Evaluating and selecting the right materials for a construction project—whether residential or commercial—is a critical task, as it affects the durability, aesthetic and overall quality of the structure in question.
For many projects, particularly in the commercial realm, this task first falls to architects or specifiers.
Throughout 2024, they have demonstrated strong brand loyalty and an emphasis on cultivating strong relationships with other stakeholders in the construction and building products industries. Additionally, these professionals are increasingly utilizing emerging technologies, such as smart building technology and sustainability and green building tools, to complete their projects, according to our research findings in the 2025 Building Products Customer Guide, a collaboration by our custom market researchers at The Farnsworth Group and the team at Venveo.
As architects and specifiers evaluate building materials in 2025 and beyond, you have opportunity to capture their attention with your brand differentiators and motivate them to specify one of your products into their upcoming projects. However, it’s important to note that strategies that the most successful strategies in the years ahead may look different than what's worked for you in the past. Manufacturers and suppliers must adapt their positioning, sales, and marketing to target this sophisticated customer group.
Before we get started, keep in mind that this data reflects overarching trends across the home improvement and building products space. Use it as a starting point to spark internal conversations around where you may need to dig deeper—whether that be around your customer, your product offering, or your broader business strategy.
Trends in How Architects and Specifiers Evaluate and Choose Materials
When architects specify materials, they take multiple factors into consideration, including cost, availability, customer preference and sustainability. It’s critical that the varying building materials selected for a project work together cohesively for the optimal outcome. Each individual choice affects the appearance of the building, the function of the space, and the aesthetic of the space, not to mention the project budget and anticipated upkeep.
Here is a look at some of the recent trends emerging in how architectural and design professionals research, prioritize, and recommend building products and materials for their residential and commercial customers:
1. Your Value-Proposition is Likely Different for Small vs. Large Architectural Firms
Firm sizes significantly impact both brand preferences and research methods. For example, larger firms have a greater capacity than smaller firms to adopt sustainable design tools and energy modeling. As a result, these technologies will play an increasingly central role in construction in the next few years as businesses look to increase sustainability and optimize energy efficiency in future responses.
In terms of communication preferences, larger firms prefer tech-driven support—such as mobile apps and lead generation—while smaller firms benefit from accessible pricing, clear communication, and responsive support. Manufacturers should align their approach with each firm’s unique priorities.
2. Architects Demonstrate High Brand Loyalty
Architects show some of the highest loyalty among any customer segment for building materials and products. Brand retention is fostered through high quality products, brand reputation and familiarity, and manufacturer support. This doesn't mean they won't switch. For smaller firms, the top factors that would motivate them to try a new brand of building products include quality, availability, and recommendations from friends or colleagues. For larger firms, it’s about brand reputation, supplier support, and manufacturer support.
When it comes to cultivating and maintaining brand or supplier loyalty, technical product knowledge is crucial for firms of all sizes. Architects need to know they have someone with technical product knowledge in their corner—from pre-spec to install. If your team can prove how well you know the product, the logistics of their particular products, and unique aspects of your geographic area, you’ll be able to win their trust and develop a long-term customer relationship. Your expertise will also trickle down, enabling architects and designers to perform well professionally and build trust with other stakeholders, such as homeowners and builders.
3. High-Quality Products and Reliable Availability Rank High for Architects
Perhaps unsurprisingly, both large and small architectural and design firms prioritize high-quality building products and reliable availability, and manufacturer support. Brand familiarity is a key driver among architects as well.
- Our research shows that quality ranks most important for 2 in 3 architects, independent of firm size, which skews heavily towards architects at firms making less than $2 million.
- Product availability was important for 61% of firms making less than $2 million, while only 34% of larger firms (those making more than $2 million) cited it as a top factor when selecting a building product brand.
- For larger architectural firms, manufacturer support is actually the most important factor when selecting which brands to specify.
To motivate smaller firms to select your brand and products, emphasize to these customers the importance your company places on consistently delivering in terms of quality and availability. For larger firms, providing adequate support is a must. Consider where in your company support and customer experience can be improved to better serve large architectural firms and differentiate your brand against your competitors.
4. Architects Discover New Brands Through Digital Sources and Social Media
Architects and designers are serious about doing their research. Based on our research, they spend about an hour or more on online research before specifying products for their clients. Digital sources are the primary way that these professionals discover new brands, with 59% using search engines like Google, 58% utilizing home improvement websites, and 54% checking out manufacturer websites.
- The main reason large firms go online to shop or research building materials and products is budget reasons, followed by availability.
- Smaller firms primarily get product specifications when they go online.
Additionally, social media and online ads rank high for learning about new building product brands. Manufacturers and suppliers should consider integrating search engine optimization (SEO) and robust SEO content, along with useful resources, into their websites. You can also use ads to target your ideal demographic and maintain an authoritative presence on social media. This can help you get in front of new prospective customers, while also staying top-of-mind with your current base.
5. AI Use and Machine Learning are Expanding
Currently, when using technology on their projects, architects most commonly use 3D modeling and rendering software—used by 71% of firms—followed by Computer Aided Design (CAD) software—used by 63%. In 2024, larger firms were more likely than smaller firms to use Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and AI and machine-learning for projects. This trend suggests they are more likely to leverage advanced tech tools for efficiency and innovation because they have access to more resources.
Looking ahead, however, architectural and design firms across of all sizes are expecting to expand their use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, with nearly three-fourth predicting growth in this area. Other technologies with high growth expectations include 3D modeling (71%), energy modeling software (71%), sustainable design tools (67%) and 3D printing (67%).
6. Smart Building Technology, Green Building, and Prefabricated Construction are Top of Mind
Architects believe the three most important building trends that will influence the next five years are
- Smart building technology (particularly among smaller firms)
- Modular and prefabricated construction
- Sustainability and green building
Larger firms also see potential growth in adaptive reuse and renovation, as well as urbanization and high-density living. As manufacturers and suppliers it will be increasingly important to ensure your brand and your products align with what architects believe to be important to help increase interest in your solutions and tailor sales conversations to further your growth.
7. Architects Rely on Relationship-Building with Key Stakeholders
It’s important for designers and architects to build strong partnerships with stakeholders, from building product suppliers and homeowners to builders, remodelers, and other professionals. In fact, about 88% of architects feel like their relationships with homebuilders are crucial to their success; about 81% feel similarly about their relationship with suppliers and 78% about their relationship with manufacturers. Communication with suppliers and manufacturers remains essential.
According to our study, the main reasons that firms reached out to manufacturers in the past year were for product availability and specifications. Small firms are nearly twice as likely as large firms to show a preference for email communication, while 61% of large firms like using an app compared to only 27% of small firms. Both, however, show a strong preference for phone communication.
Developing and Distributing Products for Professional Use
Architects have a specific lens they utilize when designing a new construction project that impacts how they research, evaluate, select and source building materials and other products. As a building product manufacturer or supplier, it’s important to understand what this process typically looks like for design professionals in order to develop products and market them appropriately. For more information about industry trends among architects, builders and other trade professionals, request access to the full report.
