The State of Home Services Marketing: What Homeowners Want Versus What Businesses Deliver

Homeowners are changing how they search for, choose, and book home services and expectations continue to rise. Business owners are now navigating everything from AI-driven search results and online reviews to after-hours inquiries, all while trying to make it easier for customers to book with confidence.

Those challenges were the focus of our webinar with ACHR, “The State of Home Services Marketing: What Homeowners Want Versus What Businesses Deliver.” Andrew Adams, Scorpion’s Director of Partnership Marketing, was joined by two experienced operators, Chris Gist, Vice President and General Manager of Paradise Home Services, and Jack Havlicheck, owner of JC Plumbing, to share what is working in the field today.

The discussion was based on findings from Scorpion’s latest surveys of 2,000 homeowners and 1,000 business leaders that revealed gaps between customer expectations and business execution. It also surfaced insights for home services business owners looking to show up where homeowners search for answers, respond faster, build trust, and clearly know which marketing efforts drive revenue.

Homeowners Rarely Rely on a Single Search Anymore

Search is no longer limited to Google. According to Scorpion’s research, 22% of homeowners now use AI tools to research home services providers or find recommendations. At the same time, 80% of business owners say they do not know how to prepare for AI-driven search visibility.

That gap can feel intimidating, but Andrew Adams offered an important perspective during the webinar.

“If that number was much higher, it would be a lot more nerve-wracking,” Adams said. “The silver lining is you still have time to figure this out.”

For Jack Havlicheck, preparing for AI-driven search visibility has less to do with chasing trends and more to do with publishing helpful, authoritative content.

“We’re really mixing up the content we’re putting out online,” Havlicheck explained. “More informational, less marketing. That’s what AI is crawling. It's looking for information from an authoritative source.”

Videos, blog articles, FAQs, and educational content help businesses show up not just in traditional search results, but in AI-generated answers as well. Scorpion’s RevenueMAX supports this by ensuring content, local visibility, and conversion tracking all work together, so businesses can be found everywhere homeowners are searching.

Speed To Lead Is No Longer Optional

Few data points resonated more strongly with attendees than this one: 88% of homeowners expect a response within 24 hours. Yet, 66% of business owners say after-hours customer service is one of their biggest challenges.

The issue isn’t limited to speed, but availability across channels too. The survey found that 59% of homeowners want multiple ways to contact a business. Younger homeowners prefer chat or text, while older generations still favor phone calls, but everyone expects a fast response.

Chris Gist sees this tension every day.

“You’re paying for the phone to ring,” Gist said. “You don’t want to miss the call just because you’re on another line.”

Paradise Home Services uses a mix of in-office standards and AI-powered answering tools to handle overflow and after-hours demand. Gist shared that this has helped capture opportunities that would have been missed otherwise.

“We’ve been using an AI answering service for over a year now,” he said. “It’s done great things and saved a lot of revenue for us.”

For Havlicheck, automation is about meeting customers where they are without losing the human element that matters once a technician arrives at the home.

“They want to go online, read reviews, select their contractor, and book an appointment,” he said. “The more seamless you can make that, the more success you’re going to find.”

Reviews and Trust Still Decide Who Gets the Call

Even personal referrals are no longer a guarantee they will choose your business. Scorpion’s survey found that 74% of homeowners research a personal referral online before calling. And 87% say they will not consider a business rated below four stars.

That makes reviews, branding, and authenticity critical.

Another stat stood out during the webinar discussion: 69% of homeowners say they would think twice about hiring a business that uses stock imagery on their website.

“Videos make it so much more personal,” Havlicheck said. “People feel like they already know you.”

JC Plumbing leans heavily into video including quick cell phone clips and professionally produced quarterly commercials to show technicians, office staff, and the owner himself.

“It’s a peek behind the curtain,” Havlicheck said. “We’ve already built that relationship just because they’ve seen us.”

Gist takes a similar approach but expresses it through brand and community presence.

“We wanted our brand to represent the community,” Gist said. “Our vans look like rolling tiki bars. Our technicians wear Hawaiian shirts. It’s unforgettable.”

That visibility matters when homeowners need service fast.

“They don’t have you on speed dial,” Gist explained. “But they’ll remember that cool van they saw down the road.”

Many Businesses Struggle To Stand Out From the Competition

Despite the importance of trust and differentiation, 55% of business owners surveyed said they feel they blend in with competitors.

Both panelists stressed that standing out does not require a massive budget.

“If you’re just one guy in a truck, leverage that,” Havlicheck said. “Family-owned, local, part of the community, use what you’ve got.”

Gist pointed back to culture.

“If you have an amazing culture within your business, you should be able to spread that to the community,” he said.

Consistency matters across social media, videos, and customer reviews. Homeowners are comparing options quickly, often across multiple platforms, before making a decision who to hire.

Knowing What Drives Revenue Matters Now More Than Ever

As homeowner expectations rise, so does the pressure on marketing budgets. During the Q&A, Gist shared that Paradise Home Services reduced spending in certain areas to focus on better close rates and stronger returns.

That kind of decision requires clear visibility into performance, not just leads, but booked jobs and revenue.

RevenueMAX is designed to provide that transparency by connecting marketing activity directly to business outcomes, helping owners understand what is working and where to invest next.

Turning Insight Into Action

Homeowners are moving faster, searching in more places, and expecting more transparency than ever before. Businesses that respond quickly, show up consistently across search and AI-driven experiences, and tell an authentic story earn trust and book more jobs.