Is property marketing creative? Or does it just do the job? Does it even matter?
When was the last time you saw property marketing that was truly original or imaginative?
When was the last time property marketing took your breath away?
Or featured at the Cannes Festival of Creativity?
Or set your LinkedIn feed ablaze?
I bet your answers to all of the above lean towards ‘never’ or ‘almost never’...
It’s baffling, really.
The property industry contributes £137bn to our economy and employs 1 in 12 people in the UK.
But it’s become a laughing stock - and I think a lot of that is down to its marketing.
“Blah De Blah Estates is proud to present...”
Really??? Are we proud? Or just lazy?
As an industry, we hide behind the security blanket of property portals.
We’ve become preoccupied with spec pages, whilst sidelining the real reason people are looking to move.
We’ve relied so heavily on Prop-tech and social channels but have forgotten about the lasting changes we make to people’s lives. Goodness...We’ve made 63% of UK consumers feel that property photos are ‘Very Poor’ or ‘Average.’
It’s time for change.
Today, ‘Property’ and ‘Real Estate’ scarcely feature in the creative industry awards like the Drum, Effie, Cannes, and D&AD. I’ve scoured them all, and our industry’s presence is conspicuously absent. I wonder why that is...?
Creative awards are not just about boozy black-tie backslapping; creativity pays dividends and increases your ROI. Don’t believe me? According to the IPA, campaigns recognised for their creativity deliver a staggering 11-fold return on investment compared to their non-creative counterparts.
Moreover, the most creative marketing agencies demonstrate over double the effectiveness of their less creative peers.
Outstanding property marketing has the unique ability to move people - both emotionally and physically.
Outstanding property marketing can drive more significant purchases, hasten decisions and create lasting brands.
In today’s ever-evolving property market, we’re not just selling houses - we’re the custodians of truly life-altering moves.
In a country obsessed by property - where property ‘experts’ can become overnight TV celebrities - as an industry, we’ve snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
Creating an emotional connection is the most important thing our property marketing can do.
It sounds simple... but it certainly isn’t easy.
And the key to unlocking this connection is creativity.
The sooner boardrooms recognise this, the sooner a creative arms race will begin. And those who dare to stand out as truly creative will emerge as the victors.
So go on then, who’s willing to stand beside me and grab property marketing creativity by the horns?
It’s your move.
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