The digital gateway to the world of real estate

Joëlle Loos of Neidhart + Schön with Jon Bracher (left) and Robert Weinert of Wüest & Partner.For 23 years, the Consulting firm Wüest & Partner the "Immo-Monitoring". In the 200-page book, readers will find, among other things, perspectives and forecasts, construction trends, market and regional data, and background information from the real estate industry. On the one hand, the publication is aimed at professional real estate players, but on the other hand it also repeatedly finds resonance in the trade press. "Immo-Monitoring" is published in German and French with a circulation of approximately 2500 copies and costs 320 Swiss francs per issue. In order to be able to continue to offer the best product in comparison with the competition, Wüest & Partner is moving with the times - always with a focus on client benefits. That is why they have decided to make the publication available digitally. Another reason is the fact that, in the course of digitalization, the consulting firm's clients increasingly need to be able to access information on the real estate market on the move and at any time.More updates thanks to appTogether with the media service provider Neidhart + Schön they therefore developed an app for the publication. "We wanted an app that would allow our target group to read the content via tablet or smartphone," explains Robert Weinert of Wüest & Partner. "At the same time, the effort for this first step should be manageable. After that, the app should be continuously developed." Thus, for the time being, the app leans heavily on the printed version and does without elaborate extras. The text is taken one-to-one from the book, but the reader has the option of displaying it in different sizes. There is also an image gallery in which the graphics are presented. In addition to the "Immo-Monitoring", other compact market reports from Wüest & Partner are also available on the app.The app is open to everyone and can be downloaded free of charge, although the Immo-Monitoring is available exclusively to subscribers. Thanks to the app, there are now two updates in winter and summer in addition to the regular two issues per year. When the Swiss National Bank lifted the minimum Swiss franc exchange rate in mid-January, the higher publication frequency already paid off for the first time, as Wüest & Partner was able to inform its clients about the effects of this decision on the industry in the January update. App users receive a push notification when a new update is available.Complex implementationThe development of the app took about three quarters of a year. "We first had to find out what could actually be implemented in an app," says Jon Bracher of Wüest & Partner. "Then we had to decide what exactly we wanted to implement." Joëlle Loos of Neidhart + Schön emphasizes that the complexity of implementation is often underestimated by many companies. For example, the content has to be adapted to different channels and different text lengths in the individual languages.Despite the app, Wüest & Partner still clearly relies on the print product. The haptic experience of touching and leafing through the refined book is still important and leaves a lasting impression.High conversion rateWith a series of cross-media campaigns, triggered by a personalized print mailing, Wüest + Partner is drawing attention to its publications. The mailing refers to the app and includes a QR code that takes the recipient directly to an order page. Nevertheless, most subscribers still order the publication using the printed form, partly because the consulting firm's rather older target group is print-savvy. However, it is interesting to note that the conversion rate online is very high at 30 percent. This means that a good third of the people who reach the online order form via QR code also trigger an order. "This shows the great potential of the digital path," Joëlle Loos is convinced.At Wüest & Partner, the aim is to develop the app further in the next few years together with Neidhart + Schön. In the meantime, there are also more technical possibilities and greater know-how is available. For example, the integration of videos, links to website content with additional information, or a stronger presence on social media are conceivable.Author: Simon Wolanin