Cost Benefits

cost benefits

The Bottom Line Makes Sense

In an increasingly cautious global business environment, where a growing emphasis on sustainability and longevity is key, Xsense is well poised to help you thrive. By helping you to connect consumers with what’s real (and already central to the essence of your site already), we can help you create lastingly resonant connections. And those connections are what build brand loyalty over time.

Weaving place, product and services into an authentic, matchless experience is the Xsense mission. We add value by adding meaning, not overhead.

Our streamlined process maximizes the effectiveness of project teams. By immersing planners, architects, designers, marketers and operations specialists in the historical and cultural findings we unearth, we promote efficiency and save developers time and money — all while while adding deep meaning. And this deep meaning is what turns casual visitors into fierce advocates (something that’s priceless in any economic environment).

Saving Time + Money:

We give your offering a competitive edge that is utterly exclusive and strengthens your projects living brand in a very personal, sustainable, and grounded way.

We keep cross functional professionals in design, marketing and operations focused on cohesive strategy. Expensive digressions are eliminated, timelines are met and a unique and memorable product is the result.

Read all the benefits

Cost benefit analysis—Actual client

Meet Dan O'Brien

Dan hired Xsense during our formative startup years. He brought us into the Shea Homes Trilogy team not because we could promise a certain ROI, but because he instinctively knew that the development had historic roots and the local community wanted these roots honored. Dan had faith in Xsense in bringing historic roots and modern development together; he challenged us every step of the way and together we pulled incredible value out of what was real, true, meaningful and indisputably authentic.

Xsense was founded with the primary goal to develop more culturally connected real estate. REAL estate. Places people feel in love with, not because of their size of dollars spent per square foot, but but because of what they meant to people, how they felt and how they inspired humanity.

What was always missing was a sober calculation of the ROI of spending time and money on the research we do at Xsense. In real estate these calculations demand patience. It took a decade to come up with a good set of numbers and Dan was the person who took it upon himself to make the assessment.

Thank you, Dan!

—Uta Birkmayer

Dan O'Brien (center)

COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS—Dan O'Brien

John Marsh House, adjacent to Trilogy Vineyards

Branding

Dan O'Brien: We know the value of a strong brand that conveys who and what we are in an instant; some say invaluable. But as a CPA I know the generally accepted methodology of calculating that value. You can find it within the financial statements of any great company; it’s called Goodwill. Starbucks carries $3.5 billion in Goodwill or nearly 20 percent of their total assets. It’s important and meaningful to their shareholders.

Experiential Design and Living Brand

Dan O'Brien: Experiential Design is what the next level of branding looks like. Experiential Design breathes life into inert real estate, especially when based on deep, cultural research. Gives it meaning, and drives purposeful development. As president of a leading residential life-style developer I learned the incredible value of this initiative. Xsense is the preeminent provider of Experiential Design or the Living Brand—anything you see, smell, hear, feel, and taste about a brand. It's culture. This is the brain child of founder, Uta Birkmayer. Authenticity is her secret sauce.

How Does it Work?

Dan O'Brien: Uta and her team at Xsense investigated the history of those properties in which I was interested in acquiring. Through their investigations they would reveal the true story of the land, including the contextual nature of that story. This story drove our strategic plan for honoring that history not only in brick and mortar but the way we intended to deliver services to our members. This gave meaning to the work we were doing. Our sales staff understood how each element of hospitality related from the design of our buildings and gardens, the naming of streets and our culinary delights, to the types of healing activities undertaken in our spa. Members embraced our offerings, feeling special in a place that was truly unique and authentically rooted in its place.

What's it Worth?

Dan O'Brien: We enjoyed a true competitive edge. We had a place with a true (not manufactured) story that none of our competition could claim. Some tried, on their own. But it was insincere, fake; a cheap veneer. It failed, as they demonstrated that they could not be trusted. Authenticity is critical; that means telling the good and not so good. I remember one of the pioneers was a bit of a tyrant. We told that story but in the context of his being surrounded by a very harsh environment that few survived. Being authentic, truthful and honest in telling our story paid off handsomely.

We enjoyed a 3.50% premium in our prices compared with the competition. That may not sound like much, but on a home price averaging $700,000, that is a $24,500 premium on each home we sold which equates to $27 million additional income to our bottom line. All this even though we launched in 2008!

Conclusion

Dan O'Brien: Our business, like most businesses, is very fragile. One day you are on top, the next day you are on the rubbish heap of also-rans. It is incumbent upon all of us to remain fresh and relevant. There is no better way than telling your timeless authentic story and no one better than Uta Birkmayer and Xsense to tell that story and to pull that thread through all that you do. Your customer will appreciate it and reward you handsomely.

Many more testimonials here