HomeConnect - Redefining Real Estate Experience (UX Case Study)

UX Researcher

UX Designer

UI Designer

Adobe Illustrator

Adobe Photoshop

Figma

Introduction

Project Overview

HomeConnect is a comprehensive real estate platform designed to streamline the home buying and selling process. The platform offers various features including property listings, mortgage calculators, cost breakdowns, tutorials, and vendor lists. The goal of this project was to design a user-friendly website that caters to both first-time buyers and experienced sellers.

Role

UI/UX Designer

Duration

2 weeks

Problem Statement

The real estate market is often confusing and overwhelming for buyers and sellers. Traditional methods of buying and selling homes are time-consuming and lack transparency. HomeConnect aims to simplify this process by providing a centralized platform with all necessary tools and information.

Research

User Survey Statistics

User Research

Conducted interviews with 8 potential users (buyers, sellers, and real estate agents).

Distributed surveys to 50 participants to gather quantitative data.

Key Findings

Users want a transparent and easy-to-navigate platform.

Mortgage calculations and cost breakdowns are crucial features.

Real estate agents need a way to showcase their listings effectively.

Personas

Persona 1: First-time Home Buyer

Persona 2: Experienced Home Seller

Competitive Analysis

Competitors

To understand the strengths and weaknesses of HomeConnect compared to existing real estate platforms, we conducted a competitive analysis of three major competitors: Zillow, Redfin, and Trulia. Below are the analysis charts summarizing key features, user experience, and overall performance.

Feature Comparison Chart

User Experience (UX) Comparison Chart

Performance Analysis Chart

Analysis Summary

Strengths of HomeConnect

Comprehensive Features: Offers a full suite of tools, including cost breakdowns and tutorials, which some competitors lack.

User Experience: High ease of navigation, clear information, and visually appealing design.

Mobile Experience: Excellent mobile app with high user ratings.

Areas for Improvement

Monthly Active Users: Lower compared to leading competitors, indicating a need for increased marketing and user acquisition efforts.

Load Speed: Slightly slower than top competitors, suggesting potential optimizations.

Competitor Highlights

Zillow: Extensive user base and high load speed, but lacks detailed cost breakdowns and tutorials.

Redfin: Strong in property listings and mobile experience, similar to HomeConnect, but with a slightly higher bounce rate.

Trulia: Good overall performance but falls short in feature completeness and user experience compared to HomeConnect.

Ideation

Brainstorming Sessions

Mind Maps

Sticky Notes

Conducted multiple brainstorming sessions with the team.

Used mind maps and sticky notes to generate ideas.

Wireframes

Wireframe of Homepage

Created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the basic layout and structure of the website.

Design

Homepage

About Us

Compare Properties

Compare Prices

Home Value Estimator

Mortgage Calculator

Breakdown of Costs

Tutorials

Vendor List

Contact Us

Prototyping & Testing

Prototyping

Developed interactive prototypes using Figma.

Included key user flows for testing.

Usability Testing

Conducted usability tests with 10 users.

Gathered feedback and identified areas for improvement.

Iterations

Home Connect Website Feedback

Based on recent feedback, we have identified several necessary changes to improve the HomeConnect website. Given the delay in the web app development, the primary focus of these changes is to drive users to download the HomeConnect mobile app. Additionally, we need to match the style of the CTAs to those on the landing page, which have more squared edges with slight rounding.

Header Tagline

Original: "Your dream home is just a click away"

Updated: "Connecting Buyers and Sellers Directly"

New Section Below Main Header

Headline: "A New Platform for a New Era of Real Estate"

Text: "Following the recent NAR lawsuit exposing inflated agent fees, Home Connect offers the perfect solution. By connecting buyers and sellers directly, our platform eliminates costly agent commissions, empowering you to save money while maintaining control over your transactions."

Home Connect Exclusives

Change: Replace “Book Now” buttons with a single CTA.

CTA: "Download App to See More"

Action: Redirect to app download section.

Style: Slightly squared edges with minimal rounding.

‘Move with Confidence’ Section

Original Functionality: Calculate Move Score (Not applicable to Home Connect.)

Updated:

Headline: "Download the App"

Background: Green background to break up the white.

Icons: Android Market and Apple Market icons for download options.

CTA Buttons: "Download on Google Play" and "Download on the App Store"

Maximize Your Home’s Value Section

Original: Seller’s Advantage Program (not related to Home Connect).

Updated:

Headline: "Save with Home Connect"

Text: "Learn how much you can save from a traditional real estate transaction"

CTA: "Compare Prices"

Action: Redirect to Compare Prices page.

Enhance Your Home’s Appeal Section

Original: Renovation and staging services (not related to Home Connect).

Updated:

Headline: "Be Confident with Home Connect"

Text: "We partner with a range of trusted vendors to provide you with comprehensive services and solutions"

CTA: "Review Vendors"

Action: Redirect to Vendor List page.

Conclusion

These changes aim to align the website's purpose with the immediate goal of promoting the HomeConnect mobile app. By updating the content, adding clear CTAs, and matching the CTA styles to those on the landing page, we ensure users are directed towards downloading the app while maintaining a cohesive and engaging user experience. The visual updates will enhance the overall appeal and effectiveness of the homepage.