Housebuilding firm Vistry Group has been shortlisted for a national award thanks to a ground-breaking marketing initiative.
Vistry has been shortlisted in the Marketing Week Awards for its cutting-edge Design Your Own Home project that it runs in partnership with technology firm Futurium.
The use of virtual technology to help potential buyers choose their perfect home has been a huge success and has resulted in Vistry being shortlisted in the Customer Experience Excellence category of the awards.
Futurium’s immersive iX3D technology means that customers can take a virtual walk through new developments, choose their own plot and customise their dream home.
The system also means that buyers are able to browse through different designs before reaching a decision on how their new home should look.
The system is powered by more than 100,000 different images and designs giving customers more options and choices than ever before.
And the technology can also be used to book virtual appointments and allows customers to create their own unique brochure complete with their personalised preferences.
Futurium’s technology is an industry first and was successfully rolled out across selected Bovis and Linden developments 18 months ago.
Emma Colin, regional managing director of Housebuilding Western, worked on the project when it was initially launched.
She said: “The expectations of customers have changed, and they have become much more tech savvy, they now want to control their own home buying experience.
“More than ever people are searching for their dream home online and they expect a personalised, relevant and high-quality experience.
“The iX3D system has addressed the increase in expectations and has created a technology that seamlessly merges both the physical sales environment and the digital customer experience.
“Our aim was to transform the whole of the customer journey so that people can take complete control and choose how and when they browse, design and purchase their home whether that be at home, in the sales environment or by arranging a virtual appointment.”
Hayley Carpenter, co-founder and director of Futurium, said: “We are delighted to have been shortlisted for these prestigious awards.
“This nomination underlines the fact that Vistry is leading the way in a new kind of marketing. This technology offers customers the opportunity to take control of the process of buying a new home from the outset.
“Buying a new home is one of the biggest decisions people will make in their lives and it makes sense to give people as much help and information as possible.
“We can now offer a truly immersive experience which allows homebuyers to see what their new home and community before it is completed.”
The Marketing Week Awards are judged by a panel of 50 leading experts drawn from across every sector of the economy from social media firms to leading retailers such as the Co-operative and Morrisons.
The winners of the awards will be announced on the 3rd November at a celebration event at the Londoner Hotel in Leicester Square in central London.