Web Development

Perry Homes, one of the largest homebuilders in Texas, transitioned from a legacy, home-grown Content Management System (CMS) to Contentstack’s headless and composable CMS architecture. The primary goal was to overcome the limitations of their previous tech stack to support rapid business growth, multi-brand management, and regional expansion. By adopting a "best-of-breed" approach, Perry Homes has significantly improved its operational efficiency and customer experience (CX), particularly for mobile users.

The Challenge: Scaling Out of a Custom Solution

For years, Perry Homes relied on a CMS built entirely in-house. While this offered control, it eventually became a bottleneck as the company tripled in size.

• Lack of Scalability: The legacy system could not efficiently manage multiple brands (e.g., Perry Homes and Britton Homes) or support rapid entry into new markets like Florida.

• Resource Intensive: Because everything was custom-coded, the team had to "innovate and originate" every single feature from scratch, slowing down their ability to pivot or A/B test new ideas.

• Siloed Data: Managing content across various communities and price points became increasingly complex and fragmented.

The Solution: A Composable, Headless Approach

After evaluating major industry players, Perry Homes chose Contentstack for its robust marketplace and partner ecosystem.

• Seamless Migration: In September 2024, the company launched its new website with zero downtime, migrating 2TB of digital assets and maintaining its SEO rankings.

• Marketplace Integrations: Rather than building features from scratch, the team now utilizes "plug-and-play" solutions from the Contentstack marketplace, allowing them to integrate best-of-breed tools for CRM, personalization, and automation.

• Mobile-First Experience: The team focused on a highly optimized mobile interface, crucial for home buyers who often browse properties on the go.

• Rapid Market Entry: Regional expansion that previously took months now takes only weeks. For example, their expansion into Florida required minimal technical overhead.

Key Results and Impact

The modernization project delivered immediate, measurable improvements across the organization:

• 25% Productivity Boost: Developers now spend less time on code verification and testing, shifting their focus toward strategic high-impact projects.

• 20% Increase in Capability: The team is building 20% more digital capabilities in the same timeframe compared to their old system.

• Superior Customer Experience: The site now supports dynamic "signature experiences," such as allowing construction staff to upload real-time photos of home progress, which customers can view via SMS notifications.

• Strategic Agility: The marketing team can now spin up microsites and personalized campaigns in a fraction of the time, allowing for faster experimentation with Gen AI and advanced chat features.

Future Outlook

With the foundation of a composable architecture, Perry Homes is moving toward a future centered on hyper-personalization. Plans include deeper CRM integrations, behind-the-scenes automation, and the exploration of AI-driven solutions to continue setting the standard for the production homebuilding industry.