HomeBricks

HomeBricks Affordable Housing
San Franscisco, CA
Sector: Construction

The HomeBricks website is the portal through which HomeBricks advertises affordable housing projects, collects application information, and communicates with applicants. The CRM retains pertinent application and communication information. Applicants register through the website and receive communications back from HomeBricks on restricted member-pages.

The HomeBricks website is their primary tool for disseminating information about real estate campaigns and gathering information. Families register with HomeBricks, supplying household information. Households enroll in campaigns. All communications with the accounts are tracked.

HomeBricks' properties are deed-restricted and provide affordable housing to moderate and low-income families. Applicants are required to complete an extensive application process, and a pre-assessment calculator that would allow a registered member to determine if they might qualify for a property would eliminate unnecessary and costly application processing for ineligible families. A quick calculator would provide feedback on whether or not the applicant should proceed with the full application.

Workshops are held for interested applicants to learn about the deed restrictions and the application process. Workshops provide an opportunity for interaction with HomeBricks' representatives. Interested applicants register for the workshop and attendance is recorded in the CRM.

As applicants move through the application process, they submit information to, and receive information from, HomeBricks. As HomeBricks requires information from the applicants, they are notified electronically or by paper communications. All communications, regardless of format, need to be recorded and tracked for auditing purposes. As applications are completed and approved by HomeBricks, the applications are closed.

The only marketing concern was to have a system for tracking the success of HomeBricks' online and offline marketing strategy. Therefore, a mechanism was needed for tracking how applicants learned about the HomeBricks campaign.

ADXSTUDIO architected, developed, and deployed the interactive HomeBricks website. Because one of the website's primary functions is to advertise property for sale, the template was designed to include many opportunities for visual elements. Most of the regions of the page are content-managed using ADXSTUDIO CMS. Each page has constant links to the registration form as well as a login link for registered members.

The HomeBricks website was integrated with Microsoft Dynamics^™ CRM 3.0. HomeBricks builds property campaigns in the CRM and makes them available on their website. Potential applicants visit the website to register a profile which is stored in the CRM as an account. Each account may have multiple contacts. Profile information can be updated from the CRM by a HomeBricks CRM user or from the web by the account holder. Once an account holder has created a profile the website queries the CRM for the campaigns for which account holder is eligible.

The application for home ownership must occur offline; this is due to the necessity of paper evidence for income status. However, the progress of the application process can be tracked through the CRM, allowing the HomeBricks campaign managers to notify applicants of important application timelines and requirements.

Working together with HomeBricks, ADXSTUDIO delivered a website that offers a straightforward system for advertising housing opportunities for low and moderate income families, registering potential applicants, and disseminating important information.