Tag Archives for " Off-plan units "

5 sales skills needed to boost off-market property sales

What ability does your selling partnership need to sell off-plan units?

There’s a reason why estate agents sell bucket loads of existing homes and far fewer new builds: the process of selling is different. When it comes to selling off-plan units, a more comprehensive property marketing framework is needed. And with off-market property sales mostly made to investors – tending to be a harder sell than new builds to homebuyers – different negotiating and communication skills are used in the sales process.

Here are five of the sales skills we insist our agents embed in their armoury:

1. Listening to and understanding the property investor’s needs

The agent needs to listen to what the investor is saying, and use appropriate open and closed questioning to drill down to exact requirements. Then it’s a question of presenting the off-plan units in line with those needs.

2. Communicating concisely with clarity

The agent will help the investor see how the off-plan units for sale can fit needs. The agent must have the communication skills to sell the vision – off-plan units may be no more than a drawing, and taking that drawing and creating the full picture is an art. The investor needs to be inspired not only by the property for sale, but by the development, location, and nearby amenities.

Photographs of previous developments help give the investor the vision of what the developer is capable of producing.

3. Know how to sell the product

Off-market property sales are different to sales of existing homes because there is more emphasis on selling the product. It’s not the same as ‘getting into bed’ with a homebuyer: new build off-plan units are sold by selling the product, lifestyle, and investment potential.

4. In-depth product knowledge

An estate agent, who is selling homes, is really matching a buyer up with something that is already there. To be successful in off-market property sales, the agent must know the product inside out, back to front, and upside down. They need to be able to explain all the options available.

They also need to know and understand the terms and conditions applied to sales contracts and have the ability to answer queries and combat objections immediately.

5. Negotiating skills

Finally, the agent will need to use all their negotiating skills to close the deal, offering low or no-cost options to encourage investment while helping the buyer to move through to completion.

Our team is not only experienced in off-market property sales but also benefit from the comprehensive continuation of personal development and focused product training for every development sourced and offered to the waiting investors. Feel free to give the team a call on +44 207 923 5680 and find out how our experience and specialisations can benefit your development and increase sales of off-plan units.

What’s the most important skill in your view?

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood

How to drive demand for your off-plan units

Innovative strategies for higher off-market property sales

Developers wanting to drive off-plan property sales up to and above their sales targets need a few key elements in place. A  well organised and well orchestrated property marketing framework is key and as is being innovative in the sales process. This is especially true when the developer wants to kick-start a new development and drive demand for property with off-market property sales.

There are a number of tried and tested marketing strategies used to promote off-plan units. This includes blogs, property investment seminars, reaching out through social media, early-stage site tours and rebranding. Here I want to look at three of these in a little more detail. You never know, one of these could be the spark for you to create a new, innovative off-market property sales strategy – especially if you have a strong USP, too.

Sell sustainability

In this age of green and clean homes, sustainability is a key selling point for many investors and homebuyers. Often, the green features that complement a new home are expensive. If you can offer sustainability and source green fixtures and fittings in bulk, there is no reason why you shouldn’t sell value by taking a different approach to the sales walkthrough.

Why not encourage would-be investors to come behind the scenes, visiting the development site with off-plan units at various stages of completion? Perhaps even invite them to meet with suppliers (who are experts in their own products – use them to sell the benefits of sustainable green homes) and your off-plan property sales will react accordingly.

And the USP? Affordable, efficient and sustainable lifestyle. That’s your angle.

Selling a new concept

Homes are getting smaller, and people are living closer to where the action is. Yet, at the heart of a home is the need for it to provide adequate space for its inhabitants. The New Home Company in the United States has been innovating design for living for a while and has been successful in predicting and even leading lifestyle trends. The latest concept is the ‘family office’, a space that is digitally connected and provides plenty of storage space and desktop work surfaces.

The company was first contracted to provide a family office for a client, and from there it floated the idea to focus groups before rolling out as a flexible design feature.

And the USP? It involves the interior design company early in the process of off-market property sales, with investors able to meet and speak to its representatives and better understand the benefits.

Reaching out to the audience

When investing in off-plan units, investors want to feel fully informed. What better way to produce educative material across a variety of channels – blogs, social media, and trade and local print media.

Investors and homebuyers often have a mental block when it comes to buying new property versus old. They just don’t get the benefits of buying new. By producing articles, blogs, eBooks, and being active on social media, you can set yourself apart as the expert in the new build before the real business of selling off-plan units begins.

And the USP? People identify with an expert and discuss the merits of off-market property sales with others. Soon, you have an army of self-declared experts marketing by word-of-mouth.

These three ideas are just a few of the ways in which developers are connecting with investors and promoting their off-market property sales. When we discuss marketing with a developer, we’ll always look for the USP that will make their product stand out from the crowd − and then we can market off-plan units in the best way possible, to maximise off-market property sales. Feel free to contact the team on +44 207 923 5680.

Live with Passion,

Brett Alegre-Wood