Transparency in communication as a philosophy

Unibricks, formerly Bricks & Leisure, is a property developer in Belgium that runs long-term real estate investment projects. Unibricks uses Ziggu to give investors one customer portal for invoices, documents and construction photos. Since 2018, more than 990 clients have used the portal. Investors check returns without digging through paperwork.

• Sector: Property development, long-term investment projects
• Country: Belgium
• On Ziggu since: 2018
• Projects on Ziggu: 10+
• Clients in the portal: 990+
• Used for: Conversations, Documents, Forms, Client updates, Reports
• Connected to: Public API

For decades already, Unibricks has been a respected name in the real estate market. The developer states transparency as an important pillar when communicating with clients. “Ziggu fits perfectly within our philosophy, it connects with what we value”, says Client Success Manager Laurens De Greef.

Why did Unibricks go looking for a customer portal?

Unibricks had been looking for a customer portal for a while. “We are a forward-thinking company and are constantly researching great innovations. It’s important to go along with technological development”, Laurens says. “Certain operations can be sped up or even automated, which opens up time to focus on what really matters, like customer service.” In their search for a solution that fit with their values, Unibricks found Ziggu.

“We compared a few companies”, says Nathalie Dert of the Customer Service department. “We chose Ziggu because they have experience with the real estate market. They easily understand what our clients need.” That’s an important element for Unibricks, as most of their investors are long term clients. “When you invest in our projects, it’s easily a ten-year commitment”, Laurens says.

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How do investors stay informed over a ten-year commitment?

Unibricks strives to communicate as clearly as possible during that period. Ziggu’s portal is an important asset in that regard. “Most of our clients buy off-plan”, Laurens explains. “So it’s extremely important they’re informed about the latest developments regarding their investment, during and after construction. They invest because they expect a return. So it’s up to us to communicate clearly about that.”

“That’s why all communication is channeled through Ziggu now”, Nathalie says. “We upload invoices and other administrative documents, but we also share photos of the construction site. It’s a visual aid for our clients. I notice many of them browse to the platform to check if new pictures have been uploaded. That’s great to see.”

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What do long-term investors get out of the portal?

All documents are on Ziggu permanently, which is very convenient for Unibricks’ long term clients, according to Nathalie. “They can easily compare returns on their investment. They don’t have to go through a mountain of paperwork. They immediately see what last month’s return was.”

The fact that Ziggu’s portal is clear and user-friendly is also an asset to how Unibricks works internally, according to Nathalie and Laurens. “All our clients are listed on Ziggu. We immediately see which client has invested in which project. That’s an important aspect regarding customer service, we’d never want a client to feel like they are unknown to us”, Nathalie explains.

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“We distinguish ourselves from our competitors by being transparent, Ziggu does the same”

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How does Unibricks experience working with Ziggu?

Ziggu’s chatbox is an easy and fast tool when someone at Unibricks has a question. “Our communication with Ziggu has always been smooth. It still is. When there is a question, I get a reply within the next five minutes”, Nathalie says. “When we ask to apply a new functionality, for example, they keep us informed about the process. If they can’t develop the feature right away for us – they have other clients as well, of course – then they communicate clearly about the possibilities and the timeline. That’s the kind of transparent communication we use with our clients as well.”

Laurens emphasises that philosophy. “Transparency and sustainable relationships are a priority in our company”, he says. “That’s how we distinguish ourselves from our competitors. Ziggu fits perfectly within that philosophy.”

Project Mercure Château-de-la-Lesse – Unibricks

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