By: Guillermo Salazar • 06 July 2022

Communication between home builders and buyers is broken. Here’s how to fix it.

New homebuyers don’t want to feel like an outsider

If you’re a builder, you know that effective communication is key to building trust with your homebuyer.New homebuyers report that above all else, they want a better relationship with their builder. Most reported that communication was the biggest issue; they were frustrated by the lack of transparency and consistency.Just like any of life’s biggest milestones – marriage, having a child, retirement – emotions run high when building a new home. There are so many variables, often out of the hands of both the builder and the buyer, that could cause buyers to live in limbo or pay more for their home than they anticipated.Lack of communication about these variables can quickly cause a buyer to feel like an outsider on the biggest investment of their life.

“I want to see a clear timeline of where my project is in terms of construction, and I don't want to have to keep calling and speaking to voicemails in order to do so,” said Hannah, home buyer, in a Zillow report.

Create more ‘wow’ moments during and after the build

Builders have a huge opportunity to delight their buyers with better communication. Personalized and memorable experiences can help gain the trust, referrals, and repeat business of their buyers.We’ve identified 3 areas where builders can leverage video technology to have the greatest impact.

Take a proactive approach

Seeing is understanding. Set regular, video walkthroughs with your clients to update them on progress without asking them to make frequent trips to the site. Some builders allow homeowners to book their video walkthrough online so they can skip the customer service line entirely.By acting proactively with IrisCX’s video platform, builders are increasing their CSAT scores by 50%.

Respond quickly to concerns

If a buyer has a concern, connect instantly with them to calm the anxiety and make sure you’re both on the same page. They’re building their dream home, and the process goes much smoother if nothing has to be redone because of a miscommunication.Home builders using ICwhatUC to solve issues experience a 60% remote resolution rate, reducing the need for homeowners to travel to site every time they have a concern.

Collect and act on feedback

It’s no longer enough to ask buyers for feedback after they’ve moved in. Human nature is to remember the intensity of the low points; all the positive goodwill you have generated is lost in a milestone survey. The exact details are clouded, and there are very limited options to act on their feedback.Buyers want the opportunity to provide feedback throughout the entire process, which allows your team to easily pinpoint the cause of delight or frustration.Plus, the data and feedback captured during Iris video sessions can be used to simplify, automate, and scale workflows to enable data-driven CX process improvements.

Set your team (and customers) up for success

By arming your team with video context and communication, you can help your new homebuyers build their dream home with less frustration.The impact of communication on customer experience should not be underestimated. Customers have increasingly high expectations of the companies they work with, and builders need to leverage technology to meet the growing demand for better customer experience.To learn more about how IrisCX helped 3 of the top 25 home builders in North America improve their customer experience, get in touch with our team.

Our mission is to simplify the homeowners & home builders customer experience. Let Iris do the work.

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