NEWPORT BEACH, CA, Aug. 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- There is unexpected good news for homebuilders and homebuyers in the time of Covid. Customer engagement and experience have taken a right turn into the virtual world with online events where they can both achieve their goals. The virtual experience is not only common for consumers at this point, it has become familiar and comfortable for them as a popular method shopping, even for a new home. For homebuilders, virtual events are the ideal, no-risk meeting place where they can have and hold customer attention. Today, embracing virtual engagement is a two-way street that is wide open and clear. It's today's newest win-win situation.
"We realized at the onset that obstacles created by the pandemic could be quickly transformed into opportunities," said Dana Kovach, President and CEO of Kovach Marketing. "We went from thinking outside the box, to throwing the box away completely and implementing new technology to advance our clients success."
In the homebuilding realm, a wide variety of opportunities have emerged in which virtual engagement has brought favorable results. Aside from being the only way to mitigate the damage of stay-at-home orders, virtual events have become so well accepted and in demand, they may be here to stay. Facebook Live, Instagram TV and Zoom-style events offer homebuyers an array of advantages that they may not have recognized or utilized before.
Buyer availability and willingness to attend virtual events is a great catalyst to high participation rates. A virtual event takes no time to travel to, dress up for, have concerns about health and safety. The accessibility issue no longer exists. Even a live-streamed event can be viewed at a later time because it can be recorded and re-viewed at leisure.
"Shea Homes San Diego has had phenomenal success with our new virtual engagement strategies," said Sophia Stamos, Senior Marketing Assistant Shea Homes San Diego. "It didn't take long for our industry to recognize the exceptional value of virtual events, whether it is presenting new communities, guiding buyers in the Design Studio, or completing the mortgage process. 'Being there' for consumers is simply an extension of our company's core goal of creating a matchless customer experience. We are delighted with the results of our efforts to harness virtual event planning and execution. The innovation and creativity that drives these efforts enables us to maintain momentum for the company and the customer"
A key to success in Shea Homes' virtual marketing success is offering quality content. Their focus is on making the events informative, fun and interactive. Virtual tours, open houses and engaging events have enabled Shea Homes to build upon their brand as they boost buyer interest. At a high-end community in the hills of Encinitas, One Oak, Shea Homes had already been hosting onsite lifestyle events with featured personalities who included, KonMari TM Representatives, Food Network stars and proprietors of popular retail and restaurants from the local area. Once Covid changed the game, the homebuilder shifted these brand events online, keeping the content audience-appropriate and personally engaging.
In Carlsbad at Kensington at The Square, Shea Homes launched events that promoted the home designs, highlighted gourmet kitchen organization, and even guided homebuyers in setting up homeschooling environments. These events gave homebuyers a chance to experience the unique selling points of the community and helped them build relationships with sales associates that will lead to active engagement with personal online or onsite tours.
The virtual events are structured so that homebuyers are met with warmth, welcome and information on how to make the most of their experience. In a cooking demonstration for stress-free meal planning with three meals from one shopping list, attendees were given an early heads-up on what recipes would be featured, and what ingredients should be ordered for delivery prior to the event. When the event went live, the magic of hands-on engagement began with the chef giving how-to's that buyers could also do. Recipes were included as takeaways, so the experience had lasting effects.
Virtual grand openings and tours have become very popular among homebuyers. They are given several opportunities to explore the homes, whether guided by a sales associate or on their own at the website. Homebuyers find it easy to view the homes ahead of a personal visit, selecting favorites and getting solid information that will help shape their buying decision.
At the same time, homebuyers are reaching out to mortgage specialists for information on how much home they can buy, what they should do to prepare, and how to begin the pre-qualifying process. Because of the personal contact component built into these strategies, buyers no longer have to rely on a random lender's app. They can converse directly with the homebuilder's preferred lender.
While the industry continues to recognize the widespread public desire to purchase new homes, the opportunity to capitalize on that desire must be seized. Mortgage rates hover at historic lows and potential homebuyers know that now is the time to pursue their dreams. By piquing their interest with distinctive, frequent and fun virtual events, homebuilders not only keep these dreams alive, they offer a way to act on strong buyer motivation. Since lending firms who work with homebuilders are continuing to do business within the Covid constraints, homebuilders are quickly providing new marketing strategies that work for their buyers.
Virtual events are very likely to be here to stay. And that's a good thing. Whether intentional of out of need, these innovations reflect and complement the adoption of technology by consumers. They also provide an economical and proven new tool in the creative marketing toolbox.
Kovach Marketing specializes in branding and marketing, focused on master-planned communities, new homes and related industries. The firm, comprised of a group of multidimensional, multi-talented professionals, was founded over 30 years ago by Dana Kovach, a communications veteran who has spearheaded the branding for Fortune 500 companies, best-in-class firms, start-ups and more. Driven by infectious enthusiasm and curiosity, their “creative intelligence” processes of listening to clients, analyzing market trends and developing comprehensive programs to fully achieve the clients’ marketing objectives has consistently garnered noteworthy success. For more information, call 949.757.2870 or visit KovachMarketing.com.
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