How one housebuilder ‘teleported’ customers by revamping its digital experience

When Castle Green Homes launched its flagship 145-home development Willow Fields in Warrington, the housebuilder saw an opportunity to revamp the digital customer experience.

Given the development was introduced before any houses had been built, Castle Green Homes decided to create bespoke online portal Willow, an interactive experience designed to “teleport” house buyers into the development.

Operating 24/7, the Willow portal features 3D development maps, virtual show home tours of each house design, the option to view furnished or unfurnished properties and a house type configurator.

Aiming to streamline the admin, buyers can store all their documents online, customise their home design, make payments and ‘chat’ with the customer care and sales teams, as well as watch the 10-step progress of the build.

Buyers receive notifications when forms are ready to complete via Willow, as well as updates showing the build stages of their new home with pictures. They’re also able to highlight any snags requiring attention.

The introduction of Willow helped Castle Green Homes not only build stronger relationships with customers, but also win the Marketing Week Award for Digital Transformation. The company has seen a 41.7% uplift in the purchase of options and extras thanks to the ease of the system, with 93% of Castle Green homeowners recommending the brand.

The business is on track to quadruple in size by 2025, with legal completions on houses growing almost a third last year to 280. Moreover, to support the creation of Willow, Castle Green increased its marketing team from a single person to a team of five to support brand development.