Property Marketing in 2020 – how to embrace the new decade
A very happy new year to both clients old and new and to those who may be thinking about how to up their game with property marketing in 2020. We hope that by now you will have well and truly recovered from the new year festivities and are raring to go now that the new decade is part underway.
It’s certainly been a turbulent few years for the property business, no thanks to endless political uncertainty putting the kibosh on many peoples’ plans to move. Like everyone else in the industry, we are hoping that the post- election ‘Boris bounce’ will play a part in releasing pent-up demand and renewing optimism.
As well as gearing up for a busy Spring, it would pay to think a bit more long-term as well about how to ensure your agency flourishes in the 2020’s; embracing the growing demand for ‘online everything’ fueled by shifting demographics (ie the maturation of Millennials and Gen Z who demand it) and the myriad of technological advances that make it possible.
Over the past decade, the way we carry out research and make buying decisions has radically changed, particularly for the younger generation, who have grown up online and play out their lives on social media.
Additionally, we are all now, regardless of age, more time-poor than ever and always on the look-out for ways to manage our time more efficiently. We all want access to relevant information more quickly than ever before!
So how do we think property marketing will need to evolve to take on board the needs and wants of the market in 2020 and beyond?
How will property marketing evolve over the next decade?
It will be more important than ever to reach out to Millennials and Gen Z who will make up an increasingly large percentage of the home buying market. Permanently attached to their phones, it makes sense to think about targeting this group with a mobile first approach.
Websites will need to have pages that load lightning-fast and be well optimised for mobile and tablets. We all get frustrated when we have to wait more than a nanosecond for images to render!
In a world where the online portals are all jostling for our attention, having eye-catching and interesting images will be critical for grabbing those initial online views.
Similarly, engaging promotional material will need to be crafted for social media – channels such as Instagram and Youtube will need to be leveraged to target fact-finding youngsters who are looking to buy into an area and a lifestyle. Videos and interactive ‘stories’ will grow in importance as a way of capturing interest and disseminating information in an easily-accessible way. Forbes recently reported that social video generates 1200% more shares than text and images combined.
Immersive tours and virtual reality have been graining traction over the last few years and are predicated to drastically change how we all view properties in the future.
Companies such as Matterport have led the way with creating 3D showcases that allow a prospective buyer to view numerous properties in the same time that it would previously have taken to visit just one property in person. This taps into our desire to carry out research at a time we find convenient, while saving the time it would take to traipse around endless properties on evenings and weekends.
The buying journey has shifted a lot over the last decade and for most property sales going forward, it will be played out online. Agents who develop a complete digital strategy (that complements traditional offline marketing) which ensures easy access to engaging messaging wherever a customer roams online (via a responsive website, enticing social media feed or immersive 3D experiences) will reap the rewards.
How can NicheCom help you push forward with property marketing?
Our national team of talented property photographers are all members of the Royal Photographic Society and can produce the type of creative images and lifestyle photography that will be in increasing demand. View our gallery.
We’ll always take elevated shots where a property would benefit from it and have invested in a fleet of drones that can produce spectacular birds-eye aerial photographs and video. Read more about our drone photography services.
At NicheCom, we work hard to keep abreast of all the latest technological innovations so that agents can come to us knowing that they have access to the very best property marketing tools.
You will probably have heard us mention our new virtual viewing platform, GotoView, that is due to be launched early Spring. This fully immersive virtual viewing service combines two information sources, 3D showcase and video call facilitation, pulled together in an easy to navigate web portal.
In an era where we have the tools to change the status quo, GotoView will deliver an engaging alternative viewing experience. Features will include, video call scheduling and recording, live video showcase, feedback, live chat (1-to-1 or 1-to-many), data capture and analysis.
This exciting new product has numerous benefits for all involved. Agents can reduce the man hours spent out on appointments (and save costs), vendors will enjoy having less visitors and potential buyers can quickly whittle down their shortlist.
Contact us today to find out how you can trial this new technology. Early adopters will get the chance to try out GotoView contract-free for 3 months.
If you’re worried that investing in your property marketing sounds expensive, then be reassured that prices for a standard property marketing visit (including photographs, floorplans and EPC) are very reasonable and negotiable depending on area and volume. We can also advise on how some of the cost can also be recouped.
Additional extras such as a drone images, 3D showcases with the new GotoView service can be bolted on for a minimal extra charge. Contact us for a quote.