Planpoint started the way most impactful businesses do – with a problem.
It was 2014, and Laurent Cardinal was working as a Senior Partner at Agence SIX, Quebec’s largest residential real estate marketing and development agency.
Cardinal was frustrated with the traditional floor plan software that he was expected to use to showcase his homes. He felt the tools at his disposal were obsolete, and not as useful as they could be.
In this day and age, there had to be a better way to visualize floor plans and projects as a whole. Where were the real-time insights, the integrated tours, and the bespoke, custom layouts that showed potential buyers the full picture?
Other industries were using technology to elevate their marketing efforts, streamline processes, and create a more seamless shopping experience. Why was the real estate industry lagging behind?
After years of frustration, Cardinal decided to take matters into his own hands.
Teaming up with Félix Cotte, his colleague at Agence SIX, the pair created Planpoint; an interactive, easy-to-use floor plan viewing platform that connects the dots between buildings, individual units, and the surrounding amenities, all to give potential residents the information they need to make an informed decision about their next home.
The software was initially rolled out as an internal tool made exclusively for the team at Agence SIX, but once its potential became evident, it was clear they were sitting on something big. It was too innovative not to share, so they started licensing their software at an affordable price point, with plans starting at just $49 a month.
Fast forward to today, and Planpoint is now a full-blown SaaS (Software as a Service) company, taking the real estate industry by storm.
The software gives home seekers a better user experience than was previously available, allowing them to explore properties or buildings in an integrated, visual way.
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“Typically, when you’re going to buy or rent a condo…you’re not seeing the building as a whole,” says Neil George, Director of Sales at Planpoint.
“You’re normally seeing disjointed floor plans, so it’s hard to see the full context. Whereas, if you go onto a Planpoint...you’re able to navigate floor by floor, and see a holistic view of what a building or property has to offer.”
Take Marquise condos, for example. The building’s interactive site map, made with Planpoint, allows customers to see which units are available for sale — in real time.
Westwalk Lifestyle Apartments, via Planpoint
Customers can toggle through each floor, filtering their search based on their own unique requirements and preferences, to explore what’s available. Home seekers can also zoom into each unit to view a collection of photos and specs.
Westwalk Lifestyle Apartments, via Planpoint
If they like what they see, they can request more information — right then and there — with just a click of a button. Essentially, Planpoint creates a frictionless viewing experience for end-users.
Beyond The Buyer (Or Renter)
But it’s not just the end-user that benefits. Developers and real estate agents can also use the platform to manage pricing and availability, and streamline their sales process.
It’s the sort of win-win scenario that other industries have been leveraging for years – take the music industry, for example.
“When you’re going to purchase concert tickets…you want to be able to go to the venue’s website and buy a ticket. But isn’t it even better when you go into the venue’s website and you can view the entire floor plan, select a specific seat at the price range you’re looking for, and see that whole venue and what’s available?” asks George.
“It’s the same idea with Planpoint. When you’re going to rent or buy something, why wouldn’t you want to know how far you’ll be from the pool, how far you’ll be from the laundry room, from parking…with Planpoint, you’re able to immerse yourself in a project and understand exactly what you’re renting or buying, and where it is.”
In a market as competitive as real estate, where availability is low and things move quickly, home seekers should be given as much context as possible, in order to make informed decisions about where they choose to live.
Planpoint was founded because a frustrated real estate professional thought the industry could be better.
And he was right – but, instead of gatekeeping his platform, he chose to share it with other real estate professionals, and give everyone the chance to elevate their customer experience.
It won’t be long before this becomes the industry standard. To learn more about how the platform can benefit your customers and sales team, visit Planpoint’s website.
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This article was produced in partnership with STOREYS Custom Studio.
