Tag Archives for " Off-plan property sales "

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

How to sell your development before the ground is broken

Marketing tips to help off-plan property sales fly

In these difficult times, we’re receiving more calls than ever from developers who want to boost their sales. Some have already started the process of marketing. They’ve produced stylised brochures, an appealing website, and persuasive advertising. Others haven’t yet started putting together a marketing package.

With competition for off-plan property sales heating up, developers need to target their marketing efforts to reduce costs and increase sales success. We’ve put together these seven tips to ensure off-plan sales success, however early you want to sell your development even before the ground has been broken.

1.    Brand the development

Branding the development is essential. Naming a property gives it life, a vision in the eyes of property investors and home buyers. Let the name tell a story, perhaps of a previous life or shape of development – how about ‘The Potteries’ or ‘The Crescent’? A clear, crisp name gives your development personality. And personality sells.

2.    Emphasise lifestyle benefits

Home buyers want lifestyle benefits from their new home. So, too, the buy-to-let investors – it’s easier to find tenants when you are letting a lifestyle property. Emphasise locational benefits of your development. “Five minutes’ walk to the mainline station, and only 20 minutes from the city”; “In the heart of the city, where residents and businesses are benefiting from a massive regeneration programme.” Find the reason for people to want to live in a property in your development, and market to this desire.

3.    Go 3D with your floor plans

Standard 2D floor plans mean little to most people. They are simply lines on a piece of paper. Producing 3D floor plans turns a concept into something more real – especially important when there are no show homes to view.

A 3D floor plan, presented room by room and including furniture, fixtures and fittings, allows investors to visualise what it is they are buying, and space they are investing in.

4.    Build on locational benefits

Investors buy where property fundamentals are strongest. They want property near shops, schools, transport links, major employers and major investment. Trumpet the locational benefits of your development. We do.

We produce comprehensive area guides for investors, highlighting the reasons why investors should buy where you are developing. It is a powerful marketing tool on its own. When combined with your marketing resource, it becomes irresistible.

5.    Make an offer that investors can’t refuse

It takes courage for a property investor to buy a property that hasn’t yet been built. By the time we’re at the stage of marketing your development to investors, we have spent years developing trust and getting to know our property investor clients. To cement this trust and seal the deal, what better than a price point that savvy investors cannot refuse?

Your marketing brochure has done its job. Our area research has provided further impetus to the marketing message. The hook has been baited. A sensible pricing policy will reel in the investor. Switch down the price slightly, and switch up the investment opportunity from great to irresistible.

6.    Provide exclusivity

Early-stage off-plan success could be accelerated when you make an exclusive offer. Off-market marketing, to a targeted and already identified investor base. Properties that people will want to buy, in an area in which people want to invest, at a price that makes sense on all levels. And offered exclusively to a select group of investors. Suddenly, the irresistibility of your off-plan property sales is ratcheted up even higher.

The developers that do these three things will find their developments sell out, while others remain unsold.

7.    Good marketing sells off-plan property

When we work with developers, selling to our investor clients at home and abroad, we concentrate on marketing. The quality of our marketing materials helps sell your off-plan property. It provides a focal point to concentrate our face-to-face discussions.

Like you, we employ highly experienced and professional researchers, writers, copywriters, photographers and designers. We make certain our marketing materials echo the opportunity that your development offers.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680. Together we’ll work to achieve your sales targets, and excel where other developers fail.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Firecracker features that propel off-plan property sales

How a developer can sell when others around them fail

Off-plan property sales can be tough, especially when the market is slowing down, as it appears to be at present.

The hung parliament that resulted from general election 2017 was another blow. It has done nothing to instil confidence in a market still reeling from the UK electorate’s decision to leave the EU. This on its own, though, shouldn’t deter investors in regional off-plan property. But there are also other factors in play. Economic numbers have been mixed around the world. The recent Grenfell Tower tragedy is likely to deter homebuyers from considering a purchase in any tower block.

There will be developers who can still sell significant numbers of properties off-plan, despite a slowdown in a market that appears temporarily saturated. What is it they do that creates such success in their off-plan property sales? How do they achieve enough sales to pay for the development before it is completed? Where and how do Castlereach help developers hit their targets?

Here are three firecracker features of the most successful developers selling properties off plan.

A successful track record

When you have targets for your off-plan property sales, property investors want to know that their investment objectives will be met. They will have their property investment strategy designed to achieve this. They want to know that the developer they are buying from has a record of delivering developments to the quality anticipated and within the quoted timeframe.

Developers that have delivered multiple and similar projects in the past will have the experience needed to know how long a project will take to reach completion. Our investor clients want to know that a property they agree to buy – perhaps before ground has even been broken – is going to be delivered on time. They can then develop their investment strategy in line with this. It gives them a definitive completion date to aim for and allows them to arrange any required financing.

When we work with investors and offer them property investment opportunities, the investors know that we have already done due diligence investigations on the developer. We’ve assessed the viability of the development from its location investment potential, and from the ability of the developer to deliver on their promises.

The investor buys the property off plan and benefits from the potential of an increased value at the time of completion. The developer meets its targets more easily, because of our reach to the UK and overseas investors and the reputation we have built up with them.

Anticipation of residential living needs

A second feature of the most successful developers is that they anticipate the future lifestyle needs of the people who will inhabit their properties. They create places in which people want to live near to transport and recreational amenities, and with ‘in-house’ amenities that sell.

Such amenities may include elements like pre-wired communication boxes, for instance. It removes the need for a resident to lay cables around their home to wire in their entertainment systems, computers, television, and so on. Systems which connect audio in all rooms and increase energy efficiency are going to be in demand. Intercom services, with a video link to front gates, allow residents to welcome guests and vet visitors more easily may become a standard in the future.

Gyms, open spaces, communal swimming pools and the like all add value in today’s market because tomorrow’s residents are likely to desire such lifestyle features. State-of-the-art security and safety features are likely to be more sought after, because of the recent tragic events in Kensington.

Developers that know what their customers want will win. And this brings me to the third feature of red hot off-plan property sales: knowing the customer.

The best off-plan property sales are made when you know the customer

Investors today are more sophisticated. They have wider and easier access to information. They understand who their target market will be – whether they wish to sell for capital gain or rent for long-term income, as most of our investor clients do.

Blanket marketing doesn’t work anymore. In fact, it can do more harm than good, especially during those early-stage, off-market sales efforts. The best strategy to maximising off-plan property sales is to know your customer. When you understand the investor, you need only to market under the radar to those investors who have expressed a desire to invest in the type of property, area, and a price point which is being offered. The success ratio rises because you are marketing to those who are most likely to buy.

It can take years for an initial meeting to evolve to a level of trust and confidence. It is usually reserved for the personal relationships. We communicate constantly with investors. And use social media and email, voice, and SMS communication strategies. We hold seminars and webinars, and our property consultants are proactive. They discuss investment strategy and the latest property investment opportunities with their clients. We then provide investment education and research to cement buying decisions. It’s unrealistic for a developer to put effort into locating potential investors. And spending the time and effort to develop hundreds of individual relationships.

When we work with a developer, we do so because we are confident that:

• The location will provide investors with above-average returns through the long term
• The developer will deliver to quality specifications and on time
• We have the investor clients on board who are likely to be buyers

A deliberate strategy for off-plan property sales

Off-plan property sales don’t just happen. It’s a deliberate process, connecting the dots between plans and execution. Developers should evidence a track record of delivering a quality product on time. And homes that cater to people’s lifestyle needs. This helps to build trust with buyers. Those buyers must be targeted carefully and quietly. To do so, it’s imperative to know who they are and to have developed a meaningful investor relationship with them.

The developers who do these three things will find their developments sell out, while others remain unsold.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680. Together we’ll work to achieve your sales targets, whatever the market condition.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

A hung parliament shouldn’t deter investors in regional off-plan property

What now for off-plan property sales in the UK?

So, general election fever is dead and buried. For now, anyway. But what impact is the hung parliament likely to have on off-plan property sales? We think the effect may be muted, especially in the regional cities where recent investment news has indicated resilience, stability and growth.

There will, of course, be warnings from property experts who predict the collapse of property values across the UK. Newspaper headlines will trumpet the demise of the buy-to-let investor. A period of political uncertainty as we dodge Brexit bullets, on top of UK property tax changes (which supposedly mean that “BTL is no longer profitable”) will prove the death knell for investment in the UK. At least, this is what the scaremongers would have everyone believe. Hasty developers may be tempted to pull their off-plan sales plans.

Swift action needed and taken

Perhaps we should learn from recent history. In 2010, the conundrum of the hung parliament was answered by the formation of a coalition government after several days of negotiations. Contrary to what people expected, the Conservative/Liberal coalition saw out its term. The government proved to be stable.

Mrs May has acted even more swiftly than David Cameron did in 2010. Within hours of everyone waking up to the news of a hung parliament, and wondering “what next?”, Mrs May announced she would seek a deal with the DUP, and put a new government in place.

In the aftermath of the vote, the pound fell by around 2% against the dollar and the euro and then stabilised. The stock market, which many expected to collapse, rose by a shade more than 1%.

The swiftness of Mrs May’s actions has gone some way to calm the markets. The need to keep the DUP on board might force the Brexit negotiation team to be less confrontational. The chances of a good deal for the UK may increase.

No bounce in property values, but an opportunity to take advantage of fundamentals

The post-election bounce in property values that many had predicted after a convincing Conservative victory may not happen just yet. However, if the negotiations begin well and the Con-DUP pact remains solid, there is no reason why UK property values should not perform similarly to the period between 2010 and 2015. The exception may be that this time around London gives up its star billing to the regional cities.

This election has not changed the startling shortage of new homes in the UK. In January 2017, the National Audit Office reported that there are more than 71,000 homeless households in England. A Parliamentary report confirmed estimates that demand for homes in England runs between 232,000 and 300,000 a year. The government’s target of 200,000 new homes built each year would fall some way short of the lowest estimates of demand, even if housebuilders had the capacity to pump up supply to target levels.

By the end of this parliament, investors from the UK and overseas who buy off-market and off-plan property in this market lull could be looking back and congratulating themselves for taking advantage of a politically prompted pause in the property market.

Investment attention turning away from London

London will continue to be a major centre for property investment, but the focus has shifted in recent months. Property in cities like Liverpool, Birmingham and Manchester are more affordable. Yields are higher. Significant spending on infrastructure and regeneration is ratcheting up inward investment.

Off-plan property is still in demand in these key regional locations. Supply has failed to keep pace with demand. Population growth, both at current levels and forecast, could widen this differential. Multi-billion pound projects, such as HS2 and HS3, offer significant potential for future growth. Travel times between major cities in the Midlands and the North and to London will be slashed.

We’ve seen increased interest from overseas investors in particular. The most recent fall in the pound is likely to prompt renewed search for value property investment opportunities.

Regional cities in early-stage recovery, says Hometrack

In late March, the Hometrack Index report concluded that England’s regional cities are in an early-stage recovery phase. It reported that:

• Sales volumes in Liverpool and Manchester are up by more than 40% in three years.
• Manchester’s price growth is leading all cities at 8.8% in the last year.
• Prices in Birmingham, Leicester and Portsmouth increased by more than 7%.
• Liverpool’s property price growth was not far behind, at 6.8%
• However, London’s price growth has fallen to 5.6%.

Although the report predicted temporarily slower demand in the regional cities due to the impact of Brexit and economic uncertainty, its forecast continued upside in property prices and activity.

Liverpool – a buy-to-let paradise?

Recent news from Mistoria Estate Agents is evidence that Liverpool’s private rented sector is in the middle of a huge boom.  Demand for tenancies is up by almost 20% across the city. Property investors in this university city are seeing unprecedented demand from students, with almost seven tenants chasing every room in shared buy-to-let property. High-quality rental properties are also in high demand.

Here, rental yields are among the highest in the country, with average yields a third higher than the national average. Some property opportunities offer yields of 10% and more, with property highly affordable for investment.

Opportunities that our investors are seeking

High gross yield and high growth opportunities are exactly the types of investment our investor client base is searching for. These investors understand that UK property fundamentals remain strong, despite the recent political shambles. Pinpointing locations for profitable investment is what our investor clients expect of us. Working with developers providing the best quality off-plan property sales is how we achieve this.

Contact us today on + 44 (0)207 923 5680, and we’ll start developing our segmented investor client lists specifically for marketing your development in London and the regional cities.

Live with passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

How to smash your 2017 off-plan property sales targets

Increase off plan property sales and value in a challenging market

With recent news confirming that new housing in the UK has topped 200,000 and planning permissions are running at 275,000 a year, next year could be a tough year for your off-plan property sales.

In London, the shenanigans surrounding Brexit continue to haunt the market. While the number of new builds appears to be curtailed in the capital, so too is the number of transactions. Taken in combination, these factors should help to keep prices from falling. Indeed, recent figures released by estate agent Haart shows that London property price growth has increased to 7.6% over the last year, while demand has fallen by more than a third.

Across the rest of the UK, a similar pattern is starting to emerge, though while demand has fallen slightly, the number of new build properties coming to the market is increasing.

The secret for property developers to increase off-plan sales is having a good, consistent sales strategy that adapts to make sure your new build properties stand out from the crowd. Having discussed a sales strategy to grow your off-plan sales in 2017 in my last article, in this article I want to look at how to make your off-plan and new build developments highly sellable – and then get them sold.

Highlight your unique selling point (USP)

One of the problems that today’s home buyers voice is that one development is very much like another: the same layout; the same property dimensions; the same fixtures, fittings and white goods. When faced with such a ‘non-choice’, the buyer usually goes with the best value option.

Your USP helps to command premium prices in the face of stiff competition. We’ll be able to highlight these to investors from the UK and overseas, providing evidence that supports the USP as an exceptional buy-to-let investment opportunity.

Distinct style and design features that make properties more sellable include:

• Extra and innovative storage space, particularly in kitchens and bedrooms
• Convenience items – think outside the box, and include things like bin shoots, remote control lighting and heating, etc.
• Rooms that benefit from a lot of natural light
• Open-plan living space
• Green features

Add a touch of luxury

There are plenty of design and interior features that can be added to increase the ‘feel’ of a new build. People love luxury features – a “hero” component they can boast about.  A little touch of luxury sells to both home buyers and renters. Don’t underestimate the potential of luxury to turn on property investors who want to benefit from premium rental prices.

Common areas in apartment blocks: swimming pools, gyms, and rooftop gardens are all luxury features that help off-plan property sales. Within an apartment or house, consider a library or study, top-of-the-range appliances, smart heating and lighting, etc.

Consider price and design

It’s hard to sell an off-plan property as a bargain. It is, after all, effectively no more than a concept − a box of air that is captured in artist’s impression and a floor plan.

When we recommend off-plan properties to investors, we discuss the local area, its economy, and property fundamentals – shops, schools, transport links, major employers and major investment. We’ll also talk about the property itself.

A design including luxury features provides great talking and selling points, but as a developer, you should also pay attention to floor space layout – long halls reduce living space, while cleverly designed storage increases it. Available living space increases usable space and value which sells properties.

For off-plan properties, size matters

Some developers seek to maximise profits by maximising the number of units they build on a site. They’ll go for 50 one-bedroom apartments rather than 25 two-bedroom apartments. But consider this: those 50 one-bedroom departments need 50 kitchens, 50 bathrooms, and 50 sets of white goods. That’s a lot more expense in kitting out a block of one-bedroom apartments. And a lot more units to sell too.

Two-bedroom apartments garner more investor interest, too. They’re easier to find tenants for and command a higher rent.

When you’re planning a development, think about size long and hard – if you’re aiming at the student market, then one-bedroom places may be the way to go. But if you want to generate maximum interest from the UK and overseas investors, then size matters.

To park or not to park?

There’s a move towards zero parking spaces in London. Millennials are more likely to use public transport (especially with the Night Tube now providing 24-hour travel options and property investment opportunities for investors). Outside London, parking spaces are more important.

Consider target markets, location and local transport links, and then decide on whether to offer parking for all, a limited number of spaces, or none at all. The extra space freed to build extra apartments (or enhance the size and design of those planned) may pay dividends, but if it makes your off-plan properties harder to sell then it could be highly detrimental to sales (and profit).

Make your new build properties energy conscious

Traditionally, energy-conscious homes have been more attractive to home buyers than investors. We’re beginning to see this dynamic changing. As utility bills take up a larger slice of household expenses, renters are getting energy conscious. Energy-efficient homes sell more easily to tenants and command higher rental prices.

Do your research and provide it to investors

One of the things we do here at Castlereach is research property investment opportunities and relay that investment to investors. We make sure our investors know why your development is an ideal property investment opportunity and the property fundamentals that off-plan purchases will benefit from now and beyond completion.

The developer’s research will highlight why the apartments are in demand locally. Look at the local market, the demographics, the local employers and the population that make up the average homeowner or tenant. Investors want to buy off plan properties that benefit from natural demand, and not be blighted by being the wrong size in the wrong location.

UK off-plan property sales still attractive for investors

People in the UK may be reticent about buying homes at the moment (perhaps because of the economic uncertainty caused by Brexit), but property investors are increasing their activity. It is especially true of overseas investors. Recently, Skipton International announced an 80% increase in mortgage applications from British expats between August and November. That growth in interest mirrors our experience at Castlereach.

Overseas investors are benefitting from the slide in the pound. They haven’t been made nervous by the thought of the UK outside the EU. The demand for homes looks set to continue to outweigh the supply.

Find an edge to push your off-plan property sales through the roof

When looking for the edge that will help drive off-plan property sales, finding your USP and designing properties that appeal to buy-to-let investors will be a key theme in 2017. So, too, will your ability to attract investors from the UK and overseas.

While the fundamentals that make new build developments an attractive investment are the same for investors from the UK and overseas, how off-plan properties are marketed to different cultures requires individual approach and evolved strategies. That’s where our property consultants come into their own – we have huge reach within high net worth investment communities as well as the experience and strategy to sell your off-plan property, off market within agreed timescales.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680, and we’ll be happy to discuss the help and expertise we can offer you as we link the best developers with active investors in the UK and overseas.

Live with passion and fun,

Brett

Your off-plan property sales strategy for 2017 and beyond

An off-plan property sales strategy to increase sales

We’ve helped property developers sell over £800m of off-plan property to an investor base from around the world with a substantial number going to UK based investors. We’ve held property investment seminars in six countries, and sold off plan property for over a hundred property developers and several hundred schemes.

Helping property developers get new build developments financed and off the ground we offer property investors off-market and exclusive investment opportunities. Investors from the UK and overseas understand that we work with great developers, with the properties we source benefit from great property fundamentals in highly researched and specific areas.

We can’t and won’t stand still, just as property developers continually evolve and change practices, we are continually growing our investor client base, innovating our off-plan marketing strategies, and forward-planning sales strategies. Here I want to give you a peek into just some of the plans we have to increase your off-market, off-plan sales in 2017.

Review your investor profile

Our clients are UK and overseas property investors who understand property investment. They know that, despite negativity surrounding Brexit, the UK offers a stable environment for long-term investment. Our overseas investors, in particular, have not been surprised to see that post-Brexit London off-plan development sales are holding.

We understand the profile of most active investors changes over time. Regulations, market events, economic cycles and foriegn exchange rates have separate and combined effects. We’re continually researching, analysing and examining who the most active investors are. Our team use this information and insights to determine marketing strategies and focus on developing our investor database.

Understand why the investor buys your property

Our property consultants spend a lot of time getting to know your development, the area, the story behind it and the particular qualities it has as an off-plan property investment opportunity. We spend a lot of time understanding our investors’ objectives, their aims, and the journey they take to get to making the investment.

We take this journey seriously, mapping it out and understanding the conversations we need to have to move from one stage to the next.

Again, this is something we constantly review – and backwards! We start at the end point (exchange of contracts) and move back through each step needed. We iterate, innovate, and evolve off plan property sales strategies to develop a fully rounded sales conversation. We get to understand the strings we need to pull and why, the objections we’ll come across and the true motivations property investors have.

Something we’ve know is that there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach possible – with different developments, completion times and locations – when you consider property investors are from across the UK or overseas, each has their own motivations, cultures and customs which need to be accounted for.

Property investors prefer different contact methods

We communicate with our investors in a variety of ways, including:

• Seminars and events
• Content or inbound marketing
• Email outreach and campaigns
• Promotion and advertising
• Telephone or online chat / instant messaging
• Face to face meetings and catch ups

Different investors prefer their property consultant to use different contact methods. We’re careful about the type of contact we use at each stage. Off-market sales requires discretion and a lot of personal contact and time is invested between the property consultant and client – otherwise, they cease to be off-market.

Our USP or unique selling point

Investors buy through Castlereach because we offer them something different – off-market and off plan property investment opportunities. Our property consultants are personable, dedicated, and highly experienced. With more than five decades of experience between them, they’ve invested in off plan property themselves and they’re international.

We get close to property developers, understand the local market and have some of the best research in the property investment industry available. Our investors benefit from all of this. We understand that our customers know what they want, so we ask them. We find out why they deal with us, which helps us to grow our investor database. By offering what investors want and investment properties they can’t get elsewhere, we have incredible understanding and reach. That how and why we help property developers with their off-plan property sales.

Review of website and marketing materials

We’ll make sure that our website, landing pages, area guides and marketing materials speak to investors in the UK and overseas. We’ll review them in line with investor profiles, changing markets, and evolving technology.

Creating a brand that is synonymous with property investment, consistent throughout, but appropriate for a range of investor personas requires a 360-degree review – website, social media, print, email, etc. We’re continually innovating new ways for all our channels to be effective and materials to be informative, attractive and educational, as well as promotional.

Our Off Plan Property Sales Process

We are continually innovating and evolving all aspects of our sales and marketing. We encourage sharing of best practice, writing engaging materials and introducing new processes into our sales strategies. From initial contact (often by referral) we nurture prospects as we discover what their unique challenges and objectives are. Throughout, we’re building a profile for the property investor that allows us to target specific investors with specific off-plan property investment opportunities and developments. This sales funnel filters down to commitment and almost-certain sales targets for your off-market properties.

Tracking progress, evolving sales strategy

We’ve some stretch sales targets for next year. Individual property consultants here are responsible for hitting them. Every week, we review activity and progress as individuals and as a team. At team meetings we’ll be discussing successes and failures, learning from mistakes, ensuring that everything we do is aligned to meet our objectives: to sell more of your off-plan property off-market.

What are you doing to increase your off-plan property sales in 2017?

When it comes to working with individual developers, we understand all developments and each developer’s objectives are individual. Unique. That’s why we build flexibility into all of our sales and marketing strategies, to allow for flexibility when working with different developers so we dovetail with their expectations not ours.

We’ll work with you to identify the strengths and weaknesses of your development, and use this knowledge to identify investors with the highest and most appropriate need for your off-plan property opportunities. Collaborating closely, we’ll target a list of interested investors without going public. We don’t advertise and we leave all your current sales channels unaffected. You’ll get the early-stage investment you need, while our investors benefit from their investment in great property, in strong locations with all the information they need to hold on to their property for years to come.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680, connect with me on LinkedIn. We will outline how we dovetail with your existing marketing and sales strategies and importantly, how we can help sell your off plan units, fast.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Increase off-plan sales and take the luxury bubble bursting opportunity

Adaptable strategies to maximise new build sales

According to the Land Registry, the luxury end of the London property market has finally burst. Super prime sales have collapsed, but it’s not Brexit that’s to blame. With tens of millions in property developments designed for the high-end market remaining unsold, developers have to employ remodelling strategies to shift and sell their developments.

Here I’ll look at how the bottom has fallen out of London’s luxury property market, and what developers are doing to sell their developments. You’ll also discover how we work with developers to create strategies that sell.

Stamp duty stomps all over luxury development property sales

When the government increased stamp duty rates, it did so in the hope of reducing the number of additional properties bought. The idea – at least publicly – is that this will deter investors and leave more housing stock on the table for ‘genuine’ home buyers.

In the run-up to the introduction of the additional stamp duty land tax of 3%, buyers rushed through their purchases in March. Investors avoided the extra stamp duty, and the property market went through a month of incredibly high sales numbers. The extra demand helped to push property prices higher. Sales for two or three months suffered because purchases had been rushed through the market early. We also had Brexit in between.

A lot of market watchers blamed the fall in property investment transactions on Brexit, but with property market transactions now normalising again, it’s clear this wasn’t the case.

At the luxury end of the market, the so-called ‘super prime properties’ worth £10 million and more, sales have collapsed. In the three months to August 2015, there were 35 properties sold in the luxury bracket in London. This year sales have hit the rocks. Only five £10 million-plus properties sold in London in the comparable period. This lack of interest has also hit prices paid – an average of £16.3 million this year compared with £22 million last year.

The hardest hit in the luxury sector has been new builds – not a single one has sold.

Deflation of the bubble was inevitable

Prices of high-end luxury property in London have increased so far, so fast, that a correction was inevitable. Prices at the upper end of the market are always the first to be hit. With a review of non-dom inheritance tax on the cards, it’s unlikely that this end of the market will bounce anytime soon. Some analysts are predicting a multi-year lull in luxury home prices; and not only in London but across the UK.

Lower sales numbers at these higher prices might dismay the government (it will collect less stamp duty), but it could be devastating to developers who haven’t got a plan B. This is where revised off-plan property sales strategies come into play.

Deflating your luxury property could inflate your sales

We’ve found that the death of billionaire buyers is prompting developers to evolve their plans, and it’s working. As super prime sales have fallen, we’ve found that investment interest in smaller, more affordable properties has increased. It is especially the case from our foreign investor base, which has benefitted from the fall in the value of the pound. Off-plan property sales have suddenly become 20% better value. (Read more in our article “Foreign property investors demand new build property post-Brexit”.)

Developers are remodelling their projects to appeal to the lower end of the market, where investment is still strong. It means creating four or more apartments from one, with lower price points that appeal to a different investor profile. There are planning hurdles to overcome, but once these have been ironed out, the developer can employ a range of strategies to sell to a more engaged audience.

Working hand-in-hand with developers

While the developers we work with have been building new developments in the best places and to the highest standards, we’ve been developing an excellent network of investors at home and abroad who turn to us to benefit from off-market property investment opportunities.

We discuss marketing plans with the developers and then swing into action with some sales strategies that protect the integrity of the development while increasing off-plan property sales.

We discuss property fundamentals (shops, schools, transport links, major employers and major investment) with the investor, relating how the developer’s property offered fits into the growth and income producing bracket that our investors are seeking.

Our investors rely on us to source incredible and exclusive deals – they take on a larger risk because we’re able to offer them ground floor opportunities that have real rental appeal in the long term. These investors aren’t for flipping; when it comes to selling your next tranche of off-plan properties, you won’t find you’ve got unexpected competition for buyers’ signatures.

Foreign investors are the lifeblood of off-plan property sales

We’ve seen a sizeable increase in enquiries from foreign property investors. They’ve been buoyed by the fall in the value of sterling. Despite the Brexit negativity in some quarters, the UK is still a great place to invest. Housing demand outstrips supply, we benefit from a stable government, and there’s an entrepreneurial spirit that is the envy of the world. The UK is the fifth largest economy in the world, and Brexit is unlikely to change that.

Meeting the challenges of off-plan sales together

Developers face some challenges. Working with local councils to source the best locations for development is among them. But the UK needs more than 1 million new homes, so the opportunity for developers is very much alive.

Property investors are interested in off-plan property in the best locations. That means buying property that benefits from nearby shops, schools, and transport options. Our investors expect these fundamentals to be present; repositioning difficult-to-sell super prime properties is a strategy that is likely to create units that investors want. We can then work together to create a sales strategy that compels investors to invest in your newly planned off-plan properties.

Contact us today on + 44 207 923 5680, and we’ll be happy to discuss the help and expertise we can offer you as we link the best developers with the best investors.

Live with passion and fun,

Brett

7 off-plan property sales tips to create a sales tsunami

Create buzz to generate off-plan property sales

You’ve got a great product to sell: state-of-the-art units in a prime location. This, though, isn’t enough to guarantee a momentum of interest from homebuyers and investors. What you need to do is hit the ground running with a property marketing strategy to create a tsunami of interest that will drive sales.

The experience we’ve gained by working with developers for more than a decade is that a property marketing strategy is the key to success. Here are seven tips that act as a framework for the business of off-plan property sales.

1. Know your target market

Your target market will determine the language you use in your marketing materials, and the emphasis you place on the various marketing channels. It might also impact your choice of sales partners. The sooner this work begins, the better your handle on potential sales will be.

2. Brand your product

Create a unique selling point (USP) relevant to your target market and attention grabbing. It is this that will make you stand out from the crowd and generate interest in your off-plan property sales.

3. Match your property marketing strategy to design

Thinking about your target market and product branding, next create a consistent style to work across all marketing channels. This will confirm your brand and intent. Each marketing channel is like a piece of a jigsaw: when all the pieces fit together, the picture should be a complete interpretation that entices buyers to take a second and third look.

4. Identify your materials partners

You’ll need artists, writers, photographers, and a whole range of other creatives. Identify those that provide real value for money, and that can work with your vision. These are neither likely to be the cheapest nor the most expensive providers – remember, though, as a general rule you get what you pay for.

5. Combine online and offline sales channels for maximum penetration

With a consistent style and message, utilise all available sales channels for maximum penetration. Consider where you will find your target market, and budget your resources accordingly. Understand that your target market is likely to be found reached through several channels – online, blogs, websites, social media, and traditional marketing routes.

Remember that off-market sales will be developed differently. These will be promoted under the radar, to a list of investors who are ready and waiting to buy into the best opportunities.

6. Partner with sales experts

Choose your sales partners carefully, paying attention to the experience of selling similar the product to yours, and to the same target the market. They’ll offer you access to market, with a list of prospects within your target market and a proven property marketing strategy.

These partners are likely to be able to help inform your property marketing strategy, so explore their expertise and employ it to its best advantage.

7. Launch big!

Launch all your marketing efforts simultaneously. You’ve got all the ingredients; what you need now is a big fanfare to hit the market with a bang and draw all the attention to your off-plan property sales. Like a birthday cake being taken to a table in a restaurant, all eyes from every sales channel should be on you.

With this seven tips in place, you’ll be perfectly positioned for your off-plan property sales launch to penetrate the market and reach your target audience (including foreign investors) at breakneck speed. Of course, a property marketing strategy framework is simply that: a framework. You’ll need to customise to maximise performance. And maximising sales potential begins with off-market sales. Feel free to contact us today on +44 207 923 5680.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

Five tips to make your off-plan property sales strategy take off

How to come out on top in the competition for off-plan property sales

It’s vital to give off-plan property sales the largest chance of hitting objectives by creating an off-plan property sales strategy that is both proactive and responsive. Of course, you should also be seeking to improve results by iterating the strategy to connect best with homebuyers and property investors. Here are five tips to make sure off-plan property sales take off as you expect them to.

1.    Set your goals, objectives and targets

What is it that you can realistically hope to achieve? While it is easy to think solely in terms of the number of off-plan property sales, this should not be the be-all and end-all here. You’ll want your sales and marketing strategies to increase visibility, extend your reach, and appeal to target demographics.

2.    Consider multiple channels

Focussing solely on a single sales channel, or a single off-plan property sales strategy will limit the ability to hit your target numbers. Consider who the target market is, and where they are to be found. Homebuyers and property investors speak in different languages, visit different online and bricks-and-mortar resources, and get excited by different things (capital growth and yield versus kitchen appliances and landscaped gardens, for example).

While an invite-only educational property investment seminar is a powerful tool to speak to dozens of property investors simultaneously, a show house open day is more suited to individual first-time homebuyers.

3.    Get the right partners on board

If your off-plan sales strategy is to work, you must chose the right partners to help you promote your development. Of course, you’ll need these partners to be experienced and provide routes to your target markets.

They should be able to demonstrate a close affinity with and understand their clients, and add value to the proposition (perhaps by educational and research resources, for example) and advise you on strategy. Finally, select partners that are passionate about performance: these are the guys on your team that go the extra mile for you.

4.    Monitor performance

Put in place discerning metrics to measure performance against your objectives, and the goals set for you and your partners. Stay in constant communication, and measure off-plan property sales against expectations. If you don’t have monitoring metrics and processes in place, then don’t expect to see the early warning signs that off-plan property sales are going to fall short.

5.    The first cut is the cheapest

Having devised your off-plan property sales strategy in conjunction with your partners, it is not unreasonable to expect great results. However, if they do fall short, then it may be you need to cut your losses and seek a new partner. The first cut is the cheapest, and it is a lot easier to find new partners in unmuddied waters.

For more sales strategy tips, or to discuss your specific expectations,chat with the team on +44 207 923 5680.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

6 steps to successfully launching off-plan property sales

Creating an off-plan property sales strategy that you can rinse and repeat

The success of a development project often depends on upon its off-plan property sales numbers. This gets the ball rolling, as it were, introduces real cash flow into the project, and helps to finance the ongoing work that needs to be done to see outcomes met and the project completed on time and within budget.

An off-plan property sales strategy that is designed specifically for launching off-plan property sales is the key to a strong, solid opening and seeing further sales follow through. When you plan your launch with an experienced partner, the sales numbers will increase accordingly. Having executed successfully, embed the process into your sales regime and you’ll find it is easy to rinse and repeat and stay within marketing budgets.

The secret formula for launching off-plan property sales

In reality, marketing starts before even laying the first brick. A successful off-plan property sales strategy begins in the very early stages of the development process. From there, the off-plan property sales launch has a known lifecycle:

1.     Meet the needs of the local market

Imagine how NASA approaches a rocket launch. It doesn’t simply build the rocket, load it with a few astronauts and press the red button. The first thing that happens comes way before the rocket is designed: NASA assesses the need for the launch and how it can best meet that need.

Think about marketing before you develop. This necessitates knowing the local market, what housing needs there are, and the likely demand for each type of home built. This is the first step in ensuring that there will be strong investor demand and that off-plan property sales are received positively by awaiting property investors.

2.     Send the right marketing message

By linking the marketing message to local market needs, you’ll remove confusion. Off-plan property sales need to be positioned correctly so that the property investor knows what is being bought and that the property he or she is buying meets the needs of the local market – in other words, it is rentable.

A strong, clear marketing message communicates the very real value of the development to property investors with a strategy that takes advantage of off-plan property sales.

3.     Set goals for off-plan property sales

Have a clear target for sales numbers, and build the off-plan property sales strategy around these objectives. This will help to develop marketing methods and keep your campaign on track. Don’t forget that a sales partner should have the capability to capture details of prospects and then onward market to them post-sales events.

4.     Leverage the power of sales partners

Choose your strategic partners carefully, selecting those with a great track record and active base of property investor clients. These are assets that can be leveraged to provide maximum value added to off-plan property sales. Ideally, your partners will also demonstrate the ability to reach out further, with their own strategic partnerships that multiply the power of the direct leverage.

5.     Pre-market selectively and subtly

By this stage of your off-plan property sales strategy, you will have almost everything in place to ensure objectives are at least met. This penultimate step is about creating buzz. Involve sales teams, partners and press to begin the process of subtle marketing. Place strategic and discreet publicity, and be selective in what details you digress and to whom. The idea is to create just enough interest to whet appetites and maintain curiosity.

6.     Time the off-plan property sales launch

Timing is important. Take care to avoid big events that may divert interest, public and religious holidays, and customary holiday periods. Consider your target market, and ensure that the launch will create only good feedback.

As an example of an event that might form part of your off-plan property sales strategy, you might decide to launch at an educational property investment seminar, presented to a select audience of property investors. This can provide the feeling of elitism, which will guarantee positive public promotion of the development: and that is advertising that money can’t buy.

The off-plan property sales strategy is a process, not an event

Setting goals for off-plan property sales and achieving them is a process, not a single event. While the outside world may believe the launch to be the fanfare of publicity, the truth is that a successful off-plan property sales strategy is a carefully orchestrated process, building steadily to the crescendo that guarantees sales.

To discuss marketing strategies that sell, and to reach our rapidly growing investor base, give the team a call on +44 207 923 5680.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood