“Our products have consistently earned accolades for innovation and helping builders become more efficient.  We work closely with our customers to develop new products and bring new technology to the home building industry that builders can trust to run their businesses.  We take that responsibility seriously and continually achieve high levels of customer satisfaction”, says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems.  Constellation offers the expertise, in-depth knowledge and experience to understand and meet the technology needs of home builders of all sizes.

BuildSoft Pro is a completely integrated Windows® based application and is a leading residential construction solution for small to medium-sized homebuilders and remodelers to help manage and streamline all construction processes.  Constellation recently upgraded BuildSoft Pro to support modern 32-bit and 64-bit computers, which demonstrates Constellation’s ongoing commitment to invest in new technology for home builders and remodelers.  BuildSoft Pro is easy to learn and use allowing homebuilders to integrate production and accounting information and help manage everything from estimating to project management more efficiently.

Constellation OnLocation-Warranty is the newest mobile device solution in the award-winning suite of OnLocation software applications for homebuilders.  This warranty and customer service management system integrates seamlessly with NEWSTAR Enterprise and utilizes tablet technology for quality control, pre-delivery inspections and warranty walkthroughs.  Whether you are in the office or in the field, Constellation OnLocation-Warranty improves customer satisfaction and keeps your home building business running smoothly, efficiently and profitably.  Using a handheld tablet device, homebuilders can document deficiencies, create work orders, capture electronic customer signatures and have instant access to all homeowner data, contact information, and the status of work-orders, to provide warranty information you need for each home you build.

About Constellation:

As the largest home building software provider 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 HomeDev, BuildSoft, Builder 360, Constellation Web Solutions, FAST, NEWSTAR, Sales1440, and BuildTopia.

Media Inquiries:
Cathy Kotsopoulos
cathyk@constellationhb.com
(888) 723-2222

We’ll cover many recent enhancements in our home building software solutions and offer product training sessions as well.  For a detailed agenda and registration information, please click on the link below.

Register Now

The full article can be found at the following location:

http://www.constructech.com/resources/press_release/press_release.aspx?release_id=110

There was talk everywhere about leveraging social media in homebuilding. It is a strategy you should adopt NOW! See what I mean…

One thing I learned is the importance of “claiming your business” on Google. There is a way to enhance the listing of your business on Google including maps, pictures content and even reviews. It is part of the Local Business Center… Who Knew? Check out this link to learn about Claiming your Business.

The response to our new Groundbreaker website solution was phenomenal. If you know you need to update your website or think you may need to change see what Groundbreaker can do for you. Announced at the IBS show Groundbreaker had builder big and small talking and agreeing the unbelievable value it represents.

It was amazing to see the response to the newest product in the Constellation HomeBuilder Systems line of ERP solutions. HomeDev is a project management and job cost system developed for the small builder and remodeler. It uses Microsoft tools and works with QuickBooks. Many builders stated clearly “this is exactly what we have been waiting for”.

BuildSoft Pro was introduced at the IBS as well. Current BuildSoft users were stopped dead in their tracks when we showed them the new product and how it will help them better manage job costs and complete projects on time.

Since the acquisition of BuildSoft, Constellation has taken this opportunity to increase its investment in new technology and dedicated the necessary resources to re-engineer the product.  “We are continuing to invest in the product and maintain our long-term commitment to the home building industry”, says Dexter Salna, President of Constellation HomeBuilder Systems.  “The long-term stability of Constellation ensures that we will continue to enhance our products and bring new solutions forward to help builders compete in any type of market condition.”

The new BuildSoft Pro™ system has a more modern look and feel based on a solid footing with Microsoft Outlook functionality and opportunity for future enhancements.  The end result is a new product that encompasses all the best features trusted by thousands of BuildSoft users, plus many of our recent enhancements.  BuildSoft Pro™ is the next step up from standard spreadsheets, allowing homebuilders to manage everything from accounting to project management.  Specifically, homebuilders can use BuildSoft Pro’s™ residential construction and scheduling software as one integrated package for accounting, project management, estimating and job costing.  All four integrated components help builders improve efficiency.  For remodelers, BuildSoft Pro’s™ residential remodelling features offer the same benefits, to help complete projects on-time and on budget.

The community of 1,500 loyal BuildSoft customers, some of which have been using the software for 21 years, are excited that Constellation has made investments in new technology for BuildSoft.   With a new 32-bit platform, BuildSoft Pro™ will be the foundation to give builders security and stability in their software investments and will provide the comfort of knowing they will be supported now and in the years to come.

BuildSoft Pro™ was launched at the 2010 International Builders’ Show on January 19-22, 2010, and the response has been overwhelming with many BuildSoft customers signing up to take advantage of the low cost early adopter program.  Custom home builders, small volume production builders and remodelers stopped by the booth in large numbers to find out more about BuildSoft Pro™ and the long anticipated new release.

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.

Media Inquiries:
Cathy Kotsopoulos
ckotsopoulos@constellationhb.com
(888) 723-2222

We have an exciting show planned with many experts available to answer your questions about our products, recent acquisitions, and real-world best practices. To register for these sessions, please click on the session name in the schedule below.

Over the past year, we have seen huge changes in our industry and technology in general. While many builders were focused on their business and making many tough decisions, we were focused on providing world-class customer service, enhancing our products, and developing or acquiring new technologies to meet the needs of the changing home builder, home buyer, and home owner.

To meet these demands, we have released major enhancements to our core production, accounting and sales solutions, completed two significant acquisitions, developed two new products, and offer many of our products in hosted configurations. Our track record with new acquisitions demonstrates Constellation’s commitment to customers with world-class service and ongoing product support and enhancements. This means that home builders can rely on Constellation for stable products, dedication to the industry, and proven expertise. With more than 100 employees focused on homebuilding software, and over 2,400 customers we are the largest software company in the industry with the resources to deliver mission-critical solutions for home builders of all sizes.

With several booths at the show this year, please be sure to stop by to share some stories, or just ask our experts a few questions. We would like to learn more about your business and offer our assistance in any way we can.

See you in Vegas.

Constellation Booth Schedule

*if you are unable to attend any of the scheduled events, please contact
sales@constellationhb.com.

For most builders, the time is right to make this improvement.  There is some optimism in the market, websites have probably been neglected, more potential home buyers are getting their information online, the length of the new home buying process has increased, and many large builders are attributing their recent success to a better website sales process.

Builder G will make the following changes:

1. update their existing website so that it is easier for prospects to obtain community/lot/model/upgrade details and provide contact information
2. utilize one employee to follow-up with all internet prospects immediately to provide friendly information and schedule sales agent appointments
3. utilize their existing sales system to track each prospect and ensure that only qualified prospects are provided to sales agents

Builder G hopes to obtain the following results:

1. obtain more prospects from their existing websites (pre-registration and existing communities)
2. ensure that all prospects are the responsibility of one person and that their marketing database is properly maintained for future prospect campaigns
3. use the software from Constellation to follow industry best practices and track every prospect from start to finish

We’ll let you know how it goes.

In this presentation, Mike does a great job talking about the changing habits of new home buyers and explains some practical approaches builders can follow to increase the number of new home sales.

To summarize, it’s all about:

1. providing quick, personal follow-up for all online prospects
2. ongoing periodic communication (e-mail, phone calls)
3. bringing online prospects into the sales office

Fortunately, Constellation has sales and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions to help with this.  We can bring prospect information from your website into your sales system automatically, provide website redesign services, and even help builders go live with a new website very quickly. For example, Kaplan Companies and Stylecraft Builders have used our services to create some amazing websites that are optimized for search engine results.

We would like to thank Mike for conducting the webinar. He speaks with authority about the conversion rates a builder can expect and best practices that can be implemented to boost sales from internet leads. He is also the author of Browsers to Buyers:Proven Strategies for Selling New Homes Online, the home building industry’s authoritative guide on internet marketing, lead generation and leads management.

To learn more about Mike and how he can help your organization, you can visit www.doyouconvert.com.

Direct link: Online Marketing and Prospect Follow-up Best Practices

Date: Tuesday, September 1, 2009 at 1 PM EST –
Presenter: Mike Lyon – Do You Convert?

Click here for your video invitation to this event.

With more and more new home buyers going online to begin purchasing their new home, home builders need to consider the following:

• Search engine results and rankings are critical
• Websites need to be organized to capture more prospect information
• Prospect follow-up needs to happen quickly
• Sales staff need to be accountable for every prospect
• Prospects that are not motivated now can become motivated at any time, so ongoing communication is important

The session will be presented by Constellation HomeBuilder Systems and Mike Lyon and will feature a detailed presentation, product demonstrations and an opportunity for questions.

Important Registration Information

After you register for this session, all participants will receive an email confirmation via WebEx confirming your registration with an event URL and event password.  If you do not receive a confirmation, please contact Cathy Kotsopoulos via email or by phone at (888) 723-2222 ext 6140.

Now, more than ever, it is critical to know as much about potential home buyers as possible. You would never send the same e-mail to a home buyer as you would to a real estate agent. Constellation Builder Broadcast offers affordable tools to send timely, meaningful communication to your prospects and customers that will help you get referrals to help increase sales.

Collecting and managing e-mail addresses is just the beginning. Beyond simply sending the e-mail messages, Constellation has prepared a best practices guide for e-mail marketing. This guide, along with Constellation Builder Broadcast will help you optimize your e-mail campaigns, and effortlessly keep your campaigns in compliance with junk e-mail regulations.

Some of the key benefits include:

Built-in best practices for e-mail marketing and campaign management, designed to increase prospect-to-customer conversion ratios.

Build strong, trusted relationships by staying in-touch with your prospects, ensure delivery of the messages you want them to read, and encourage them to make a purchase decision.

Measure e-mail marketing effectiveness with insightful reporting, tracking and analytics to determine content relevance, timeliness, frequency and overall performance of your e-mail marketing campaigns.

See how you can stand out from the competition with polished, professional, and highly relevant e-mail marketing campaigns.