With home-buying more digital and virtual than ever, this team serves as a one-stop hub for potential customers, fielding inquiries, sharing information about communities, and routing folks to on-site sales associates.
Interested? Meet Diane Casadey, who works with Online Sales Manager Bethany Kempf’s staff. One of their busiest periods came during 2020 shutdowns due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re kind of the frontlines here, screening all the calls,” Casadey explains. “Then during COVID, everyone hunkered down at home and we still got it done. We help each other. We have a good team and a good team leader in Bethany.”
Casadey’s role is a natural fit. She and her husband moved to Florida from Long Island, New York more than 20 years ago. They owned a direct-mail marketing company and, when Casadey transitioned out of it, she eventually found a fun fit at ICI Homes. In fact, she recently celebrated her seventh anniversary on the online sales staff.
“It’s talking to people, sales, marketing and real estate,” she says, noting similarities between her and her husband’s company and what she does now.
Curious how Diane Casadey and her co-workers rock their online sales skills? She explains below.
Empathy and versatility
Potential ICI Homes customers can call, email or live-chat with our online sales staff. Casadey and her teammates shift seamlessly between those tasks and begin with exploratory questions.
“We get calls from people who want specific details about a development that they’re already interested in,” Casadey says. “Then we hear from people who have not yet decided where they want to live in Florida, and we feel them out. ‘Where do you want to live? Are you looking for school districts? Estate homes? Single family? Townhomes? What’s your price range?’”
This process is especially important for customers who aren’t local — a scenario in Casadey’s wheelhouse.
“A lot of people I talk to are calling from out of town, especially right now, and they have a lot of questions,” she says. “Being a transplant from New York, I find it easy to talk to them — give them my input and experience, and can really help them.”
Assisting throughout the process
Diane Casadey and her co-workers use the information gleaned from questions to guide customers to the next step.
They set virtual and in-person appointments with community sales associates, then follow up with the customer afterward and approximately 45 days later. They also stay in long-term contact with folks who might not be quite ready to buy.
But, Casadey and her teammates aren’t always on the phone.
“We visit all the communities periodically,” she says. “Especially when they’re new because we have to know what they are and look like. It’s easier to sell knowing you actually saw it and can explain it better.”
this team serves as a one-stop hub for potential customers, fielding inquiries, sharing information about communities, and routing folks to on-site sales associates.
