The manufactured housing industry, America's largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing, has long been fragmented, with buyers struggling to find the services they need. A new online platform, MHarketplace, launched today to address this by providing a nationwide directory of manufactured home communities and a growing network of service professionals, from transport and installation to title, financing, and insurance.
According to the company, the industry ships roughly 100,000 new homes a year, with an average price of about $115,600—less than one-third the cost of a comparable site-built house. National occupancy in communities is near 95 percent, and researchers see manufactured housing as a critical tool for closing the affordability gap. Yet, for first-time buyers especially, the process can be daunting due to disconnected businesses and a lack of centralized information.
Jacob Campbell, founder of MHarketplace, explains, "The problem was never a lack of good people. I've sat in homeowners' living rooms and worked alongside manufacturers, retailers, lenders, transporters, and community owners. The expertise exists everywhere in this industry. What's been missing is the connection—homeowners simply don't know these businesses exist. MHarketplace makes the ecosystem visible."
The platform offers a searchable community directory organized by state and city, a trusted services network of local professionals, buyer and homeowner education on topics like titling and financing, and a marketplace for buying, selling, and renting manufactured homes. It aims to complement existing listings marketplaces by focusing on the surrounding ecosystem—education, services, and connections—rather than just the transaction itself.
Campbell emphasizes, "Visibility isn't marketing—it's opportunity. Great businesses deserve to be found, and homeowners deserve to find them. Manufactured homes have improved dramatically; public perception hasn't kept pace. Every confident, well-informed homeowner helps close that gap, and that strengthens the entire industry."
The platform is rolling out state by state with national coverage of community directories. Service businesses can claim and enhance their listings, while homeowners and buyers can browse communities, services, and educational resources for free. This launch could significantly impact the $12 billion industry by making it easier for consumers to navigate and for businesses to reach their target audience, potentially increasing homeownership and supporting the affordable housing sector.
For more information, visit [MHarketplace](http://mharketplace.com).
