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MVP Real Estate marketplace: redifining the home-buying experience in México

Role
Product designer
UX designer
Visual designer

Timeframe
From july to dicember 2024

Industry
Proptech
B2B/B2C
Real State

Overview

A groundbreaking real estate marketplace designed to simplify and improve the home-buying experience for Mexican families. With features tailored to address the unique needs of Latin American buyers, this platform quickly became the marketplace with the largest number of listed projects in Guadalajara, Jalisco.

Focused entirely on transparency, guidance, and trust, this project not only empowered buyers but also provided developers with an efficient solution to connect with potential customers.

Role

As a Product Designer, I played a key role in shaping this marketplace from concept to launch. Working from April to August 2024, my responsibilities included user research, competitive analysis, value proposition development, UX and visual design, and creating a user-friendly interface that prioritized clarity and ease of use.

Collaboration was central to the success of this project. I worked closely with:

  • Development Teams: Together, we tackled the challenges of deploying the marketplace on a pre-existing platform. By optimizing components and implementing custom solutions when necessary, we minimized implementation time while maintaining a high-quality user experience.

  • Growth Teams: I partnered with the sales team to align product features with developer expectations, ensuring the platform met market needs. Through iterative feedback loops, we refined the messaging and design to enhance appeal to both buyers and developers.

The Challenges

For buyers, the property purchase journey was fraught with obstacles: lack of transparency in pricing and availability, insufficient understanding of financing options, and an overwhelming amount of paperwork. Many struggled to feel secure in their investment decisions, particularly with off-plan projects.

Developers faced their own hurdles, including low conversion rates on other platforms, high listing costs, and a lack of reliable tools to showcase their projects effectively. For both parties, the traditional marketplace experience was falling short.

How the Marketplace Addressed These Challenges

With this project, we aimed to create a platform that simplified and enhanced the property-buying process. Buyers could now:

  • View properties with clear total prices and monthly payment estimates, making it easier to identify options within their budgets.

  • Explore verified projects, ensuring transparency and eliminating the risk of fraud.

  • Benefit from a cash-back incentive of up to 20,000 MXN on eligible properties, motivating them to purchase through the platform.

  • Access a 24/7 AI chatbot for assistance, which streamlined the buying journey and provided instant answers to their queries.

Developers, in turn, could list properties with flexible commission packages and benefit from a platform tailored to boosting their conversion rates. This approach addressed their need for cost-effective marketing and reliable buyer engagement.

Research Insights and User-Centric Approach

To ensure the platform addressed real pain points, I conducted surveys with 25+ buyers and gathered extensive feedback from developers. Key findings included:

  • Buyers’ Needs: 75% of respondents valued verified projects to avoid risks, 45% wanted tools to match properties to their budgets, and 48% found cash-back incentives highly motivating.

  • Developers’ Insights: Many struggled with high platform costs and low conversion rates, highlighting the need for a cost-effective solution that guaranteed buyer engagement.

By focusing on these insights, I designed a user journey that minimized friction, clearly displayed project benefits, and guided buyers to their ideal properties efficiently.

Within weeks of launching, the marketplace achieved significant milestones:

  • The first buyer consultation was booked just four weeks post-launch.

  • Organic traffic increased by 50%, driven by a strong SEO strategy.

  • Over 150 projects were listed, with 20 verified developments generating consistent engagement.

Key features like the budget calculator, project verification badges, and cash-back incentives were instrumental in fostering buyer trust and confidence. Developers also embraced the success-fee model, appreciating the flexibility and transparency it provided.

Reflections & Learnings

This project was a testament to the power of cross-functional collaboration and user-focused design. As a designer, I learned the importance of:

  1. Balancing Constraints with Creativity: Working within the limitations of a pre-existing platform pushed me to innovate in design and implementation, finding solutions that were both efficient and impactful.

  2. Empowering Users Through Transparency: By focusing on clear communication—whether through pricing breakdowns, verification processes, or chatbot assistance—we transformed a traditionally opaque process into one buyers could navigate with confidence.

  3. The Impact of SEO: Leveraging SEO strategies played a significant role in driving organic traffic to the marketplace, showcasing the importance of visibility in a competitive market.

  4. Iterative Improvement: Launching the MVP quickly allowed us to gather real-world feedback, refine the platform, and deliver tangible results in record time. This iterative approach underscored the value of starting small, learning fast, and scaling effectively.

If I were to revisit this project, I would advocate for a dedicated marketing budget to accelerate user acquisition and prioritize selecting a more flexible platform for future iterations. These adjustments would further enhance the marketplace’s ability to serve buyers and developers alike.