Giving shoppers the opportunity to customize purchases in real-time used to be an added benefit. The big shift in how people are shopping today means that customers now increasingly expect the ability to choose, customize, and personalize their items online before proceeding to checkout. But that is retail. When it comes to buying a new-build home, probably the biggest purchase they make in their life, buyers are often left with hard-to-read legal documents and technical drawings that drain their energy, rather than inspire them to imagine the possibilities. 

The vast majority of prospective home buyers start their research online. And this is true in both the resale and new-build markets. Most home buyers won’t even consider the thought of an in-person visit unless they’ve seen a home online first, and liked it. As a result, developers must provide compelling and engaging online experiences to land more buyers. Online home configurators are a great way to showcase the various options on offer. The customization capabilities empower buyers to envision the changes they want and create a house that feels like a home. In short, the configurator engages buyers and generates more leads and sales. As this example demonstrates.

And that’s not all. When consumers design a product uniquely for themselves their emotional investment is much greater than if they simply buy off-the-shelf. This means not only do they end up with a better house, they often also end up with a more expensive house. That’s a margin improver. 

In short, home configurators engage buyers, generate more leads and increase sales

Developers also benefit from a shortened sales cycle. Customers aren’t left waiting for call backs or quotations. Everything is presented to them in real-time, reducing the chances of mistakes and sub-optimal configurations. This leads to fewer delays, fewer chargebacks and dramatically increased customer satisfaction. 

Moreover, as we get closer to completion, buyers can select the finishes for their home directly within the configurator, further improving the experience. This helps to enhance the post-purchase experience, and improve the developer’s reputation. This is vitally important, as buyers tend to talk about nothing else with their friends and colleagues during this waiting period.

Finally, developers get access to unmatched marketing data, as buyers that engage with the configurator leave behind a trail of valuable data. This data can be used to re-engage them at a later stage. Data showing which options have been viewed or stored most, as well as where customers drop off, can be used to modify the options offered for future projects as well as to modify prices.