Pre-Covid, home shopping — as was the case with essentially all consumer shopping activities — was shifting towards an on-demand, self-service experience. Roughly two-thirds of new home buyers agreed at least somewhat that it would be easier to unlock properties with their phone and tour them in-person on their own time*, 60% of online chats on homebuilder websites occurred after business hours** and home shopping activity was significant throughout all hours of the day.
Then the pandemic happened, and this shift went into hyper-speed. An immersive, digital experience when shopping for a home and the ability to gather information on-demand (day or night) is no longer merely wanted; it is expected amongst today’s home buyers.
They demand the freedom and flexibility to be in control of their new home shopping experience and want:
-
On-demand home information via multiple devices and communication methods
-
Self-direction/self-service convenience on their schedule in a no pressure environment
-
A no-contact experience due to social distancing constraints, but also for reduced pressure and the ability to more fully self-evaluate new home choices
-
A variety of ways to interact with sales staff on their terms, whether it’s in-person, virtually or via AI automation (chatbots and voice)
Not only do home buyers want this, but so do sales teams. New home sales representatives are fed up with spending countless hours in repetitive “show and tell” interactions in a limited storefront (10am-6pm) and are overwhelmed with the time required to sort out unqualified or truly unmotivated shoppers to focus on real prospects. These customer service minded professionals want to serve the buyer’s needs but can’t work around the clock or be in multiple locations at the same time. They need help with follow-up and nurture activities that can be very time-consuming and inefficient.
This is why The Real-Time New Home Sales Experience Framework is needed. This new marketing and sales framework is designed to reduce friction and address the on-demand expectations of today’s home buyers while supporting the needs of new home sale professionals.
If you missed our presentation on this Framework at the 2022 International Builders’ Show (IBS), you can now watch the presentation virtually via IBS on-demand, watch our Framework explainer video here and be sure to request your copy of our presentation via our website.
*New Construction Consumer Housing Trends Report 2021
**AtlasRTX National Client Average
