Meyer Ranch, a 700-acre development southwest of New Braunfels on Hwy. 46, will eventually feature more than 1,500 homes from six builders.
When COVID-19 arrived in New Braunfels, Trendmaker Homes closed its model homes and made them available for viewings by appointment only, according to Division President Bryan Havel.
However, not every buyer felt comfortable interacting with people face to face or touring homes that others may have been in recently.
“All the builders would tell you throughout COVID-19 our in-person traffic went down, but we saw our website traffic go way up,” Havel said. “People were at home searching for homes and looking at homes online.”
To meet the new demand, Trendmaker added resources and interactive tools to its website to appeal to people still looking to buy a home during the pandemic.
Virtual appointments with representatives and 3D tours were utilized to fill the gaps left by missing in-person tours.
“We found tons of buyers were able to do that and really get a feel for the home they wanted,” Havel said.
By June, every part of the homebuying process could be done digitally, and several homes were sold 100% virtually, according to Havel.
Part of building a home is selecting design options, so Trendmaker’s design center was made available online.
Due to concerns for the virus, home offices, gyms and flex spaces became much more popular as buyers grappled with the long-term implications of COVID-19 closures.
Appealing to parents, flex rooms can function as a classroom environment or a game room, Havel noted.
If school closures continue in the fall, that could become a larger selling point.
“Buyers can choose options that really appeal to them and their families,” Havel said.
