The new build market in Francophone Africa is booming: Diamniadio Senegal, Songon Abidjan, Egypt's New Capital, Saint Charles Marrakech. For a developer, pre-selling 50-80% of a development via digital pre-marketing has become standard.
TL;DR
- Dedicated landing per program + 360° virtual tour + mortgage simulator.
- WhatsApp lead capture + auto showroom booking.
- Typical conversion: 5-12% visitors → leads, 8-15% leads → signers.
New build landing architecture
`
[Visitor arrives — paid ads or SEO]
↓
[Hero: program name + USP + CTA]
↓
[360° virtual tour]
↓
[Floor plans + apartment types]
↓
[Mortgage simulator + financing]
↓
[Live construction gallery]
↓
[Lead form or WhatsApp]
↓
[Showroom booking confirmation]
`
Step 1 — converting hero
`tsx
export default function ProgramPage({ program }) {
return (
);
}
`
Step 2 — 360° virtual tour
3 levels per budget:
| Level | Tool | Cost | Quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | 360 smartphone (Insta360) | 0-200K | OK |
| Intermediate | Matterport (1 model unit) | 800K-2M | Excellent |
| Premium | 3D modeling + Unreal Engine | 5-15M | Photo-realistic |
For pre-marketing, Matterport on a model unit = sweet spot ROI.
`tsx
width="100%"
height="600"
src={https://my.matterport.com/show/?m=${matterportModelId}}
frameBorder="0"
allow="xr-spatial-tracking"
allowFullScreen
/>
`
Step 3 — mortgage simulator
`tsx
'use client';
import { useState, useMemo } from 'react';
export function MortgageCalculator({ programPrice }: { programPrice: number }) {
const [downPayment, setDownPayment] = useState(20);
const [years, setYears] = useState(20);
const [rate, setRate] = useState(8.5);
const { monthly, totalCost, totalInterest } = useMemo(() => {
const dp = programPrice * (downPayment / 100);
const principal = programPrice - dp;
const monthlyRate = rate / 100 / 12;
const numPayments = years * 12;
const monthly = (principal * monthlyRate * Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, numPayments)) /
(Math.pow(1 + monthlyRate, numPayments) - 1);
const totalCost = monthly * numPayments + dp;
const totalInterest = totalCost - programPrice;
return { monthly, totalCost, totalInterest };
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}, [programPrice, downPayment, years, rate]);
return (
onChange={e => setDownPayment(parseInt(e.target.value))} /> {downPayment}% onChange={e => setYears(parseInt(e.target.value))} /> {years} years onChange={e => setRate(parseFloat(e.target.value))} /> % Total cost: {Math.round(totalCost).toLocaleString()} XOF Interest: {Math.round(totalInterest).toLocaleString()} XOF https://wa.me/221XXX?text=I'd%20like%20to%20simulate%20a%20loan%20for%20${monthly}%20XOF/month} className="mt-4 block bg-emerald-600 text-white text-center px-6 py-3 rounded-lg"> Discuss financing with an advisorMortgage calculator
);
}
`
Step 4 — live construction gallery
Regular construction photos = progress proof, reassures off-plan buyers.
`tsx
`
WhatsApp notification to clients on new photo: engagement signal.
Step 5 — lead capture + showroom booking
`tsx
`
Post-lead workflow:
- Immediate email + WhatsApp confirmation with PDF brochure
- D+1 SMS: "Aïssatou, your advisor Mamadou will call tomorrow"
- D+1 call: qualify + book showroom
- D+3 email: recap + reminder if no booking
Real case — 80-unit Diamniadio program
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Digital marketing budget | 18M XOF (12 months) |
| Landing visits | 145,000 |
| Leads collected | 8,700 |
| Showroom bookings | 1,240 |
| Signed reservations | 73 (of 80 units) |
| Pre-marketing rate | 91% |
| Marketing ROI | 6.8× |
Common pitfalls
- No price transparency — show "from" + simulator. Hiding = -50% conversions.
- No virtual tour — incomprehensible for off-plan buyers in 2026.
- Missing lead qualification — a salesperson calling 8,700 leads = time explosion. Filter upstream via form.
- No progress proof — regular construction photos + precise dates = trust.
- Unstable tech stack — landing crashing under ad traffic = burned budget.
FAQ
Q: How much to spend on ads?
A: 8-15% of avg sale price × program volume. For 80 units at 50M XOF = 4-6 billion revenue, 30-90M XOF marketing budget legit.
Q: WordPress site acceptable?
A: For simple landing yes but Next.js + Vercel = Lighthouse 95+ vs WP 60-70. On 100K monthly visits, makes a difference.
Q: Sell via portals (SeLoger, Logic-Immo Africa)?
A: Yes complementarily. But clean landing = data capture + retargeting pixel + credibility. Always have both.
Conclusion
Digital pre-marketing of a new build in 2026 = Next.js + Matterport + simulator + lead workflow stack. 8-25M XOF investment per ambition. ROI: pre-selling 70-90% before completion vs 30-40% in classic marketing.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
