Uncovering Simultaneous Buying and Selling Needs with Design Workshop

Problem

Realtor.com wanted to understand how people handle buying and selling homes at the same time. It came to our realization that that our current approach of treating these as separate transactions didn't cover the complexities people face. While we had looked into buyer and seller needs individually, we hadn't explored the challenges of those doing both simultaneously. This fresh perspective revealed missed opportunities to create new product features and services for these concurrent buyer sellers.

Goals

︎

Uncover the major steps and pain points in the buyer seller journey. Identify key differences between first-time and experienced buyer/sellers

︎

Inform development of features that address buyer/seller needs

Process & Methodology

Phase 1

Set Up Team & Define Success

To tackle this problem, we assembled a cross-functional working group with representatives from different product squads and disciplines. This ensured a comprehensive discovery process.

We asked each member to define success from the perspective of consumers, the business, and our internal team. A holistic vision of success guided our work. Potential roadblocks were discussed upfront to proactively address challenges. This alignment enabled an effective collaboration towards our shared goals.

Phase 2

Knowledge Harvest and Knowledge Gaps

Establish a Framework for Knowledge Harvest:
To reveal unique insights into concurrent buying and selling, we leveraged existing knowledge created a journey map overlaying the two experiences. This visualized existing knowledge, highlighted shared actions and pain points, and uncovered knowledge gaps. For example, it revealed open questions around how these users assess financial readiness given home equity, or determine the order of transactions. The journey map allowed us to identify tangible gaps versus assuming gaps, focusing discovery on true unknowns. This built efficiency into the process to rapidly validate open questions.

Fill in Knowledge Gaps:We utilized existing research to develop preliminary persona groups based on potential meaningful differences like demographics, agent choices, or motivations.

We then conducted 10 in-depth interviews with recent buyer-sellers to validate these segments and reveal needs and pain points. The interviews filled knowledge gaps, notably around transaction order and impacts. We learned the sequence of buying and selling greatly affects motivations and challenges.

This insight led us to map journey variants - buying first, selling first, concurrent transactions. Illustrating these contingencies captured nuanced user needs and illuminated design opportunities. Our research built understanding while maximizing existing knowledge to focus discovery on crucial unknowns.

Snapshot of personas



An abstract view of variants by transaction orders

Phase 3

Design Workshop

Leveraging our new insights and journey maps, we held a 3-day workshop with cross-functional teams to ideate solutions. Following a design sprint methodology, we:

1. Mapped the opportunity space
   
2. Clustered opportunities by theme
   
3. Assessed clarity versus risk
   
4. Crafted problem statements
   
5. Brainstormed solutions - "Crazy 8"
   
6. Evaluated effort versus impact
   
7. Mapped assumptions
   
8. Storyboarded concepts
   
9. Prototyped high-potential ideas

Using a Clarity vs. Risk matrix, we prioritized focusing the workshop on opportunities with clearly defined problems and high risk if unsolved. This approach targeted ideation on critical, well-understood user issues from the research.



With Assumption Mapping, we identified risky assumptions around desirability, feasibility and viability of ideas. This further screened concepts and highlighted key assumptions to validate. Mapping assumptions focused ideation on solutions with more potential by scrutinizing their riskiest hypotheses.

Phase 4

Concept Evaluation

Post-workshop, we evaluated concepts through 10 in-depth interviews to assess prototypes and prioritize next steps. The goal was to validate if assumptions addressed real user needs. This evaluation refined ideas and focused efforts on the solutions resonating most with users.

Impact

• Prioritized two concepts addressing core buyer sellers needs around search and valuation.
• Uncovered a new user segment concurrent buyers sellers v.s single transaction users.
  
• Built cross-functional understanding and enthusiasm for this emerging segment.

Team

• Marisa Parsons, Jessie Farris, Elizabeth Ropp - Product Design 
• Nam Pham - Researcher
  
• David Masters, Olivia Hayes - Product Management