Vanderwell
Homebuyers Guide

Many first-time homebuyers enter the market with excitement but little understanding of what truly drives a successful purchase. In today’s competitive housing landscape—marked by rising prices, limited inventory, and high interest rates—new buyers often struggle to distinguish between what they need in a home and what they simply want. Without a clear sense of priorities or a realistic budget, the search process can quickly become overwhelming and unproductive.

To address first-time homebuyers’ challenges with identifying their true priorities and budget, I designed an interactive learning experience that mirrors the real-world decision-making process. Learners follow the Bakers, a young family navigating buying their first home. Through branching scenarios and guided reflections, participants explore how different financial choices—like focusing on wants over needs—impact their ability to find the right home within budget. I used the ADDIE methodology, outlined below:

Analysis: I identified that many first-time buyers enter the process without a clear understanding of their financial limits or how to separate needs from wants. 

Design: The course was built around relatable, story-based scenarios that reflect real buyer experiences. Each decision requires learners to balance lifestyle desires/needs with financial realities. This aligns with Knowles’ principles of adult learning, emphasizing practical, experience-based engagement that connects directly to real-world decisions.

Development: Interactive activities let learners click on different houses to reveal a receipt showing the true cost, including fees, taxes, and closing costs. This helps them see how easily a budget can shift and reinforces the importance of focusing on needs over wants.

Implementation: The program was designed for flexible delivery—accessible online or in person through Vanderwell Realty’s onboarding process. It can be completed independently before a buyer’s first meeting with an agent.

Evaluation: Learners receive personalized feedback based on their scenario choices. Agents can review the results during consultations to guide discussions about realistic budgets, must-haves, and long-term financial comfort.

The Process

Working with an SME and exploring the brief, I narrowed down the best practices for guiding first-time homebuyers. Two consistent themes emerged: understanding buyers’ financial limits—including budget, down payment, and closing costs—and helping them distinguish essential needs from nice-to-have wants. These insights shaped the course design. After this the learners would use that knowledge to choose a house.

After completing my action map, I developed a text-based storyboard to outline both the informational content and the interactive elements of the course. The module blends short, digestible content segments with hands-on practice, giving learners the chance to explore key concepts—like budgeting, needs versus wants, and true costs of homeownership—and then apply them in decision-making scenarios. Each branching path provides targeted feedback, showing learners the consequences of their choices, such as selecting a property outside their budget or prioritizing wants over essential needs. 

I created an interactive prototype of the course’s first module using Articulate Storyline. The prototype included a title screen, a scenario introduction featuring the Baker family, and interactive activities focused on budgeting and identifying needs versus wants. Learners could click through potential homes to reveal the true costs—including down payment and closing fees—helping them understand how each decision affects their budget.

 Smooth transitions, subtle animations, and visual cues were added to enhance engagement and reinforce key learning moments. Hover states and clickable elements made the experience more exploratory and hands-on.

After collecting feedback, I refined the prototype by incorporating narration, light gamification elements, and additional visual feedback to create a more immersive and realistic learner experience. This prototype set a strong foundation for full course development.