In an industry that has historically been resistant to change, Zameen.com, Pakistan’s largest real estate company, has long been known for its commitment to modernizing the local real estate market and bringing about a technological revolution. Since its beginning, Zameen.com has continued to innovate and push the envelope of what is possible; this effort includes the most recent launch of its Construction Cost Calculator.
The Construction Cost Calculator is a tool that uses algorithms developed by Zameen.com to determine how much material will be needed to construct a house or other structure. The most recent material costs that apply in each city are provided, and they can be changed in accordance with the special regulations of a given housing organization.
The most sophisticated calculator of its kind in the local real estate market, Zameen.com’s
most recent invention is intended to help individuals building their homes and contractors trying to estimate the cost of their clients’ projects. Users can determine the cost for their individual house of any size and dimension by entering the precise dimensions of the development as well as information like the number of bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, etc.
Read more: Zameen.com launches Construction Cost Calculator tool for the masses
A projected construction cost will also be shown to the customer, including the price of the grey structure and finishing materials like cement, bricks, crushed stone, sand, paint, electrical wiring, and plumbing. The Construction Cost Calculator’s availability to the general public on the Zameen.com website is another of its outstanding features. Simply go to Zameen.com, use the calculator option, and enter your information in the spaces provided to receive an accurate estimate of the cost of building your home.
Usman Ali, Director of Products at Zameen.com, spoke with Global Village Space during an interview. Following are a few excerpts from the conversation.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: Tell us a little about your education and work experience.Â
Usman Ali: I have 15 years of experience in the technology field. I have a degree in computer science and have innovated around the Cars vertical, which is used by millions of users on a daily basis, and am now building tools for Zameen.com. I have also worked with Fortune 500 companies in the BPO (business process outsourcing) industry in the past.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: How did your company get the idea of developing a Construction Cost Calculator?
Usman Ali: A few factors inspired Zameen.com to take this initiative. First of all, we got insights from a few analytical tools that users are looking for, such as the AS calculator. Secondly, it is a very common problem in our society, and we often see people discussing the challenges of house construction. Furthermore, we posted a very basic blog about construction estimates on Zameen.com a few years ago, and we were getting alot of traction on those posts. All of these signs pointed towards the need for a Construction Cost Calculator.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: How come no property developer, like DHA or Bahria, invented it before Zameen.com?
Usman Ali: Zameen.com is a user-centric technological company that enables users to take informed decisions, whereas DHA or Bahria Towns are real estate developers. Both are operating in different categories. Real estate developers might have some internal tools for this purpose, but such tools are not available to the general public. Zameen.com is involved in technological innovations that help users find real estate in order to invest in or buy their dream homes.
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Dr. Moeed Pirzada: Could you elaborate on how the Construction Cost Calculator will help Pakistani builders and house developers?
Usman Ali: Our house construction industry is unstructured. You will find different people, from low-end contractors to sophisticated developers, working in the construction industry, and there can be a huge difference in the quotes a client receives. This Construction Cost Calculator tool can work as a reference point for the builders and help in negotiations with potential clients.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: Such calculators have been used in the United States, UK, and India for some time; how will your invention make a difference?
Usman Ali: The estimated price given by those calculators is not correct for our local market. These tools are set up for the typical houses built in those areas, complete with local material prices. The foundations of those houses are very different, and they use full or semi-prefabricated homes, which are completely different from the Pakistani industry. Zameen.com’s Calculator is specially designed for our local market and handles the different prices for different regions within the country.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: How does this calculator calculate tax issues?
Usman Ali: Prices given by our calculator are inclusive of tax. Since our calculator handles the regional prices as well, the province-level taxes are also accounted for.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: How will the calculator estimate the costs of material and labour across different cities?
Usman Ali: As I have mentioned earlier, we maintain regional-level prices for materials and labor. We have a dedicated team to manage the prices and keep them updated across different cities.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: What is the feedback from the market so far?
Usman Ali: We use different analytical tools to track the user behaviour and adoption of our products and services. Since the launch of our Construction Cost Calculator, usage has increased by 400% and is growing day by day. Adoption of this tool is rapidly increasing, with 45% of users returning.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada: How will the Construction Cost Calculator help those who are not very educated since most builders are not very educated?
Usman Ali: We have tried to make the interface simpler and more iconified so it can be used by those who don’t fully understand English. We are also planning to launch its Urdu version soon. Our goal is to provide a detailed estimation for the house construction that can be used as a point of reference by the builders and clients to make an informed decision.
Read more: GVS speaks with Senior Director of Sales (South) Zameen.com