St. James Plantation Puts Google Glass To Work in Sales & Marketing

SOUTHPORT, N.C., April 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Google Glass is giving St. James Plantation a first-hand look at the future of real estate sales and marketing.

"This device is going to completely transform the real estate industry," says Eddie Addison, a top-performing sales executive at the 6,000-acre retirement and second home community near Southport, NC.

St. James is the first community in the Carolinas – and among the first in the country – to incorporate Glass into its sales and marketing programs, Addison said.

"We just took it out of the box a month ago, but I can already see it's a game-changer," he said. "It's a new and memorable way to tell the St. James story."

Addison is using Glass to communicate more effectively with his customers. For example, he recently engaged in a real-time video chat with a customer in Pennsylvania, showing her how much progress had been made on her new home in St. James.

"Google Glass lets her see through my eyes exactly what I'm seeing," he said. "At the same time, I'm doing a voice-over describing what's been done since her last visit. I can even put the builder on the call to answer her questions."   

Addison also uses Glass to help accelerate the sales process. "If prospects don't buy on the first visit, I use Glass to give them a fresh look at the homesites and homes they liked or show them a real-time view of what's happening at our amenities, like our four golf courses, marina, clubhouses, pools, fitness centers and Oak Island beach club," he said.

According to IT Director Ursula Ehrenfeld, St. James has always been quick to adopt new technologies – one reason it's been the top-selling community on the Carolina Coast for 22 straight years.

But Glass takes the sales process to a whole new level. "Glass adds value by combining several different communication functions into one easy-to-use device," she says. "Social media is driving consumer expectations toward a more real-time and personalized interaction with businesses. Glass lets us do that much more efficiently.

"Glass is the future in real estate sales and marketing," she says. "If you're not using a tool like Glass, you run the risk of falling behind."

SOURCE St. James Plantation