Home Rental
One of the largest providers of high-quality, single-family rental homes in the United States with over 85,000 homes across 30 fastest growing metro areas.
Progress Residential is changing the business of leasing homes through forward-thinking rental policies and strategic use of technology.
Project Activities
Design Thinking workshops
Sketching
Wireframes
Information Architecture
Prototypes
User Testing and Research
Case Study: Reimagining the Application & Lease Journey for Tenant Onboarding
The scope of this project involved redesigning the tenant onboarding experience, with a focus on the entire “application through move-in journey.” This encompassed reimagining the application and lease experience, creating a Customer Portal for both new and existing tenants, and an Agent Portal for administrators. Additionally, I led the redesign of key flows including account creation, sign-in, and self-tour processes.
My Role:
As the UX Lead, I worked with a multi-disciplinary team of subject matter experts (SMEs), stakeholders, developers and vendors under the Agile development methodology. My responsibility was to map the current state experience, identify pain points, and align the team on the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and future project phases.
Research & Discovery:
To kick off the project, we conducted surveys, SME interviews, and discovery workshops to gather insights about the current user experience. I then mapped user flows and carefully documented existing business processes and pain points.
Key research insights included:
- The existing application process was overwhelming and led to high abandonment rates.
- There was significant reliance on call center support due to confusing steps and lack of clarity.
The primary project goals included:
- Improve the success rate of applicants.
- Increase conversion rates and speed up the application process.
- Optimize targeted marketing and personalize offers.
- Gain operational efficiencies and reduce reliance on call center support.
- Ensure a mobile-first, frictionless experience across devices.
- Leverage customer journey data for deep learning and behavior prediction.
- Implement automation and AI to support self-service.
Competitive & Market Research:
I conducted competitive analysis to identify gaps and opportunities in the market. This allowed us to refine our strategy and ensure we were not only improving the application process but also positioning the product as a market leader.
We reviewed the application metrics, gathered user feedback, and identified key areas to streamline and simplify, particularly to improve the success rate of applicants.
Collaboration & Strategy:
During the discovery phase, I collaborated closely with leadership, subject matter experts, and the broader team to review insights, align on goals, and set a clear path forward. I facilitated brainstorming sessions, workshops, and review sessions, ensuring all stakeholders were aligned and contributed to the project’s vision. I also participated in strategy sessions with leadership, offering UX perspectives to inform roadmaps and product goals, and ensuring the application design met both business objectives and user needs.
Design & Development:
Once in development, I actively participated in daily stand-up meetings, working closely with the team to provide ongoing UX leadership. I sketched initial concepts and shared low-fidelity wireframes for early feedback. Once approved, I progressed to creating interactive prototypes, delivering a click-through experience to showcase user flows and context.
After finalizing wireframes, I worked on applying visual styling to create high-fidelity mockups, which were then reviewed and approved for production. Alongside the design, I also created a design kit for consistency across the product.
Key features and Design Solutions:
Simplified Application Process:
The existing application process was clumsy, leading to a high number of abandoned applications and support calls. The redesigned process, leveraging new technology and business rules, greatly simplified the flow, providing a seamless, intuitive experience.
Key elements:
- Wayfinding & non-linear navigation: Easy-to-follow steps, with clear instructions.
- Progressive and Staged Disclosure: Rendering and activating Information and controls only when relevant, minimizing overwhelm.
- Inline Document Upload: Streamlined and simplified document submission during the process.
- Contextual Help: Users could access help in a drawer, only when needed, avoiding distractions.
Personalized Experience:
We designed an experience that reflected the company’s tone and policies, extending personalization beyond the application itself. For example, users could list their pets as family members, creating opportunities for deeper customer relationships and personalized marketing.
Mobile-First Design:
The entire process was designed with a mobile-first approach, ensuring that users could easily complete applications on any device. The design was responsive, adaptive, and intuitive across different screen sizes.
Self-Service & Automation:
We implemented automation to allow for near-instant approval of applications. This was combined with third-party integrations for instant approvals, reducing processing time from days to minutes.
Conclusion:
This project successfully transformed the application and lease journey for both applicants and administrators, resulting in a more efficient, user-friendly, and personalized experience. By leveraging automation, AI, and a mobile-first design approach, we not only improved the overall success rate and speed of applications but also reduced friction and operational overhead for the company.
Key Outcomes:
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Streamlined application process with intuitive, clear navigation.
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Personalized tenant experience, improving engagement and satisfaction.
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Near-instant approvals, reduced abandonment, and higher conversion rates.
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Significant time savings for both applicants and administrators.
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Improved operational efficiency and lower call center dependency.
Through collaboration, research, and user-centered design, we delivered a product that not only met the goals of the business but also provided a smooth, frictionless experience for all users involved.
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