housebuilder - marketing - may 2016

housebuilder may 2016 57

marketing techniques

Making a sale might seem like the final job for housebuilders, but it is an ongoing process that begins even before the first brick is laid.

“Long before any construction gets underway, projections of what is being planned can be purveyed through artist impressions. Once displayed a good quality

Buzzability

image can create excitement whilst gaining support of the local community; this is most useful with regeneration-type projects,” says Darren Eburne, sales director, at Glendining Signs. “Large format, high quality signage

can be installed to demonstrate what improvements are coming once the planning is approved.”

In fact enabling the public to see what is happening is key to success and Glendining Signs has been working with the Rydon Group and the Kier Group to make this happen, producing hoarding type signage that incorporates viewing panels. The panels are set in place so members of the public can safely look upon the development as it takes shape. “It’s promoted a good bond between the housebuilder and the

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Housebuilders can tempt buyers to their schemes through signage, websites and more. Kevin Stanley talks to the marketing companies that can help capture customer interest and secure sales

Continuous and subtle profiling across a variety of platforms including blogs, social media, newspapers and trade publications is important

Classic Folios’ portal includes all the information a buyer needs about their new home



��Continued from page 57community,” says Eburne. “We’re working hard to ensure all sites are on brand, advising on material choices along with the most economical production methods and sizes of panels being used.”

Another important factor is marketing to the right target audience. Hints towards a desired lifestyle can often be used to good effect. “The mention of restaurants, bars and gyms along with other social activities might lend well to attracting younger buyers seeking their first flat or apartment. With a development of family homes the mention of quiet, safe locations, with access to good schools and local shops may be influential,” explains Eburne.

easily accessible materialIt is no longer good enough to simply give potential customers basic information regarding location and floor plans. People now want in-depth, easily accessible material about finishes and systems and information about the wider


Anthology offers an illustrated audio guide to its schemes

“Start your Story” with AnthologyThe sales and marketing team at London developer Anthology London, with support from communications agency Remarkable Content and creative agency Greenspace, is changing the way that customers buy a new home, the developer claims. The marketing journey looks to empower customers to start their own story from their first website visit with an online ‘Start your Story’ tool that tailors information to meet their expectations.

Anthology says it recognises that the modern buyer cares little for the sales spiel. “They want what they want and they will turn off immediately if they don’t get it. This means that there will be no corporate brochures and no hard sell.”

Anthology’s first development, Anthology Deptford Foundry, is focused on engaging with the customer as they make, possibly, the biggest buying decision of their life. “Even before the customer visits the development, they can explore the highlights of the area via the online neighbourhood tour. This illustrated audio guide is a venture around Deptford helping to get a real feel for the area,” Anthology explains.

Visitors can view a model to see how these new homes will fit into the fabric of the local community. This includes a fully interactive digital version of the development that customers can navigate around.

Once the customer has chosen their home, they will become “digitally immersed” in it. After exchanging, they will receive their own personalised “Story of You”. This will incorporate all of their lifestyle requirements. All information in their story will be built around them and what they want from the area in which they have chosen to plant roots.



made high-profile Russian purchasers feel truly valued by their housebuilder,” says Graydon.

A simple but effective, tried and tested, way of generating interest is to use a big name brand. “At Symphony we’re always striving to find new ways of standing out from the crowd; whether this is


the traditional printed manual and our cloud based portal, myHomefiles is an ideal way of ensuring the ongoing value of customer satisfaction. For example, translating a manual into their native tongue recently

��Continued from page 59community. Embracing new technologies is a way to give them this information at the touch of a button. Classic Folios’ market leading portal, myHomefiles, has been designed to enhance the experience. “Our focus has been to identify all the information that a buyer requires to make a decision and to ensure that the process from reservation through to completion is as easy as possible. We can capture customer interest by delivering their requirements via online functionality,” says David Graydon, owner of Classic Folios.

overseas customersA recent increase in overseas customers making property portfolio purchases in the UK has seen housebuilders seeking ways to develop stronger customer relationships with purchasers for whom English may not be their first language. Classic Folios has been facilitating this by offering translated versions of their bespoke home owner manuals and innovative online consumer portal. “Customers from outside the UK are buying homes and also making high value portfolio investments. Utilising

Site hoardings for Artez Group, a client of marketing communications agency Peppermint Soda

62 housebuilder may 2016


��Continued from page 61launching new and innovative collections and ranges, or offering simple, but fantastic customer service, and this year is no different. We’re pleased to announce the launch of the Laura Ashley Kitchen Collection, which complements our ultra-contemporary Linear by Symphony brand,” says Robert Newton, head of marketing at Symphony Group. The Laura Ashley Kitchen Collection can attract new house buyers as it offers a brand name that is instantly recognisable and offers consumers confidence that they are a buying a high quality British-made kitchen.

variety of choiceHousebuilders can offer different designs and upgrades in order to provide homebuyers a wide variety of choice and styles. ”The improvements in the market have led to housebuilders choosing to upgrade the specifications on kitchens,” Newton continues. “We work from designers and housebuilders from the outset and discuss the look and specification that a developer wants to achieve and then evaluate the ranges and kitchen design options, such as drawers vs. doors and the incorporation of finishing touches, such as pull out wirework. We are seeing more of an uptake on upgrades on both frontals and our extensive range of finishes provides homebuyers with a full upgrade selection.”

The property market is saturated so it is crucial to for housebuilders to be seen. Continuous and subtle profiling across a variety of platforms including blogs, social media, newspapers and trade publications is important if your company is to be successful. “People are becoming ever more reliant on social media for their daily news and therefore it’s increasingly important to use a variety of social media platforms to reach out to your target audience,” suggests Jean-Philippe Glaskie, managing director, at marketing communications agency Peppermint Soda. “Buying a new home is an incredibly exciting milestone in people’s lives, which means that they’re very likely to talk about it on social media, making it a great opportunity to engage with home owners and buyers throughout the process. It can generate hugely positive word-of-mouth feedback, turning buyers into brand ambassadors and building strong relationships, which could lead to future sales,” says Glaskie.

It is also worth remembering that for any business there is always a combination of both good and bad news regarding developments. Whilst it is important

to push positive messages into the media it is equally important to carefully handle any negative press. “It may be tempting to bury your head in the sand when it comes to complications or hold-ups, but being upfront and honest always pays off. People respect open and transparent communication,” advises Glaskie.

interaction with buyersMarketing really does play an important role in the process of selling houses. It can easily be overlooked and often it may not be consciously noticed at all. But, even subliminally, it influences buyers and shapes their views of the house that they are buying and also the housebuilder that built it. So do not forget to interact with potential, and actual, customers at every stage of the build, from development stages right up to, and including, the after-sales process. A housebuilder that gets involved with its local community and really cares about its customers is a housebuilder that will flourish and outlast its competitors. hb

Anthology www.anthology.londonClassic Folios www.classicfolios.comGlendining Signs www.glendining.co.ukPeppermint Soda www.peppermintsoda.co.ukSymphony Group www.symphony-group.co.uk

KEY CONTACTS

“Buying a new home is an incredibly exciting milestone in people’s lives, which means that they’re very likely to talk about it on social media”Jean-Philippe Glaskie, md, Peppermint Soda

Glendining has worked with the Rydon Group to produce hoarding-type signage with viewing panels

housebuilder - marketing - may 2016

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