Show home parades
Builders, buyers welcome loosening of restrictions on in-person visits
Let the banners fly. Stage 2 of Alberta's Open for Summer plan is good for easier access to show homes, and the best is yet to come in Stage 3.
Home builders and land developers, deemed essential services during the pandemic, kept show homes open but could see very few people face-to-face at one time. Stage 2 increased customer capacity limits and Stage 3 will eliminate them all together.
Jayman Built operated its Calgary and Edmonton show homes following guidelines for retail stores with restricted walk-in traffic. Sales manager Dalayce Keen says they're excited about the long-awaited end of the pandemic.
“The last 18 months has not been fun. It will be great when home buyers are less anxious about coming in. They'll feel safer so they will better enjoy the experience of shopping for a new home,” she says.
Homes by Avi will continue to offer visits by appointment at its show homes in Calgary and Edmonton.
“As we move into Stage 3 of reopening, the safety and comfort of our staff and customers remains a priority. Visiting a show home is supposed to be exciting and fun. If there are customers who are not quite ready to be in a group setting, private showings can be arranged,” says Doug Beach, vice-president of housing for Homes by Avi Alberta.
Other builders are also taking a hybrid approach by welcoming walk-ins and offering socially distanced alternatives.
In September 2020, Qualico Communities broke ground on Ambleton, a new community in northwest Calgary. With the unpredictable nature of COVID-19 restrictions, the developer is going with a soft launch for its show home parade by hosting chats on Facebook Live.
“This way we can showcase the homes, introduce our sales team and respond to comments,” says Nina Wulder, Qualico communications and marketing co-ordinator. “We haven't delayed the show home parade opening but we have thought of different ways to present what we're doing. The hope is that we will have an in-person event in the fall, but we don't want to risk anything at this time.”
The Facebook Live events take place on five consecutive Saturdays beginning June 26 at 11 a.m. on the @qualicoyyc page.
Edmonton-based Cantiro Homes welcomes walk-in traffic at show homes from noon to 5 p.m. on the weekend but will still reserve weekdays for appointments.
“We have found that our customers have responded very positively to having appointments only during the week and regular hours noon to 5 p.m. on the weekends, so we will be continuing that,” says Jennifer Dechaine, general manager of sales and operations. “We will also continue to offer self-guided tours where clients can visit select show homes on their own at their convenience.”
Rohit Land Development in Edmonton saw a big shift in consumer behaviour with the onset of COVID -19, which seemed to jumpstart new home sales.
Rather than delay new issues of residential lots or the opening of builder show homes, the developer released land ahead of schedule due to an unexpected robust market.
Rohit worked with its builder partners to create virtual show home tours and to encourage virtual and in-person appointments.
Senior marketing co-ordinator Kelsey Siemens says it's hard to know if show home shopping will go back to normal.
“We'll likely wait until fall before we host any large events in our communities,” she says.
Keen says she has also noticed a shift with Jayman buyers, with approximately half wanting a virtual shopping experience and the other wanting to see show homes in person.
“We want to make sure we're catering to both.”