The Changing Buyer Relationship

The relationship between property developers and buyers/investors (hereafter referred to as buyers) is changing, along with how you can harness new digital marketing technologies to forge valuable connections with buyers, build significant competitive advantage, and ultimately, sell more homes.

What is Digital Marketing? 

Digital marketing is essentially a set of activities delivered across a wide range of digital channels – such as search, social media, mobile, email and websites – that when carefully planned and aligned with your core business activities, can extend your reach and deepen connections with prospects driving awareness, sales and loyalty.

Combining Digital with Other Communications

It is important to understand that digital marketing does not occur in isolation. It is most effective when combined with other communications channels such as print, direct mail, radio, TV, face-to-face and PR. Digital marketing should be used to support and enhance your core sales and marketing activities.

The Owned, Earned & Paid Marketing Model

Digital marketing strategy planning can be a little daunting at times. The sheer number of channels, devices and tools available means getting stuck in a rut, or worse, completely failing to actually plan your marketing is all too common. The Owned, Earned & Paid marketing model helps us get over planning hurdles by offering a simple framework for organizing and executing your marketing activities. As you will see, it encompasses much more than simply listing properties on aggregator sites such as Property Finder & Dubizzle.

Developers

Are becoming more actively involved in the marketing of their new homes, and building long-lasting relationships with buyers and communities.

Agents

Are using data and customer segmentation with marketing automation systems to deliver personalized and highly efficient marketing communications.

Property marketing agencies

Are developing new creative and engaging digital campaigns and content strategies to target specific groups of buyers at each stage of their path to purchase. This presents the tip of the iceberg in what is a HUGE shift in how property will be marketed and sold in the next 5-10 years.

‘Buyer direct’ is already happening

From the buyer side, we are already seeing a trend towards direct-to-seller – wherehomeowners are posting ads on social media sites and forums to reach buyers, and between themselves, are handling the administration of their sale.The trend is real, and although we are still in the early stages – it will continue to grow and solidify as technology savvy buyers and sellers opt to use the free tools and platforms available to take more control over their property transactions – and save money in the process.

The implications

The relationship between the key players in the buying and selling of property is changing – and will continue to change rapidly in the coming years.