What was the Challenge?

Doorvest, a real estate consulting platform, aimed to simplify homeownership as an investment but faced challenges with a cumbersome acquisition process. Initially, users received limited home options via email through a survey-based matching system, often resulting in missed opportunities and frustration. To improve the experience, the product team introduced a home-ranking system on user dashboards, prioritizing matches based on preferences. However, research revealed persistent issues with delays and missed notifications, as high-demand homes were often reserved before users could act, leading to continued dissatisfaction.

My Approach

1. Research & Analysis:

We dug deep into understanding user pain points through user interviews and surveys. This was complemented by a comprehensive analysis of in-app analytics to highlight how users interacted with the platform. We also conducted competitor research, diving into industry leaders in both real estate and investment platforms, such as Zillow, Redfin, and other property investment apps, to benchmark user experience expectations.

2. Enhancing User-Centered Design:

After gathering insights, we needed to create a more seamless, personalized, and user-friendly home-matching process. This would involve:

  • Streamlining Notifications: Ensuring timely notifications and reducing the time between when a home became available and when the user could act on it.

  • Home Matchi Algorithm: A more accurate and dynamic recommendation system that could suggest homes even if they didn’t perfectly match users' preferences. The goal was to align homes with users' financial journey, showing how they could still be viable options for investment, even if they fell outside the initial search parameters.

3. Information Architecture Overhaul:

We took a close look at the information architecture, restructuring the entire flow of how users would interact with home listings. We prioritized homes based on a clear set of cohorts to ensure exclusivity, but more importantly, to make the process feel customized.

4. Checkout Flow Integration (E-commerce Feature):

This redesign included the integration of an e-commerce flow using Stripe for payments and DocuSign for the signing of Letters of Intent (LOI), which facilitated immediate action from users when they were ready to purchase a home. This was a significant departure from our initial process, as we added the ability for users to complete a transaction all within the app, increasing efficiency and lowering drop-off rates.

5. Wireframing, Prototyping & Testing:

  • I first created low-fidelity wireframes to visualize the new layout and navigation, keeping the user’s needs front and center.

  • After multiple iterations and feedback from both users and stakeholders, we moved to high-fidelity prototypes. These prototypes allowed us to test the home-matching system with a dynamic algorithm and more streamlined checkout experience.

6. A/B Testing & Live Sessions:

To ensure the new design met users' needs, we conducted live testing through user calls, including both potential customers and existing users who had already purchased homes. Through screen recordings, call notes, and direct feedback, we could quickly pivot, iterating on the design. This provided invaluable insights and helped us refine our approach in real-time.

7. Cross-functional Collaboration:

At Doorvest, the design process was a deeply collaborative effort. I held Design Jam sessions internally and externally with stakeholders, product managers, engineers, and customers. These sessions were a critical part of the process, enabling 100% feedback and alignment on key decisions. As the Senior UX Designer, I facilitated discussions, ensuring all perspectives were heard and the best possible solution was reached.

The Solution: Doormatch

My responsibility was to lead the overhaul of the home-matching experience. After gathering insights from user interviews, surveys, and in-depth analytics, we knew the process had to be faster, more dynamic, and more transparent. We branded the revamped experience "Doormatch", streamlining the process so users could get personalized home suggestions in real time on their dashboards. The goal was to turn this experience into something instantaneous and exclusive while enhancing users' overall financial journey with Doorvest.

Results & Impact

Our efforts culminated in measurable results that not only improved user engagement but also drove significant business impact for Doorvest:

  • 13% increase in conversion rate: The streamlined process led to more users committing to purchasing homes.

  • 40% increase in home reservations: The updated home-matching system directly contributed to users being able to act on their preferences more quickly and securely.

  • 62% increase in user retention: By creating a more personalized and engaging experience, users were more likely to return and continue exploring the platform.

Additionally, integrating e-commerce functionality allowed Doorvest to move beyond just providing home matches—it now offered a fully integrated buying experience.

13%

Increased Conversion Rate

40%

Increase in home reservations

62%

Increase in user retention

Key Takeaways & Reflections

This project highlighted the importance of user-centered design in transforming a platform’s overall experience. Through a detailed analysis of user behavior and pain points, we were able to redesign a dynamic, real-time matching system that not only addressed previous frustrations but also contributed to a deeper engagement with the Doorvest platform.

From a leadership perspective, the project emphasized cross-functional collaboration and how iterative feedback from a variety of stakeholders—including users, engineers, and product managers—can lead to a holistic solution.

If I could revisit this project, I’d focus on further personalizing the home-matching algorithm, incorporating even more predictive insights to suggest homes outside users' preferences based on historical data, financial trends, and other personalized indicators.