Insight: As a PropTech entrepreneur, I often counsel real estate developers on the importance of integrating a branded, native app into their marketing mix early on. Many developers who wait to launch their app until the community and amenities are complete can miss the opportunity to reach prospective home buyers and engage new residents at the onset of their journey.
1. Enhance the Experience: Alosant powers apps for many of the fastest-growing communities in the country, and the developers with whom we work are always looking for ways to engage prospects – often before opening or staffing the sales center.
Sitting at a desktop computer and opening the web to find information is quickly becoming less relevant. The majority of consumers now pick up their smartphone to directly connect with a business or service in real-time. Developers with a community app are much more likely to reach prospects at the beginning of their home buying journey, as apps enhance convenience, add value by streamlining the flow of information, and create brand advocates.
As soon as a prospect has downloaded the community app, they can review information at their leisure without added pressure from sales consultants. Furthermore, once the push notification function is enabled, developers can send new floor plans and renderings, updates on the sales center, prospect events, and more. Developers that can effortlessly share this information through the ease of an app will reap the benefits.
Considering the overwhelming shift to mobile apps, many residents now expect a community app will be available as soon as they move in, if not before! Even if the clubhouse or town center is still under construction, an app can make homeowners feel like they are already part of a vibrant, up-and-coming community they will be proud to call home for years to come.
Here, you can read about how Rancho Mission Viejo is using its app to keep residents engaged.
2. Paint a Picture for Prospects: Let’s consider this scenario… a customer is in the market for a new home and visits two prospective communities that are still in the early development stage. One has only a static website with stock photos. The other features an app with augmented reality and Apple App Clip integrations. With just a click of a button, an app clip pops up on the prospect’s phone and offers a virtual tour of the model home, while augmented reality technology can help them experience a 360-degree tour of the community, allowing them to envision what it will look and feel like.
Which community do you think these prospects will consider visiting again? Likely the one with an app, which made their visit more productive and provided a richer, more engaging experience.
Branded, native apps allow developers to differentiate themselves from competitors and share their vision for the community as they launch their marketing campaigns. The result? Time and again…this forward-thinking approach to prospecting pays dividends and drives deposits.
Here’s just one example of how our Brambleton client used Alosant Augmented Reality to entice potential buyers.
3. Get Personal: Another reason apps are so popular is because they feel personal and allow users to remain in control. Our software can leverage a user’s in-app behavior to customize their home feed experience. For example, if a prospect is considering multiple communities from the same developer, the one that’s viewed most often will appear first in the app’s home feed. This predictive behavior continues as prospects become residents. They can then expect personalized community event suggestions based on events or activities they have attended.
Considering technology and algorithms now utilize our digital activity to direct us to products, brands and services we’d likely be interested in, it’s no wonder consumers want the technology in apps to “get to know them” – and appreciate when their apps deliver a more personalized experience.
Conclusion: Developers and marketers who launch a branded, mobile app early on will engage prospects and create an immersive experience that will continue to evolve as the community grows and welcomes new residents. Furthermore, we’re giving developers the ability to better control their brand communication early on; personalize the user experience in a natural way that turns prospects into brand loyalists; and build an engaged resident community over time.
