Builder News

As smart home continues to advance and become more affordable, so does the demand for smart home technology in new homes. In fact; according to BDX Research, "75% of homebuyers believe brand new homes with smart technology could be a tie breaker".

Builders around the country are all trying to figure out a tried-and-tested solution to their smart home problem. In their research, they're all encountering the same lingering questions: How do I select the right solution? How do I deploy smart home into my homes? What's the right way to market and sell it? How do I train my sales staff? What's the messaging to use? "Hello...tech support"?

It's important to understand that while some advertised smart home solutions claim to be easy for the homeowner to set up (we call these DIY systems), they are not feasible for builders, are expensive, and don't often scale well.

Why Smart Home? What is it?
Homebuyers are not fools; the reality is, you can't slap on a Bluetooth door lock, a smart thermostat, and call it a day. Many homeowners define smart home as the ability to keep a virtual presence in their home, while at the same time offering convenience, ease of mind, and most importantly - security. To accomplish this, you need to start with a proper smart home platform that acts as a central hub of the home.

In most cases, the smart home hub will often support different devices like door locks, thermostats, light switches, security systems, cameras, sensors and detectors, entertainment systems, and more from different brands and manufacturers. At the same time, this platform will usually provide the homeowner a central way of controlling their smart home, usually through a mobile application or even voice control. This integration usually allows the homeowner to create scenes that can automate multiple devices at once, and create schedules that execute rules at a specific time. You can even have custom notifications be sent to the homeowner's smart device, or automations where devices will only activate when they detect another device in action.

For example: you can create a scene that will lock the door, turn off all the lights, and arm the security system when you leave, all by pressing a button. Take it a step further, and have that same scene scheduled to launch on its own, every day when you go to bed.

The biggest mistake some builders make is this: They will add a couple "smart" advertised devices, with each one requiring its own mobile app. In many cases, these devices don't work well together, leaving the homeowner with a horrible experience. Homeowners don't want a separate app for their door lock, another one for the thermostat, one for the lighting, and a fourth for the camera system. Don't forget the security system, it might need its own app too - Yikes!

Smart Home: The Builders Competitive Advantage:
As competition in the builder market continues to heat up, the largest builders in the world are quickly turning to the latest desires from homebuyers that help them stand out. For many builders, smart home is no longer an optional add-on, it's becoming a base standard feature of the home. As we mentioned before, adding smart home is not always easy, and very few smart home systems have been able to provide builders a solution that exceed the demands of homebuyers, while making it easy for the builder to bring on smart technology.

When looking for a smart home solution for your builder business, you need to ask yourself:

1. How do I pick the right solution?
2. Is the system too complex, what protocols do I use?
3. Does the system meet the market demand?
4. How do I support the homeowner?
5. How do I deploy this system?
6. How long will it take, will it interfere with the construction timeline?
7. Where do I start to train my sales staff?
8. How do I sell it, what's the message?
9. How do I market it?
10. How do I select the right smart home package(s) to offer?

At Clare, we've made adding smart home to your business simple. Our comprehensive smart home program breaks down this complex and confusing process into something manageable, easy to understand, and most importantly, not overwhelming. Clare helps you:

Thinking about bringing smart home into your line of homes? Let your first step be with Clare.
We'll help you successfully implement smart home into your business model. If you wish to learn more about the Clare Builder program, download our Playbook below, or contact us to get started.