Digital Marketing In The Property Industry

Something's Not Quite Right, But What Is It?

Read on to see how we've explored the property industry to see what we think is good and bad about it.

Property has a problem, and it's about innovation. From our experience in retail, tech and travel, we've highlighted a number of areas where, for whatever reason, the property market is far behind. 

IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THIS WAY. 

A few key steps could dramatically change the fortunes of those trying to generate sales leads. What's even more striking, is that property marketing doesn't even require more funding, which is the most common problem in other sectors. Property is unique in the fact that market costs are marginal to the product values and margins. 

Without further delay, scroll down and get to grips with where we think it's going wrong. 

Commercial Property Marketing.

The commercial world, especially B2B, is often behind the rest, but it doesn't have to be. Accordingly to multiple studies, around 70% of the buying journey in B2B is purely 'content'. 

Here are some of our top things we've seen across lots of commercial property marketing campaigns: 

It's Not Targeted Enough.

With digital, you have the ability to pinpoint who you want to target. From job roles & specific firms on LinkedIn, through to answering a problem searched on Google, such as "air conditioned office Guildford".

It Doesn't Yield Direct Results.

Looking good or ticking the marketing box is one thing, but tracking a direct position performance from creation to sales lead generated is another.

It Kind of Misses The Point.

A common mistake we see in many sectors is what we call 'the inward looking marketing campaign'. It's where you go to town on your development, what you did, how it's built. Rather than addressing the concerns of your potential sales leads.

Call To Action.

When reviewing commercial development websites, we found that not a single one had a relevant call to action. 'Please order your free brochure' or 'Join us at the launch event' are simple examples of this.

The Solution?

Start With A Market Audit & Plan.

Highlight your audiences, the channels to reach them on, their pain points, your USPs to solve those pains and a timeline for who'll reach, when & why!

Setup Tracking.

In digital, you can see everything. From clicks & page views, through to knowing how many times each individual sales lead has been on your website. Agree a format for tracking and get the relevant tools setup.

Make It Happen.

Now you're got your plan, KPIs agreed - get cracking! Schedule catchup points where direction may change (based on data) and start capturing those sales leads.

Residential Property Marketing.

In residential, there's an easy option... leave it all to the agents at the end. What happens if they've got bigger fish to fry? Or market interest is low? You may have missed the boat! 

We believe in creating some key awareness through all stages of the development. Imagine when the first property in a development is ready to have offers made and an exchange could happen quickly. Imagine you had a database of 500+ interested parties to email to feed leads to the agents. What a different world that would be. 

Here are some key problems we've uncovered in the residential world: 

The Agents Are Relied On Too Heavily.

The development is nearly done, properties are ready to sell and the agents have to provide everything from creating interest to educating potential buyers about the plots. It can take time, but doesn't have to be this way!

Property Sites Are Crowded.

Marketing is all about standing out. What better way than to be the only option! A direct digital approach means you're not fighting with noise on crowded property listing sites via an agent. You can be in control.

Users Vary. So Should Your Approach.

Luxury developments require a different approach for success than affordable housing. The higher the value, the less time your buyers have to find you. Therefore, direct wins every time.

Gain Control With Insights.

Relying on the agent means your perspective over what's working is limited. Generate buyer leads directly, and you could even start to improve the type of developments themselves build based on demand.

The Solution?

Start With A Market Audit & Plan.

Highlight your audiences, the channels to reach them on, their pain points, your USPs to solve those pains and a timeline for who'll reach, when & why!

Setup Tracking.

In digital, you can see everything. From clicks & page views, through to knowing how many times each individual sales lead has been on your website. Agree a format for tracking and get the relevant tools setup.

Make It Happen.

Now you're got your plan, KPIs agreed - get cracking! Schedule catchup points where direction may change (based on data) and start capturing those sales leads.