All Posts by Brett Alegre-Wood

Redrow – Creating a better way for people to live

Investors buy quality and lifestyle with a Redrow home

Redrow is one of the UK’s leading residential property developers, with more than 40 years’ experience building quality homes across England and Wales. It has a history of high achievement and is a winner of a multitude of industry awards. On all its developments, Redrow aims to build efficiently, sustainably and responsibly, while delivering premier places to live with a focus on high-quality lifestyle.

Redrow – a property developer with a proud heritage

Redrow’s proud heritage dates back to its foundation as a small civil engineering company in 1974. It embarked on its first major housing development in 1979, at Denbigh in North Wales. By the mid-1980s, Redrow had established itself as a quality national homebuilder. It introduced its ‘Heritage’ collection in the 1990s, and it was then that industry awards began to flow its way.

It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the company. Redrow was hit as hard as other homebuilders during the Global Financial Crisis and Credit Crunch. The product range was redesigned and relaunched in 2010, and this helped to restore Redrow’s reputation as a builder of premium-brand, high-quality homes for all lifestyles.

It has continued to grow its product range and opened new regional divisions to help improve its development capabilities and geographical reach. It is now the developer of choice for many urban and rural projects. These include the mixed-use Colindale Gardens in North West London and the Woodford Garden Village in the North West.

A three-legged focus

Redrow’s approach to developing delivers excellence across all its business areas. To achieve world-class excellence, it focuses on:

• Developing in outstanding locations, creating environments to stand the test of time
• Building beautiful homes, to a quality unsurpassed by others
• Employing the very best, dedicated workforce and business partners, with all stakeholders (including staff and customers) treated as equals

Redrow is continually searching for the best locations to add to its land bank. It builds where people want to live, work, and enjoy life.

By understanding current and future market trends, Redrow has built an enviable track record of creating award-winning homes.

The company has been a leader in the development of talent, creating hundreds of jobs and employing record numbers of apprentices to support its future growth.

What investors get when they buy a Redrow home

When an investor buys a Redrow home, they are assured of quality – from design to sustainability, to the little details.

Redrow’s design teams are dedicated to delivering attractive and sustainable homes in healthy and vibrant environments. It’s building teams use efficient and cost-effective processes, environmentally friendly materials, and proven technologies to create quality homes to the highest specifications. It applies whether Redrow is developing urban or rural locations. The company’s commitment to detail is evident in the quality of internal and external on each property completed.

Recognised by the industry

Every year, Redrow scoops awards across its three focus areas. This year alone, it has won awards for safety on construction sites, the quality of its learning and development and apprenticeship schemes, and interior design.

In 2016, Redrow won the Best Large Housebuilder Silver Award at the WhatHouse? Awards, was the winner of the Show Home of the Year at the North West Property Awards, won several Residential Development awards at the UK Property Awards, and numerous NHBC Pride in the Job Awards, amongst others.

The plethora of awards it wins so regularly is evidence of the Redrow’s commitment and ability to build properties of the highest standard and quality in the UK today.

Where can investors buy a new build Redrow home?

Property investors will find that Redrow has dozens of developments around England and Wales, with much more in the pipeline. They will build thousands of new homes this year, from Liverpool to London, St. Ives to Sheffield, Birmingham to Bristol, and many other locations in between. As examples of the quality of property investment opportunities offered by Redrow, developments currently underway include:

Colindale Gardens, North West London

In North West London, Colindale Gardens will provide a community of 2,900 homes over 50 acres, with development progressing over the next decade. Included in the development is a range of shops, restaurants and cafes. Properties here range from studio apartments to four-bedroom homes.

One of the selling points (as well as the quality of properties) is the beautiful outside space this development will provide. Sports, fitness, and outdoor lifestyles have been prioritised here. Residents benefit from concierge services and their gym, open air football pitches, footpaths and cycle tracks. It is also close to Fryent Country Park, where residents will find 250 acres of fields and woods.

Woodford Garden Village, Cheshire

Based at the former aerodrome at Woodford, this development is within commuting distance of Manchester. Phase one delivers quality three to five-bedroom homes. The development features plenty of open spaces, including traditional village greens. There will be many new amenities, too. These are to include a brand new primary school, sports facilities, shops, and a dedicated health centre.

Major supermarkets are in nearby Poynton and Wilmslow, where residents will also find a range of fine dining establishments to augment the many countryside gastro pubs in the area.

When completed, Woodford Green will provide 900 homes and 50 acres of public open space, to include sports pitches, cycle paths, and a new Heritage Centre.

Whatever an investor’s investment objectives, you can be sure that the quality of Redrow’s development sites and its new build homes will underpin capital growth and income potential.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Bellway – a nationwide ‘local’ property developer

Quality is the keyword at a Bellway development

Bellway builds its residential property differently to most other property developers. Rather than developing a set range of home styles, it designs homes to fit in with the local environment. It means property investors benefit from an investment in a home that completely resonates with home buyers and tenants, wherever the property is located. This approach is just one of the reasons why Bellway is one of the most decorated property developers in the UK and has a five-star rating in the Home Builders Federation customer satisfaction survey.

Bellway – one of the UK’s largest housebuilders

Established 70 years ago in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Bellway directly employs 2,000 people and provides work for thousands of contractors. Bellway is now one of the UK’s largest housebuilders, with dozens of development sites around the country. It builds around 9,000 homes every year, ranging from one-bedroom apartments to luxury penthouses and executive houses.

Building with a local bias

Bellway prides itself on knowing the needs and aspirations of buyers at the local level. It builds homes to suit local needs that are in keeping with local environments. Operating from 19 regional offices, it uses local contractors wherever possible, further supporting the economies in which it is building. Homes are designed at an almost individual level, rather than to a national standard design. Bellway works closely with buyers at early stages of development, enabling investors to personalise their property to extensive levels of uniqueness.

A watchword of quality recognised by the building industry

Bellway prides itself on the quality of its build and the high standard of service it offers to home buyers. It hasn’t lost sight of what matters to home buyers and property investors. Bellway liaises with local people when making key decisions about property design, materials to use, and specifications. This dedication to quality is reflected by the industry awards it so regularly receives.

Most recent of these awards include 23 Quality Awards in this year’s NHBC Pride in the Job Awards. These awards recognise outstanding quality on house building sites, and winners are selected from around 13,000 site managers around the UK. They reward the best site managers with responsibility for the start to finish of construction of new homes, and who have a unique influence on the quality of the finished product.

John Watson, Chief Executive of Bellway, said: “The awards are highly regarded within the industry; winners earn the true respect of their peers. Anyone gaining the first-round award is already in the top three per cent of their profession, and they can be very proud of their achievement. To have improved year after year over the last four years demonstrates our commitment to providing the best quality homes for our buyers.”

Speaking of being awarded five-star status by the Home Builders Federation – an award based on feedback from customers in the weeks after moving into their new home – Bellway CEO Ted Ayres said:

“Performing to five-star standards requires unwavering attention to detail. It is especially challenging given the volume of homes we are building. Every site we develop, from Scotland to the south coast, brings with it its challenges and every home has its intricacies. To have more than 90 per cent of our customers say they would recommend us to a friend is a phenomenal achievement for everybody at Bellway.”

Where can investors buy a new build Bellway property?

Property investors can find Bellway developments across the UK, from Scotland to the South West of England. Here are two examples of Bellway developments, demonstrating the diversity and quality of build, and excellence of location:

·      Tidbury Heights, Solihull

A range of two to five-bedroom homes, in various styles and specifications. All properties benefit from gardens and garages or private parking. This development is ideally located with nearby schools for children of all ages. The nearest supermarket is a mile away, where residents will also find a range of convenience stores, restaurants and pubs. With Birmingham city centre only eight miles away, Tidbury Heights is less than half an hour away from some of the best shopping and leisure facilities in England.

·      Caspian Quarter, Barking

Near the Thames at Barkingside, these award-winning one and two-bedroom apartments are designed to breathe new life into this area of London and will appeal to young professionals and small families in particular. The development includes green roofs, communal gardens, high levels of insulation, and are built using locally sourced timber.

There are several primary and secondary schools in the area, as well as around 30 parks and wildlife reserves. There is local shopping in Barking town centre, and exceptional retail therapy is available at nearby Westfield at Stratford City.

Public transport links are exceptional, with regular services from London Fenchurch Street.

Whatever an investor’s financial objectives, Bellway is a property developer that is likely to have a development and a home design available to meet them.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Hamptons International – Centuries of experience and thousands of sales

Working with Hamptons International

We’ve actually worked with Hamptons for around 5 years now and assisted in the off market side of many of their developments on behalf of developers. They have recently restructured their London Residential team and are posed for growing under the direction of Countrywide.

The power of an estate agency network in action

Hamptons Internationalis one of the oldest estate agents in the UK, with 85 offices around the country. Having been acquired and sold several times during its history, it is now owned by Countrywide, the UK’s largest estate agency. Hamptons offers a number of property services including sales, residential development services, new home sales and property investments. The company also has a global network and offers an extensive portfolio of properties abroad.

Award-winning end-to-end investment property solution

Hamptons International Residential Development works with housebuilders and developers and sells more than 5,500 new homes each year.

In 2015, Hamptons International was awarded Best Large Agency for the fourth year running at the Estate Agency of the Year Awards.

Its service provides an end-to-end solution to developers, buyers and investors. It provides advice and a complete range of services on UK property developments of all sizes, marketing to investors at home and abroad. Its network of 85 UK offices is enhanced by operating with several long-standing partnerships. These are key to facilitating its incredible sales numbers, with partnerships aiding the marketing of projects ranging from full-scale developments to mixed-use schemes.

The Land team – the experience to guide

Hamptons’ Land team has over 30 years of experience as specialists in identifying, advising and acquiring sites with development potential. They help release the land, arranging the sale and acquisition of properties and building land. Services include:

• Land sales
• Site acquisitions
• Feasibility advice
• Site assembly
• Strategic land
• Targeted research and marketing support
• Securing of development partners
• Joint venture arrangements

Specialists in London

Hamptons is particularly strong in the London property market, where it has 22 offices and more than 140 years of experience.

Offering privileged access to investors

The PRS market is developing rapidly and offers some exciting investment opportunities. Hamptons’ Investment Consultancy team has an enviable track record of advising on and transacting residential property investment opportunities. It works with property companies, institutions, private equity firms and specialist PRS developers.

Investor clients also include family trusts, high net worth individuals, and international and sovereign wealth funds. Working closely with the investment team, Hamptons’ clients receive privileged access to new off-plan deals, income-producing portfolios, and build-to-rent opportunities.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Colliers International – a global property advisory with marketing focus

Working with Colliers International

We’ve been working with both the Singapore and UK team at Colliers to assist their developers to sell more stock, re-launch sites and finish off the remaining units in a development. Our off-market approach means that we do not compete with their above-the-line sales.
The team are very professional and in the past years have proven to be very successful in securing many sites across London and more recently into the rest of the UK.

Teaming up with a global giant could boost profits

Colliers International is an industry-leading real estate company, with 15,000 employees operating in 68 countries. It provides a range of services for property investors, and markets for property developers using a ‘go-to-market’ strategy. In the UK, Colliers operates across several sectors from 12 regional offices.

A truly global property company

For more than two decades, Colliers has been delivering real estate services to owner-occupiers and investors as one of only a handful of global real estate advisory companies. Its workforce is highly trained and extremely passionate. They put clients first, and enjoy the success they have because they enjoy what they do. The company has returned an average of 20% per year to its shareholders.

Contributions from all 68 countries in which it operates enabled Colliers to post record profits in 2016 as:

• Global revenues reached $2.6 billion
• Property under management totaled 2 billion square feet of property around the world
• 72,000 lease or sale transactions were completed, with a total value of $105 billion

Colliers Residential

The Colliers Residential team is based throughout the UK and offers a comprehensive residential agency and advisory service. Its representatives are knowledgeable and enterprising. With a global platform at their fingertips, Colliers advises both the sell side and the buy side of the property market. It represents a wide variety of companies, from global brands to family-owned businesses.

Renowned for its corporate responsibility

Colliers has a renowned corporate responsibility mission that has been recognised with many industry awards and certifications. It aims to uphold three pillars of the community, people and the environment. To this end, Colliers has:

• Been Investors in People accredited since 2005, in Human Resources Management
• Been certified by DNV GL in environmental management; business management; business continuity management; and health and safety management
• Chosen to support several charities through 2017, including Cancer Research UK; LandAid; Alzheimer’s Society; Children in Need; and Comic Relief, among others.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Berkeley Group – the innovative urban property developer

We’ve worked with Berkeley for over 15 years now

The team have a long association with Berkeley being responsible for over 500 sales in the time we have worked together. They are one of our most respected and closest Developer Partners and we continue to sell their developments through each phase. We cannot speak highly enough of their quality build, attention to detail and all round value for money. They are masters at large scale regeneration and this above all else is the reason I hold onto their coat tails.

Moving forward with creativity focussed on the customer

The Berkeley Group is one of the UK’s most innovative development companies. With a strong land bank including quality brownfield sites, its focus is on developing sustainable communities. Its bias towards urban regeneration is central to its business, with a target of building over 95% of its development of luxury properties on brownfield land. Home buyers and property investors know that when they buy a Berkeley home, they are investing to withstand the test of time.

From humble beginnings, a world-class developer grows

Today, Berkeley is the leading developer in the South of England. When it was founded in 1976, not even the founders could have envisaged how big the group would grow. In that first year, the company built four single homes. Its turnover was £121,000, and it made a profit of £21,000. Within ten years, Berkeley was listed on the London Stock Exchange with a market value of £67 million.

Today, the group consists of six luxury property developers: Berkeley, St George, St James, St Edward, St William and St Joseph. Though each group is run autonomously, they all strive for the same results –­ the creation of new homes, in mixed-use developments of exceptional quality in the most desirable locations.

Where you invest in a Berkeley home, you can be assured it is built on a development that has been designed to establish a sense of place. These are not simply developments. They are communities, whether medium to large-scale developments in towns, cities and the countryside, executive homes, mixed-use schemes, riverside apartments, or refurbished historic buildings and urban loft spaces. Whichever type of property is developed by Berkeley; the name is synonymous with quality and excellence.

A southern developer expanding into the Midlands

Berkeley’s traditional strength has been in the development of quality homes in the South of England. It’s different brands has been developed to highlight their strengths and geographical prowess. For example:

• St Edward was established as a joint venture between Berkeley and Prudential. It delivers unique residential developments in London and the South of England.
• St George specialises in transforming brownfield land. In London, this brand is identified with producing high-quality, mixed-use sustainable regeneration.
• St William is a joint venture with National Grid. It will leverage off National Grid’s amazing brownfield portfolio in London and has plans to develop 7,000 new homes in the capital over the next 14 years.

Its latest brand, St Joseph, has been created to expand Berkeley’s reach to the attractive development markets in Birmingham and the West Midlands.

Berkeley – a property developer at the forefront of innovation

Berkeley’s reputation for build excellence is matched by its reputation as an innovator. It set up an innovation fund, encouraging pioneering ideas to help the build process and reduce construction-related risks. To date, this fund has awarded more than £1 million to 10 pioneering ideas. These include a device to prevent back injuries and a detector of hand/arm vibrations – a problem which affects more than 300,000 workers in the UK.

Berkeley moving into the modular home building will excite many property investors. Rooms will be designed and built in a factory, before being shipped to the development site and erected by a traditional workforce. Build time will be reduced by 19 weeks. The first such homes will receive their debut at Berkeley’s Kidbrooke Village development, where they will sit alongside traditionally built homes.

When announcing the plans, Berkeley’s Karl Whiteman told The Times: “Our ambition is that the finished quality will be as good as traditionally built homes that have been built on the site. They look exactly like a traditional home. The customer will not be able to tell the difference.”

Berkeley’s focus on excellence is regularly recognised

Berkeley’s developments have been awarded numerous accolades. Most recently, at the Evening Standard New Homes Awards on May 19^th 2017, Berkeley Homes, St Edward and St James were successful in winning awards for:

• ‘Best Conversion (Large Scale)’, for St Joseph’s Gate
• ‘Best Conversion (Small Scale)’, for Fitzroy Gate
• ‘Best Luxury Home’, for Abell and Cleland Penthouse

The group also won a plethora of awards in several categories at the What House Awards in November 2016. These included awards for Best Public Realm, Best Regeneration Scheme, Best Luxury Development, Best Large Housebuilder, and Best Mixed-Use Development.

A property developer focused on the customer

In 2016, Berkeley won the ‘ABa Quality Monitoring Customer Focus Award, Large Enterprise’. The judges said, “Berkeley shone through because of its complete customer-centricity. Customer service is the responsibility of everyone at Berkeley and is underpinned by a professional and efficient Customer Charter.”

Little wonder that Berkeley won several awards at the British Homes Awards in October 2015, including the coveted prize of ‘Homebuilder of the Year’ – the second time it had been named as such.

Where can investors buy a new build Berkeley home?

Berkeley builds homes across its brands in a range of price points. It has dozens of developments underway in London, the South East, and now Birmingham and the West Midlands. These include gems such as:

• The Waterside at Royal Worcester
• Victory Pier in Kent
• Royal Arsenal Riverside in London
• Kidbrooke Village in London
• Beaufort Park in London
• One Tower Bridge
• Wimbledon Hill Park
• Vista
• Chiswick Gate
• Heritage Walk
• Fitzroy Gate (houses)
• Brewery Gate (houses)
• 375 Kensington High Street

Berkeley is Britain’s fourth most admired company across all sectors and has contributed more than £2 billion to community facilities in the last five years. With land suffice for around 40,000 plots, you can be sure that Berkeley’s potential to deliver quality homes in quality locations will remain undiminished.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Barratt Developments – the Real Madrid of UK property developers

For build quality and customer satisfaction, invest in a Barratt home

When you want a quality-built home, Barrat Developments is a name that springs immediately to mind in the UK property development market. One of Britain’s largest companies, and its biggest housebuilder, Barratt prides itself on the quality of its traditional housing, apartments, and collaboration with urban regeneration programmes which are reshaping city and townscapes across the nation. Its reputation precedes it, which is why we’re always happy to work with Barratt.

Ambitious vision from day one

Founded in 1958, Barratt now has a network of 27 housebuilding divisions across the UK. Its key brand names are Barratt, David Wilson, and Ward Homes.

Barratt started life as Greensitt Bros. When Lewis Greensitt and Sir Lawrie Barratt bought the Newcastle-based company in 1962, they immediately put in place an aggressive five-year expansion plan. It was so successful that the company floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1968. Greensitt left shortly after the float, and the company assumed the name Barratt Developments.

In the 1970s, Barratt began acquiring other builders up and down the country. The expansion was relentless, but never at the cost of build quality. It was a pioneer in marketing through national advertising. The star of its television advertising campaign was the Barratt helicopter, transporting viewers around its 280 developments across the nation, and showcasing homes that could be bought from £14 per week!

By 1983, Barratt had become the UK’s largest housebuilder, selling 16,500 homes in a single year.

Recessions, recoveries, and continued growth

Rapid growth led to a precarious financial position when recession-hit builders started suffering in the 1990s. It’s fair to say that Barratt was among the worst affected. But it rode out the storm and had since gone from strength to strength. It bought housebuilder Wilson Bowden in 2007. It brought the respected David Wilson, Ward Homes, and Wilson Bowden Development brands into the expanding group.

Reacting to a changing market, Barratt founded its Residential Asset Management division in 2012. It provides the property management services on Barratt London developments.

Throughout its history, in good times and bad, Barratt has grown. Undoubtedly this is because it is flexible in its approach to housing. It is a proactive builder, opening new sites and often providing a market lead. But mostly it is because when home buyers and investors buy a Barratt property, they know they are buying quality.

More trophies than Real Madrid!

If Barratt were a football club, its trophy cabinet would dwarf that of Real Madrid. Barratt is the most decorated housebuilder in the UK.

For 13 years, it has topped the NHBC (National House Building Council) Pride in the Job Quality awards. These awards are presented to site managers, recognising the best-run sites in the country. They are awarded for a combination of safety, skill, workmanship and customer service. In other words, total site and build excellence. In 2017, Barratt site managers scooped up an incredible 74 Pride in the Job Quality awards.

Commenting on this remarkable achievement, Steven Boyes, Deputy Chief Executive at Barratt Developments, said: “To win 74 NHBC Pride in the Job Quality awards is a great achievement and one we are very proud of. It demonstrates the high standards that we demand as a company, and how important we see having well run house building sites are. The awards showcase excellence in house building across the industry and give customers more confidence in knowing they are buying a quality home.”

Britain’s most recommended builder

Barratt has increased the number of homes it has built by 55% over the last five years. For many companies, such a rapid rate of growth might lead to a downturn in quality. Not Barratt. For the eighth year in a row, Barratt has achieved the maximum 5-star rating given by the Home Builders Federation (HBF). It is the only developer to have been awarded this accolade in each of the last eight years.

The HBF survey assesses the rating, and the 5-star rating means that more than 90% of Barratt customers would recommend the developer to their friends and family.

The HBF’s Executive Chairman, Stewart Baseley, said, “The Customer Satisfaction and Star Rating Scheme is an accepted, robust and independently assessed the measure of customer service. Achieving the highest levels of satisfaction is a huge challenge that requires commitment from everyone in an organisation from top to bottom. To do so while increasing output, as Barratt has done, to help address our acute housing shortage is especially commendable.”

We know from experience that our property investor clients agree with the awards for quality. It is a rare day indeed on which a Barratt home receives a complaint. Little wonder, then, that Barratt was named Housebuilder of the Year in 2016 at The Sunday Times British Home Awards.

Where can investors buy a new build Barratt home?

Barratt has numerous projects under development. These include:

• Trumpington Meadows, Cambridge
• Brooklands, Milton Keynes
• Hounslow High Street Quarter, London
• PL2 Plymouth
• Fulham Riverside, London
• Cane Hill Park, Coulsdon
• Poppy Fields, Ashford
• Elba Park, Durham

Barratts plans include further developments stretching from Exeter in the South West to Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland. It is buying land for development across diverse sites – brownfield, greenfield, urban and rural. Plenty of scopes, then, for all investors, no matter their financial goals, to buy a quality Barratt property in their chosen investment location.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

How can developers exploit game-changing PRS?

Considerations to maximise profits in the PRS market

The private rented sector (PRS) is growing rapidly in the UK. Homebuilding hasn’t kept up with demand, and a combination of evolving lifestyle requirements and affordability issues has changed the UK’s property landscape.

Reacting to a housing shortage that has warped into a housing crisis, the government is doing all it can to promote the PRS. Consequently, housing developments designed solely for the rental market are increasing in popularity. Here we examine the PRS opportunity, and factors that developers must consider to exploit the sector and governmental support, it is receiving.

PRS development profits are smaller than built-for-sale profits… aren’t they?

It’s a misconception that PRS profits are smaller for developers when they build to sell. However, those developers who pre-sell a whole development to institutional developers could be missing out on the benefits of rising property prices and increasing demand through a development’s life cycle.

By similarly treating the off-plan sales process to developments that are built predominantly for home buyers, you can maximise profit potential. However, developers must consider the different needs of renters when planning and building a PRS development.

Consider the target market

The major demographic in the PRS market place is the 25 to 35 age group. These are the people who have left home, completed their university education, and started on their career path. They want to leave their parental home and strike out on their own. These young professionals want an affordable home, a secure tenure, and lifestyle amenities that are close.

However, developers would be wise to target other social groups, too. For example, buy-to-let property investors are targeting the silver renter, baby boomer retirees and near-retirees who are relocating. Often, these renters have chosen to sell their own home and downsize to release equity and improve retirement finances.

Consider where renters want to live

Whichever end of the age scale, whether working or retired, today’s renters are insistent on location. They want to live near local transport hubs that can transport them easily to work or leisure facilities. In London and major towns and cities, the most successful PRS developments are medium to high density in one or more buildings, which also benefit from proximity to nightlife and leisure facilities, bars, restaurants, etc.

Consider the lifestyle requirements of the target market

Lifestyle is important to renters. Developers should consider how they can create community and a sense of place. It differentiates it from built-for-sale developments. Lifestyle amenities include communal spaces, gyms, concierge services, and so on. As well as providing a sense of community, such facilities can also generate extra income. They also tempt property investors, who understand that advantages of buying in a development that creates a sense of place attract longer-term renters, reducing void periods and maximising rental income.

Consider building management and home design

PRS investors, whether individuals or institutions are income seekers. They want to benefit from income over the long term, in an investment opportunity that helps to protect their investment. Maintenance of communal spaces and general building management are important considerations and will increase a development’s investment potential.

Developers should also seek to maximise space by innovative and creative unit design. Sizes and location should be considered. These will impact rental income potential. Investors also want flexible design, and the ability for some customisation will enhance their opportunity to ‘microtarget’ their ideal renter.

Consider the materials used in the build

Finishes must be high quality and designed to last long term. It is true of unit fixtures and fittings. It is also true of building materials, and the Grenfell Tower tragedy has highlighted the need for developers to build with the safest, most modern and highest-quality materials.

Consider how to take advantage of government support for PRS

PRS is now a mainstay of the government’s housing policy. It is committing billions of pounds to support PRS development across the nation. Housing zones have been targeted, with public land earmarked for release. Planning requirements have been relaxed to speed the process of development. Central government and local authority budgets have been set aside to improve the public realm and boost infrastructure, with transport, recreation and education top of the list. Developers that access these locational opportunities will attract the greatest interest from property investors.

Consider how to sell your PRS development

Institutional investors will usually insist on purchasing an entire development. They partner with a developer, providing finances for the development to start and move to completion. However, not only can this limit the profit potential for the developer, but it also increases risk.

There are several examples where the institutional investor has pulled the plug, and the developer has then had to restart the process of finding a partner investor (see Martin Sadler’s article, “UK property developers can be terrified by institutional investors”).

If a developer could sell to a range of individual investors simultaneously, they could offer the PRS development in stages, selling more as the development moves nearer to completion. It should allow the developer to increase sales prices, and maximise PRS development profits.

How does a developer access a multitude of individual investors?

The challenge for developers is not selling their PRS development but selling it well. Selling in one hit to an institutional investor may work for some developments, but it is unlikely to be the best strategy in all cases. It is the easy route – accessing large numbers of individual investors is hard work, and takes years of relationship building.

This is where Castlereach and our partners excel. Gladfish have sold nearly a billion pounds of investment property to investors at home and abroad. They have worked with investors for years, providing investment education, research and mentorship. Their list of investors may be among the most extensive in the UK property investment market.

We leverage this investor reach for the benefit of developers, enabling you to forward sell 25% or 50% of a PRS development. The decision can be made within days. You get the upfront funding you need, enabling you to maximise profits by selling the remaining development at a later stage.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680, and we’ll help you leverage our investor access to maximise your PRS development project profits.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

If you had 3 questions to ask Phil Hammond what would they be? Here’s mine!

Heading across to the summer fair last weekend in Chertsey, Surrey, and our local MP and current Chancellor of the Exchequer pulled up outside my house. Not a regular visitor I must admit but a fortuitous meeting none the less. He had time to answer some of those pesky questions that I’m sure he is always asked “will you be the next Prime Minister?” for example.

I managed to delve a little deeper into property policy and the reason why small landlords with just a handful of properties were being taxed so disproportionately. My question was simple, why in just a few short years have the conservative party turned the country from a nation of homeowners to a nation of renters? Why are the conservatives making it difficult for everybody to make money from property, own multiple homes, complement their extremely low pension?

The answer was that the increase in values of homes and the lack of supply has led to affordability issues that only major providers of rental accommodation or PRS will be able to manage. Essentially the Government can earn more from PRS in tax, than smaller landlords and so they are handing the property market to the large corporations.

So how to dissuade people from owning multiple properties… tax them – even harder.

I am an ardent conservative supporter, but as a property professional, I have to question the measures this government have taken with regards to property investment, home ownership and stamp duty. It appears on the face of it to be a few giant leaps too far.

My concern which is echoed by Brett’s thoughts is that despite all this I’d rather be one of the ones owning a portfolio than renting and for this reason, we still see property as the only viable alternative for most investors now and even more in the future.

Feel free to discuss in the comments.

Alistair Burchett

7 Creative marketing strategies to boost off-plan property sales

How we ensure we reach out to the optimum target market

When you want to boost your off-plan property sales to property investors, it’s important to know how those property investors think. Our reach and communication strategy gets our property consultants into the hearts and minds of investors, whether from the UK or overseas.

We understand that off-plan property is not sold purely on the numbers. Investors today are more likely to put themselves in the shoes of their target market – people who want to rent or own a home where you are selling your off-plan property. We create narratives that sell lifestyle potential hand in hand with investment potential. Then we develop strategies to maximise the marketing message and reach as many potential investors as possible.

Here are seven key marketing strategies we employ to boost your off-plan property sales:

1.    We create strong lifestyle and investment descriptions

We work hard to write copy that highlights the best features of location and property. Those first few words are crucial, so we use power words that pack a punch. We’ll include property images and location photos as necessary to increase sensory impact.

2.    We optimise for online searches

If we’re selling off-market, we understand the need to market subtly. We write copy that educates and informs investors, leaving them with a desire to discover more. Contents are optimised so that those most interested in the opportunity can easily find it online. We include keywords and key phrases in our marketing copy and on our landing pages.

It encourages investors to not only discover and read about why they should invest in a specific location but also why the type of property you are building is best for investment. This method leads them through the sales funnel and enables us to capture their email details – from when we can personalise our marketing effort to the individual investor.

3.    We use email extensively

Having collected the email details of interested investors, we will begin our email marketing campaign. New leads are added to existing, and segmented for most effective penetration. We use email titles that create urgency to open and read. We include details about the investment opportunity, and a call-to-action as the next step. Often this is a link to a specially designed landing page.

We utilise autoresponder software to provide a seamless marketing experience, dependent upon investor actions.

4.    We create landing pages as two-way streets of information

We discover more information about prospective investors through landing pages. These pages are designed to capture investor info while giving away something for free. Perhaps a free-to-download investment guide. These help to increase our knowledge of what each investor registered with us wants. It also gives us the opportunity to take our marketing to the next level – personal contact.

5.    We use blog posts as marketing tools

Our writers are tasked to create blog posts that help the marketing process. These may be general or specific educational posts. These do several jobs for us. For example, they:

• Focus on identified keywords, which are used throughout the post to increase ranking
• Include contact details and a clickable contact route
• Include general and in-depth information to cement investment potential of the area or property type
• Always include a call-to-action, which prompts the reader to take the next step along the marketing funnel

6.    We leverage social media

We have extensive reach via social media and use Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter to promote our content and investment education.

Our Facebook business page aimed specifically at investors and showcase our track record. We’ll add Facebook posts to promote associated blog content. We use videos and photos and other imagery to encourage views and shares.

We schedule tweets on Twitter to keep interest flowing and augment tweets with images and links back to content and landing pages. Hashtags are used to help people find our tweets, and we ensure they are retweeted.

LinkedIn is a powerful tool to make connections with investors. We publish content that showcases our capability and connections with developers, and we work hard on expanding our connections in target markets.

7.    We are consistent throughout

Whichever channel we use to market the off-plan property, we ensure consistency of brand and message. We identify the target investor and use the most appropriate marketing strategies for them. When our target audience sees our marketing and other content in different locations they don’t become confused with different messages.

Throughout our content, marketing, and personal contact, we ensure that we highlight the investment potential of the off-plan property. We market to the investment needs of the investor, and the lifestyle needs of their tenant – combined, it’s a powerful message which ensures success.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680, and we’ll start developing our segmented investor client lists specifically for marketing your off-plan property sales and design a soft marketing plan to produce outstanding results.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Be bold, be informed, be rewarded

There is no such thing as a catch-all “how to” guide to property investment. Every company, developer, agent, brokerage, mortgage adviser and financial advisor has a different take on how to make money in property.

There are, for me, two ways that an investor can grow a lucrative portfolio of properties – the management of this will be different for all people, as will be the structure. Capital growth or yield, retirement planning or school fees… who knows? It doesn’t matter, that is a personal choice. What does matter is the approach you take to property investing.

Be bold…

There will ALWAYS be uncertainty in the market. There will ALWAYS be a reason or excuse not to invest in property or at all: referendums, elections, commodity prices, geopolitics because your hairdresser told you not to! Whatever the excuse, you can sell it to yourself if you are looking to talk yourself out of it. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t take these major factors into account but do so with care and don’t let it scare you off. Bricks and mortar go up in value, they aren’t making any more land (in this country) and the population is growing. It doesn’t take a genius to do the maths on that. When should you get involved? As soon as you can, buy a place for yourself, but if you can’t afford something big enough for your family, buy something to rent out and still get yourself in the game. Make sure you leverage sensibly to maximise your returns and if you can have someone else paying off your mortgage then even better. Never, ever over extend yourself no matter how tempting something sounds. If you can’t afford it, don’t do it. If you can, jump in!

Be informed…

I am NOT saying just jump in with both feet and not think about it. How to invest in property sensibly is not knowledge we are born with, even for those with innate good sense it is something you must make a point to learn. How do you learn? Read everything relevant you can get your hands on, read varying opinions and different arguments, listen to experts and listen to your friends who own property. Essentially become an expert in your own right, here’s the tricky part… don’t become arrogant and think you know it all. I have been in the property for 15 years and I still know I can gain from asking, questioning and debating with everyone in the market so I can keep on learning. There are companies and managers who can help you and guide you. Taking advice from someone who knows more about this than you will stand you in good stead. At the end of the day the decision to invest is always yours, but the more informed the decision, the better the dividend it will pay.

Be rewarded…

In whatever way your portfolio is managed, for whatever reason, you are building a portfolio, by being both bold and well informed you will be rewarded.

I won’t tell you who to invest with or how to invest, it’s not my place to. I work for Castlereach within a group of companies headed up by Brett Alegre Wood and the guys and girls here are tremendous, I respect them all and I trust them with my own portfolio and thereby the success of my future.

Check them out here www.gladfish.com and see if you like the sound of our formula for reward.