Builder1440 News & Events

In Erik Cofield’s article, ‘Managing Leads Like a Super-Hero!’ he discusses the importance of using a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system in the home building industry. He compares using a system to having an assistant or sidekick – no one would accomplish anything without them.

According to Cofield, a CRM system is a super power, “without a system, you simply can’t follow up with every lead personally, immediately, every month for two years or three years. You lose track of leads and you drop leads here or there; you can’t really prioritize them or send the right message, etc.  All of that changes if you leverage technology by putting the power of a CRM system to work for you.”

In today’s market buyers want everything right away – 31% want an immediate personal response, 68% want one within an hour, and 96% want it within four hours. Cofield sadly reveals in his article that only 19% of builders actually respond within 4 hours. With a CRM system it makes it easier to follow up and generate sales.

Another plus side to using a CRM system is the way you are able to keep track of the different types of prospect codes. You can easily track a hot or warm lead or even a web lead using a CRM system.

In order to follow up with leads and convert them into sales, a CRM system is a must. “If you’re not already managing leads like a superhero and if you’re not already responding to them as close to immediately as possible, the best time for you to do that is yesterday. The second best time for you to do that is today.”

Click here if you would like to read or listen to the full article and find out the other reasons why Cofield suggest every company use a CRM system.

Contact us if you want to talk with Erik for a personalized plan of action.

Matt McShane, Vice President of Builder1440, and Erik Cofield of BuildTopia & Builder1440 will be featured at the 2010 Southeast Building Conference along with Bob Schultz, the industry’s most widely recognized expert in New Home Sales.

The trio of home sales experts will pool their expertise for the first time at an event called “The New Home Sales Rally” – sharing techniques on how home builders & agents can make an immediate impact on new home sales.

The presentation is currently scheduled for Friday, July 23, 2010 from 2-4:30pm in room 208 ABC. For more information, or to register, visit the SEBC website.

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, the largest and most trusted software provider of home building software has been named the Hottest Company in 2010 by Constructech Magazine.

With Constellation customers counting for more than half of the largest builders in North America, Constellation is well-known for stability, dedication to technology and the highest standards of customer support. Not only is Constellation the best choice for builders in the USA, but the top builders in Canada have consistently chosen Constellation products to run their business and transition through changes like the Harmonized Sales Tax, Tarion Warranty Regulations, Goods and Services Tax, and numerous payroll changes. Throughout the home building recession, Constellation continued to invest in the industry, technology, and services for home builders of all sizes. As the leader in home building software, Constellation is ideally positioned to provide mission-critical software solutions that home builders can trust now and in many years to come.

“We are happy to be recognized as Constructech’s Hottest Company again in 2010. Throughout the downturn, we continued to invest in our products and services to ensure that Constellation was the best choice for home builders of all sizes”, says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems.

Constellation’s software solutions are designed to help builders increase productivity and utilize fewer resources to run their businesses successfully. With comprehensive solutions for home builder websites, online marketing, new home sales, customer relationship management (CRM), accounting, purchasing, estimating, scheduling, warranty, homeowner portals, land development, and vendor portals, many builders choose Constellation as their trusted technology partner. With a single technology partner, you can count on software upgrades that work, a single support contact for all products, industry expertise, and responsibility for the entire system. In contrast with multi-vendor situations and disparate technologies, Constellation customers know that their systems will be supported and enhanced long-term, that their technology partner is financially strong, and that their technology investment is secure.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 2,400 builders manage their information technology costs with integrated software solutions to run their business from dirt to warranty. From planning to homeowner services, we have land development software, new home sales and marketing software, production, purchasing, scheduling, accounting, warranty, electronic homeowner manuals, vendor portal solutions, and web site solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry. Constellation’s product suite includes BuildSoft, Builder 360, Constellation CRM (CFT), Constellation Web Solutions, FAST, NEWSTAR, Sales1440, and BuildTopia.

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is a division of Constellation Software Inc. (“CSI”) and is a publicly traded company.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 2,400 builders manage their information technology costs with integrated software solutions to run their business from dirt to warranty. From planning to homeowner services, we have land development software, new home sales and marketing software, production, purchasing, scheduling, accounting, warranty, electronic homeowner manuals, vendor portal solutions, and web site solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry. Constellation’s product suite includes BuildSoft, Builder 360, Constellation CRM (CFT), Constellation Web Solutions, FAST, NEWSTAR, Sales1440, and BuildTopia.

Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is a division of Constellation Software Inc. (“CSI”) and is a publicly traded company.
 

Builder1440 Vice President, Matt McShane, and Director of Marketing, Tim Kassouf will both be traveling to Florida to address the Industry’s most well known & respected seminar for new home sales & management.

At Serious Sales & Management Boot Camp by Bob Schultz & The New Home Sales Specialists, McShane has been tapped to present the management value of implementing home builder specific CRM, Sales & Marketing software.  “I selected Matt to present because he’s a true expert in the new home sales industry,” said Bob Schultz referring to McShane’s several decades in the Construction & Real Estate industry.  “I’ve seen the Builder1440 Sales Software and I believe it’s the best one out there, but what’s most important is that every builder who wants to grow their business understands what this type of software can do and why it’s a critical part of any home builder’s growth strategy.”

Kassouf will discuss current trends in home-builder web marketing, including web site design, lead conversion optimization, SEO & search engine marketing, and Social Media marketing.  “I’ve got a number of topics to cover,” said Kassouf, “but it’s so vitally important that builders at least understand what these web marketing buzzwords mean and how they can help – or hurt their businesses.  Bottom line, a potential homebuyer will judge the quality of the homes you build from the quality of your website design and overall web marketing.”

Schultz echoed Tim’s sentiments about the importance of integrated web marketing in new home sales. “Builders need to understand these new opportunities and how they can apply proven marketing & sales techniques to the web.  Tim is an expert in web marketing and believes, like I do, that a congruent marketing strategy is absolutely critical. I’m excited to have him here.”

Bob Schultz & The New Home Sales Specialists host semi-annual events for Home Sales professionals and home builder owners & managers in Del Ray Beach, Florida.  For more information, visit www.newhomesalesspecialits.com.

Markham, ON, January 4, 2010 – Constellation Software Inc., through its wholly owned subsidiary Constellation HomeBuilder Systems, is proud to announce the acquisition of Builder1440, a leading software company focused on the residential homebuilding industry. This acquisition includes Sales1440, a trusted and proven web-based sales solution for hundreds of home builders, as well as the consulting and staffing solutions of G.1440.

“We know this industry, and after evaluating several firms, it was clear that Builder1440 was more than a simple sales system,” says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems. “Builder1440’s software suite is a great choice for homebuilders that can’t afford to risk putting their business in the hands of old technology, limited solutions, or small family businesses that might not be around to support them tomorrow.”

Builder1440 will continue to operate and grow out of its Baltimore offices, under the same management team and will continue to promote and enhance its existing product line. Constellation welcomes all Builder1440 customers and will provide world-class solutions and services as a long term technology partner in the homebuilding industry.

“Constellation recognizes Builder1440’s commitment to our clients,” says Matt McShane, Vice President of Builder1440. “Throughout the downturn, we’ve been aggressively expanding our solutions with one goal in mind: to help builders sell more homes. Constellation shares that goal, and we’re excited to be a part of the Constellation family.”

Larry Fiorino, Builder1440 CEO and Founder added that Builder1440 is planning to announce several key initiatives and new offerings at the International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, NV this January. “I can’t get into it yet, but we’re rolling out solutions that will completely change how builders sell homes,” said Fiorino.

With many of North America’s top 10 builders as clients, Builder1440’s cloud-based platform supports customers ranging from large national builders to smaller, regional builders, and everyone in between.

In addition to Builder1440, Constellation has acquired parent company G.1440, including Consulting Solutions and IT Staffing Services divisions that deliver End-to-End IT solutions. Specializing in custom software, web design, web marketing, and tech staffing, G.1440 will continue to be a leader in IT in the Baltimore/Washington region. G.1440 was founded in 1998 and was previously a subsidiary of Sinclair Broadcast Group.

About Constellation HomeBuilder Systems

As the largest home building software company in the industry, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems has helped more than 2,100 builders manage their information technology costs with integrated software solutions to run their business from dirt to warranty. From planning to homeowner services, we have land development software, new home sales and marketing software, production, purchasing, scheduling, accounting, warranty, electronic homeowner manuals, vendor portal solutions, and web site solutions designed exclusively for the home building industry.

About Builder1440, LLC

Builder1440, LLC delivers trusted software solutions for home builders. With a deep vertical knowledge of the home building industry and extensive technical expertise, our team designs and develops cloud-based software solutions currently in use by hundreds of builders across North America. Builder1440′s sales & marketing software suite increases profits and decrease costs through all stages of the homebuyer life cycle.

Baltimore, MD – Builder1440 is announcing significant performance improvements to Sales1440, the nation’s leading Sales & CRM software for the home building industry.

Since implementing improvements, Sales1440 is moving 25% more data every day, loading pages in half the time, and running long running queries 40 – 80% faster. Most notably, database performance has improved by 90%.

Builder1440 also used the advanced web security tools of sister division G.1440 to ensure that Sales1440’s is free of vulnerabilities to web security threats like SQL Injection and Cross Site Scripting (XSS). Web threats like these could threaten the security of user data, affect the application’s performance, or even infect its users’ computers, and Builder1440 remains committed to web security.

According to Sean Wilhelm, Director of Application Development, “Throughout the remainder of 2009 we have planned initiatives that will deliver greater performance and scalability for our customers.” According to Wilhelm, these initiatives include usability enhancements and load balancing for additional performance improvements.

These performance improvements have far reaching implications throughout the home building industry, as hundreds of builders across the United States and Canada use Sales1440 to manage customer relationships and automate sales follow-up functions.

BALTIMORE, MD — HomeFront Software™, a leading Canadian-based provider of management solutions for homebuilders of all sizes, and Builder1440, the premier provider of homebuilder sales and CRM software, created the HomeFront Complete alliance to provide homebuilders in the U.S. and Canada that use Sage Timberline Office or Sage Master Builder, the first ever fully integrated solution for managing the entire homebuilding process, before, during, and after construction.

“Today’s tough economic environment requires homebuilders to manage every lead and every stage of the home buying and building processes precisely to build solid customer relationships from the first moment a customer shows interest throughout the entire construction process,” said Matt McShane, Vice President, Builder1440. “HomeFront Complete offers homebuilders a total round-trip solution in both front and back-end technology especially for builders using Sage Master Builder.”

“HomeFront Complete helps builders manage their businesses tighter, with fewer costly mistakes and maximized profits,” said Daryl Shenner, CEO HomeFront Software. “During these tough economic times, we are excited about offering the HomeFront Complete solution to our customers as well as to Sage users at the market’s most competitive price. It is the ideal marriage of front and back-end technology, offering homebuilders even greater relief and increased capabilities when managing the sales and building process.”

With this agreement, HomeFront Software has launched, CustomerBuilder, powered by Sales1440, a new front-end sales tool in its award-winning HomeBuilder Management Tool Kit. CustomerBuilder provides HomeFront customers with a web-based, on-demand sales automation and Customer Relationship Management tool that is necessary for builders to obtain and retain a strong customer base. The powerful integration of HomeFront’s Tool Kit with Sage Timberline Office and Sage Master Builder further allows homebuilders to develop a streamlined process to manage each aspect of their building projects, beginning with the initial stages of the sales cycle.

Builder1440 has aligned with HomeFront because it has the distinct ability to help homebuilders better manage construction and labor costs, create multiple scenario estimates and pricing based on forecasted costs, fully integrate with the builder’s accounting system, among other necessary elements essential to keeping a firm handle on the entire construction cycle.

ABOUT HOMEFRONT SOFTWARE™

HomeFront Software, based in Calgary, Alberta Canada, is a leading homebuilder management solutions provider. HomeFront offers the only technology in the market that is fully integrated with both Sage Timberline Office and Sage Master Builder and manages the entire homebuilding process from one simple-to-use software system. HomeFront’s unique ability to manage all stages of the building process provides homebuilders of all sizes with the real-time information necessary to make the business decisions that will maximize profits before, during, and after construction. HomeFront is a collaborative effort of technology experts who have been working in the residential building industry for over 20 years.
ABOUT BUILDER1440

Builder1440, LLC is the leading provider of sales and marketing solutions for homebuilders. Skilled with a deep vertical knowledge of the homebuilding industry and extensive technical expertise, our team designs and develops Internet-based software solutions that are currently in use by hundreds of builders across North America. Builder1440’s software and IT services increase profits and decrease costs throughout all stages of the home buyer life cycle.

CONTACT:

Tim Kassouf
410.843.3823
tkassouf@g1440.com