity builds trust. Ave Maria's Real Stories campaign worked because it featured genuine residents, not manufactured testimonials.
Integration amplifies impact. Neither campaign relied on a single tactic. Success came from coordinated execution across multiple touchpoints.
Strategy drives results. These weren't just creative exercises. They were strategic solutions to specific business challenges that delivered measurable outcomes.
These Gold Awards recognize work that doesn't just look good but performs in the marketplace. They validate our belief that the strongest marketing combines creative excellence with strategic thinking and disciplined execution.
In addition to the two Gold Awards, Milesbrand earned four Silver Awards at The Nationals:
Best Print Ad: Ave Maria: Real Stories print ad
Best 30-60 Second Commercial: True Homes' Home Happy campaign
Best Video - Long Format: The George brand reveal video
Best Video - Long Format: Aurora Highlands: Stories Waiting to Be Written
These Silver Awards showcase the breadth of Milesbrand's capabilities across print, video and digital formats. Each represents work that helped clients tell compelling brand stories and achieve their business objectives.
Reaching 130 Gold Nationals Awards (remove link/outdated page) represents more than competitive success. It reflects decades of partnership with visionary clients who trust us to solve their toughest marketing challenges. It demonstrates consistent excellence across different market conditions, product types and buyer segments. And it validates our approach of combining strategic thinking with creative execution to deliver work that drives measurable results.
We're more energized than ever about the work ahead. The challenges facing home builders and developers continue to evolve, from affordability concerns to changing buyer demographics and from competitive pressure to market uncertainty. But these challenges create opportunities for brands that can cut through the noise with clear positioning, authentic storytelling and integrated execution.
Ready to create award-winning work that drives real business results? Milesbrand combines strategic branding with integrated marketing to help builders and developers stand out in competitive markets. Contact us today to explore how we can help you connect with homebuyers and achieve your sales goals.