Situation

The Canadian division of the real estate giant RE/MAX faced intensified competition from other real estate firms as well as real estate listing companies, such as Zillow and Redfin.

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The company was hindered by a legacy marketing automation platform that was difficult for the marketing staff to use. The company also was exploring different uses of AI, but it was uncertain where it should invest and experiment to gain the most impact.

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The task

The RE/MAX leadership team wanted to identify where AI could be leveraged to enhance the customer experience, select a new email platform, and transition from its legacy platform, while also developing a personalized nurture program to deliver customized experiences for key target segments.

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What I did and the implications of the work

Marketing and IT team members were interviewed to identify AI tools already being considered, which was supplemented by an industry-wide investigation into what other real estate companies were doing with AI to enhance the customer experience.

 

In addition, stakeholders were interviewed to determine the weighted selection criteria for selecting the new email platform; those critiera were applied to an extensive assessment of multiple email platforms that culled the finalist list to four, which the RE/MAX team used in making the final decision.

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In parallel, customer lifecycle journey maps were developed for each key target audience, with a content strategy formulated to determine the type of information to provide via AI and during the nurture program, along with a strategy for updating the content and nurture program over time.

 

Those insights and content strategy were then applied to the development of a prioritized roadmap for applying AI to identified critical moments in prospective and existing customer journeys. In parallel, a multi-touch customer acquisition nurture program was designed, along with the creation of a subscription center, allowing prospective and existing customers to adjust their preferences for personalized communications about new listings that meet their criteria and the types of personalized educational content they receive.

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The company has begun applying the AI development roadmap and the new customer nurture program. Also, see the engagement architecture case study since it was instrumental in helping the RE/MAX internal team identify critical moments that matter across the buying journey that would be ripe for AI.