A new development has fifty plots. Every one of the four hundred enquiries in its first month asks some combination of the same questions. Which plots are left? What is the difference between the Aspen and the Birch house types? Is the kitchen included? When will phase two complete? Is there parking?
New build enquiries are highly repetitive, and the sales team on site answers them all by hand, often while trying to show people round the show home. It is a lot of time spent repeating information that is already in the brochure.
The questions every development receives
Development sales questions tend to cluster:
- Availability: which plots and house types remain.
- Price: from prices and what is included.
- Specification: kitchens, flooring, appliances, heating, finishes.
- Timing: estimated completion dates and phases.
- Costs: service charges, estate fees, parking.
- Incentives: deposit contributions or other offers.
- Process: how to reserve and what the reservation fee covers.
Almost all of these are answered somewhere in your development pages or brochure.
Why repetition costs more on a development
Sales staff on a development are usually few, and their time is best spent on viewings and reservations. Every hour answering "is the kitchen included?" is an hour not spent with a buyer who is ready to reserve.
Off plan buyers also research heavily before visiting. They compare specifications across developments, often in the evening. An enquiry that waits until the sales office opens may already have been answered by a competing developer.
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Answering from your published information
The answers exist. They just need to be available when buyers ask:
Visitor: Is the kitchen included in the Birch, and what appliances come with it? Assistant: Yes, all homes include a fitted kitchen. The Birch comes with an integrated oven, hob, extractor and dishwasher. The full specification is on the house type page. Would you like to arrange a visit to the show home?
SpideyChat for real estate answers from your development pages at any hour, asks qualifying questions and captures appointment requests for your sales team to confirm.
Being careful with dates and incentives
Two topics need particular care. Completion dates change, and incentives are time-limited. An answer that promises a date or offer you no longer stand behind creates problems later.
The rule is simple: only repeat what is currently published, and keep the published information updated. Where a question needs a firm commitment, the assistant should hand it to a person.
Qualifying before the show home visit
Visits to the show home take time. A few qualifying questions help your team prioritise:
- What budget are you working with?
- How will you fund the purchase?
- Do you have a property to sell, and is it on the market?
- When are you hoping to move?
Keep it gentle and ask after answering the buyer's question. For more on handling budget questions without putting people off, see qualifying by budget without being pushy.
Plot availability as a live question
Plot availability is the development equivalent of "is it still available?", covered in is it still available and other questions to automate. Keep availability updated promptly on your website. When a popular house type sells out, capture buyer interest for the next phase rather than losing them, a similar approach to answering restock questions in retail.
Buyers with a property to sell
Many new build buyers need to sell first. Their enquiries are often also a sign they need a valuation. If your business works with agents or offers part-exchange, capture this early. For agencies, valuation requests are your best seller leads, and new build enquiries can be a source of them.
Your next step
List the ten questions your development sales team answers most. Check that each is clearly answered on your website. Then try an assistant on your development site and see how it handles them, or read about lead capture and other features.