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Avid Ratings will survey buyers at move-in and display reviews on builders’ Zillow profiles, community pages, and property listings.
By Mary Salmonsen, www.builderonline.com
Zillow announced that it is adding Builder Ratings and Reviews to its builder profiles, community pages, and paid new construction listings, based on surveys of new homeowners conducted at move-in by Avid Ratings.
Buyers will be asked to assess their overall experience, the quality of their home, their builder’s responsiveness, their confidence in their builder, and whether or not they would recommend the builder to other home buyers.
“Zillow was founded on the core value of ‘turning on the lights,’ arming consumers with the information they need to make what will likely be the biggest purchase decision of their life,” says Lucy Wohltman, vice president of Zillow New Construction. “Builder Ratings and Reviews provides our customers with the confidence to pursue the home of their dreams, and gives our partners the tools they need to manage their reputation.”
According to Zillow, this feature addresses the buyer preferences recorded in the Zillow Consumer Housing Trends Report, in which 76% of new construction buyers said that the reputation of their builder was either very or extremely important. The new feature is provided for free to builders partnering with Zillow through the Promoted Communities listing product.
“The feedback we collect from our new buyer surveys provides us with insightful data, helping us work toward delivering the best possible home buyer experience,” says Ashely Hoyt, director of market and consumer research at Stanley Martin Homes. “Through our partnership with Zillow, we are able to promote our brand to a broader home buyer audience and show our commitment to quality and service.”
The Builder Ratings and Reviews cannot be edited or deleted, but builders are encouraged to respond publicly to their reviews. All reviews are monitored by Avid Ratings for inappropriate or discriminatory content.
“We are always looking for better ways to help our customers improve home buyer loyalty and increase company profitability. The Zillow partnership enables new and existing customers to increase their brand, strengthen their reputation, and increase sales by reaching millions of shoppers visiting Zillow websites each month. Surveying homeowners and displaying those reviews on Zillow is complimentary for Avid and Zillow customers,” says Aaron Everson, CEO of Avid Ratings.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Salmonsen is a graduate of the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University. As an associate editor with Hanley Wood's Residential Construction Group, she covers demographics, local markets, and finance for Builder and Multifamily Executive magazines.
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