The real [estate] customer experience journey

Abstract: Title: The real [estate] customer experience journey - a study of customer experience journeys within the Swedish real estate industry Course: BUSN39 Business Administration: Degree Project in Global Marketing - Master Level Authors: Hampus Lindfors & Tobias Hansson Ehrs Seminar date: 2018-06-04 Keywords: Customer experience, customer experience journey, customer experience management, real estate, complex durable goods, millennials. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to analyze how millennials perceive the customer experience journey of purchasing newly built apartments, and also to suggest appropriate ways to innovate and improve the customer experience journey within the real estate sector. Methodology: Our research derive from a social constructionism orientation. Since the purpose is to understand and analyze millennials’ perceptions we conducted a qualitative study where we interviewed eight Riksbyggen customers concerning their experiences. Theoretical perspective: In order to better understand customers perceptions and put it in a context, a framework for customer experience journeys was the basis for this study. The model includes three stages: prepurchase, purchase and postpurchase, which we will investigate from a real estate perspective. Empirical data: The empirical material, which is the base of the analysis, is divided into the three stages of customer experience journey - prepurchase, purchase and postpurchase. In each part, we highlight how millennials perceive the customer experience journey. Conclusions: The main conclusion and suggestion of this study is that an identified sub-stage, the customization sub-stage, would be necessary in the customer experience journey within the real estate industry. The customization sub-stage is a sub-stage to the purchase stage and describes the actual customization of the apartment concerning interior designs. The fact is that millennials and companies have different attitude and conceptions towards the sub-stage. Furthermore, the thesis shows how technology such as Virtual Reality could create better conditions for simplifying the customer experience journey and thus creating a more positive customer experience. The final conclusion concerns millennials' wishes to be led through a complex purchase process of buying a newly built apartment, whereupon a guide is suggested.