Integrating Virtual Home Tours with CRM
March 11, 2010
These days, more and more builders are using virtual home tours both on their corporate Websites and on third-party sites such as YouTube. These online tours are a good way to grab buyers the second they walk in the virtual door.
While this type of technology can be costly, builders are saying it is a more affordable option to the alterative—model home tours. Additionally, the price of the technology is coming down, with some providers offering value lines of the software. Both Shea Homes, www.sheahomes.com, Walnut, Calif., and Lennar Homes, www.lennar.com, Miami, Fla., have recently attested to generating leads and saving money with virtual home tours.
Taking it a step further, some builders are even finding they can integrate virtual home tours and renderings with sales and CRM (customer-relationship management) software.
Aareas Interactive, www.aareas.com, Toronto, Ont., recently announced its updated 24/7 Salescenter will help homebuilders deliver more to buyers in the year ahead. Aareas offers a range of products and services for the building industry including virtual home tours, renderings, interactive kiosks, video, DVD/CD production, Website design and development, and CRM software.
The 24/7 Salescenter is the company’s Web-based CRM platform, which gives builders the ability to communicate with sales, construction, and the buyer. The system is designed to tie into all the components of homebuilding.
This gives builders a CRM platform that allows them to handle leads and prospects, manage agreements and contract creation, generate email-marketing campaigns, and do options selection management.
The software can also serve as the engine that drives the interactive kiosks, renderings, and virtual home tours. A builder’s Website can also benefit from this software, ensuring the content and functionality in the CRM system is also available to prospects through the Web.
According to the company, one of the most valuable features is the SEO (search engine optimization) capability for a builder’s Website. Frank Guido, president and CEO, Aareas Interactive, says, “If your site is not SEO, it’s like trying to open a new and incredible retail store without having a sign on it.”
While some builders might find integrated solutions are a good option to drive online marketing strategies and CRM, other builders may want to try it on a smaller scale. Focus 360, www.focus360.com, Laguna Niguel, Calif., introduced a new value line for its virtual home tours. According to the company, the goal of this line is to make the technology available to any size builder on any size project.
These days builders need video animation on the homepage of their Website to help generate leads and prospects, but find many options and routes to try when it comes to virtual home tours.