5 modern marketing essentials for property businesses

Whether you’re selling homes, commercial property, an investment, or just your expertise, the marketing play book for property firms is always changing.

Our work in the built environment sector has seen us working with a variety of property businesses, including developers, contractors, architects and other property consultants.

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, here’s five key ingredients of successful property marketing we can share with you based on our experience:

1. A credible brand identity

When it comes to brand identity, it’s not just about whether the company logo and marketing collateral looks outdated, it’s about the overall impression that people will gain about your business.

Do your website and other marketing channels / materials effectively tell your brand story? Is it clear what sets you apart? Who are the personalities behind the business? What do your customers say about you? The more of these questions you can answer through your marketing activity, the stronger your brand identity.

For example, we recently helped Manchester-based transport planning consultancy Croft to define its brand USPs, and assisted the company with a full rebrand and new website. You can read more about the Croft brand journey here.

2. A great online experience

It’s always a great shame when the website experience lets a property business down. I’ve seen some businesses that are incredibly well run by great business people, but whose websites and social media channels simply do not convey that message.

Common flaws are websites that are not responsive, aren’t updated regularly with fresh content, where there’s no clear call to action, or where it’s hard to find contact details or make an enquiry. Businesses in this position are missing out on opportunities to win new work as a result.

For example, a website we created for town planning consultancy PWA Planning, below, is helping the company to generate more new business enquiries. It does this by clearly articulating the support on offer, communicating the brand values, and having a strong ‘call to action’.

3. A storytelling culture

The more opportunities you create to tell your story, the more memorable and effective your marketing will be. Investing in content is a great way to keep people informed about your business, boost your reputation, and stay front of mind with clients.

Whether it’s sharing news that your latest project has gained planning permission, launching a new property for sale with a buzzing event, sharing your expertise in a blog post, or a video showcasing some of the community projects you’ve supported, there’s lots of content opportunities out there.

Full picture gallery from Friday’s Port Street topping out ceremony, including stunning timelapse video https://t.co/eRhenvLD5b pic.twitter.com/PgW5cXmNkl

— Mulbury (@MulburyUK) December 4, 2017

Taking a well-planned, strategic approach to creating and broadcasting your news will give you a steady flow of great content that can be shared on your website and social media channels. My colleague Alice Davies, has previously covered how property businesses can be better on social media.

4. Getting in front of people

It’s often said that the property sector is a village, where everybody knows everybody, or knows someone who does. That’s because property people tend to be natural networkers and client entertaining is already an accepted norm.

It’s how you maximise these networks to generate new opportunities that’s key. For example, are you going to the right events for your target market? Are you actively bringing your own property network together, for example, by hosting your own event for key clients and referrers? Are you teaming with relevant media partners and being seen in the right places?

Thanks to all who came to the #NorthernTransport Summit today, and a special thank you to our sponsors @Transport4North @BroadwayMalyan @TattonGroup @WSP_UK pic.twitter.com/3rINOWelAl

— Place North West (@PlaceNorthWest) June 25, 2018

It’s easy to get carried away with networking or to be talked into committing to any sponsorship opportunity that’s offered, so a strategic approach to getting in front of the right people is essential.

5. Investment in lead generation

While the above is important in helping your property brand shine in the best possible light, a targeted lead generation campaign can also help you generate more new business enquiries.

This may involve a paid search campaign to target people interested in, say, ‘Manchester apartment investments’ or a Facebook advertising campaign to showcase new homes to potential homebuyers living in a specific location.

Much depends on what part of the property sector you’re in, for example, whether you’re selling direct to the consumer, or to other property businesses and professionals. However, paid search and social campaigns can be very effective in targeting people with an interest in your products and services.