Clayton modular homes featured at 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting

In a moment few expected, Warren Buffett confirmed on 3 May that he will step down as CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of 2025, concluding six decades at the helm of one of America’s most influential companies. The announcement came during Berkshire Hathaway’s annual shareholder meeting in Omaha, where another major theme emerged alongside Buffett’s departure: the growing role of modular homes in reshaping the US housing market. (main pic: Clayton’s CrossMod modular home featured at the 2025 Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meeting.)

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Clayton puts modular construction at the centre of housing strategy
Clayton, a Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary and one of the US’s largest producers of prefabricated, modular housing, used this year’s event to present a clear message—modular homes are not only viable, they are critical to improving housing access nationwide.

Launched in 1956, the Clayton family began its journey when founder Jim Clayton sold his first home and introduced the company’s core philosophy of making homeownership financially achievable—an approach that has remained central to its operations through the decades.

At the centre of Clayton’s display was a 1,065 square foot (99 square metre) CrossMod home, designed specifically for urban infill. With a front-loaded design, permanent foundation, and architectural features like a covered porch, the model reflects Clayton’s strategy of blending the aesthetic of traditional homes with the cost efficiency of offsite manufacturing.

“CrossMod is just one example of how Clayton is redefining attainable homeownership,” said CEO Kevin Clayton. “By blurring the lines of construction, we are able to find innovative ways to meet the needs of today’s homebuyers while helping address the housing shortage in our country.”

CrossMod homes are now appraised alongside site-built properties, a significant development that supports equity building for owners. A 2024 FHFA study reinforced the model’s value, showing appreciation rates on par with site-built homes since 2020.

A national strategy built around modular

 Beyond the display home, Clayton highlighted several initiatives across the country, each addressing different housing challenges using modular and hybrid methods:

• Denver, Colorado: Through ON2 Homes, Clayton’s HybridMod system combines panelisation with site-built construction for efficient townhome delivery.
• London, Kentucky and Knoxville, Tennessee: Redbud Estates, launched with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, will include 51 CrossMod homes—some fitted with solar shingles. In Knoxville, the company is preparing its largest CrossMod neighbourhood to date.
• Atlanta, Georgia: Urban infill projects using CrossMod homes are demonstrating the role of zoning reform in expanding access to affordable homeownership.
• Future cities: A new single-section CrossMod typology aims to deliver homes priced between USD $190,000–$225,000 (AUD $290,000–$345,000), including land, well suited for high-demand city lots.

Energy savings underpin long-term affordability
Nearly all Clayton modern manufactured homes built in 2024 were eBuilt to U.S. DOE Zero Energy Ready standards. Energy-saving features—such as hybrid water heaters, smart thermostats and ENERGY STAR appliances—can cut utility bills by up to 50%. In a city like Omaha, this translates to annual savings of up to USD $832 (AUD $1,250).

At the Berkshire Hathaway meeting, Clayton used its exhibit to present modular housing as a scalable and commercially viable solution to housing affordability and availability in the United States.