Project marketer, Fiona Yang turns dreams into ‘realty’

Promoting new homes off-the-plan is very different to marketing an established property. Property developers need a project marketing team with specialist skills and a deep understanding of the psychology behind selling homes that do not yet exist.

Whilst judging the Real Estate Business (REB) Awards I discovered an innovative agency supporting Sydney’s property development community. Plus Agency, has formulated a sales and marketing model that enables their clients to release new builds and close deals sooner than most. At the present time they have over 60 new homes in 15 or more Sydney suburbs for sale.

Fiona Yang, director and head of marketing at Plus Agency, has repeatedly been shortlisted as an REB finalist for her use of AI and ability to bring the story of a new build to life. Let’s explore how Fiona turns dreams into reality (or better still, ‘realty’).

Selling a new home is about selling a dream

When marketing off-the-plan homes, you’re promoting a lifestyle and selling a vision of what will be, not what is. The home doesn’t exist yet, so there is nothing physical to see, touch or inspect. The challenge is getting potential home buyers excited enough to pay for a home that they can’t live in just yet.

Developers can spend a small fortune on traditional marketing campaigns for off-the-plan homes using elements such as site signage, printed brochures, and display suites. Historically a physical space, the display suite, is created that emulates the rooms within the off-the-plan project so that buyers get a scense of what the home will feel like.

When selling a brand new house or apartment you are literally selling a dream – a vision of what the future will be, which is why virtual reality tools lend themselves so well to new homes.

Fiona and her team need to meet the needs of three different customers when developing project marketing campaigns:

• For owner-occupiers seeking a brand new home, the marketing campaigns promise a better home and a higher quality of life.
• For property investors purchasing off-the-plan homes, it’s a numbers game – buy today, profit tomorrow.
• For property developers, the marketing campaign secures sales earlier in the project timeline, without the heavy marketing price tag.

Solid success and project marketing reputation

Fiona’s reputation for digitally advanced project marketing campaigns proceeds her. Savvy developers seek out her skills in order to benefit from:

• Tried and tested strategies for successfully marketing off-the plan homes.
• Cost-effective, state-of the-art digitally integrated marketing campaigns.
• Access to a large database of buyers looking for new homes.

Fiona and the team at Plus Agency go over and above what is offered by other project marketing agencies. Here’s what the model includes:

1. State-of-the-art project marketing retail space

The Plus Agency marketing model also brings a massive financial upside (or pluses) to the table (pun intended).

Plus Agency’s state-of-the-art retail stores in Chatswood and Castle Hill negate the need for Sydney property developers to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars leasing and fitting out their own display suites. This benefit alone saves the developer hundreds of thousands in promotional costs.

Large wall displays in the Plus Agency spaces, along with display tables showcase architectural models of townhouses or apartment complexes, allowing home buyers to immerse themselves in the wide array of new homes on offer across Sydney.

With a steady flow of foot traffic into the Plus Agency shops, this real estate agency attracts more visitors than your average display suite.

In this video, you can see how the various elements in the retail space are showcased for prospective buyers.

2. Faster finance and reduced cashflow pressure

Then there’s the art of selling the vision of the lifestyle afforded by the new home and securing sales ahead of the project build and completion phase. In recent years it has become harder for property developers to find buyers who are willing to purchase a new freestanding house, townhouse or apartment whilst it is in the concept phase.

New home buyers often prefer to wait for the build completion before having full confidence in a new home project. Plus Agency have been able to buck this trend with innovative marketing strategies and a strong salesforce who consistently secure sales early in the project.

Plus Agency’s ability to sell off-the-plan homes at the concept stage removes cash flow pressures and makes it easier for property developers to secure finance from lenders for their existing and future projects. Many projects are sold out in full well before the first brick is laid.

3. Innovative marketing technologies & channels

Fiona uses a number of creative technologies that work in unison, as part of an integrated campaign, to paint a very clear picture of what the future will hold for the home buyer.

Key elements work together in Fiona’s project marketing campaigns including:

• • AI is used to create impactful and three-dimensional imagery. Blending the 3D renders prepared by the architect with neighbourhood streetscapes and adding AI generated people, pets and physical elements homes are profiled from a variety of angles, highlighting the most appealing features and lifestyle benefits. AI-generated imagery is so realistic that potential buyers can easily visualise themselves living in their beautiful new home.
  • Copy and videos are translated from english into other languages like Mandarin and Cantonese to suit the demographic characteristics of potential buyers. This is done cost-effectively using translation software that maintains the nuances of the messaging.
  • Marketing through multicultural social channels to target different and diverse buyers. For example, Facebook, Instagram and popular Asian sites like WeChat and Little Red Book (Xiaohongshu). Importantly, marketing copy is customised to suit each different platform and attracts buyers both domestically and internationally. Here is one example of creative that is targeted at prospective Chinese buyers.

• Garnering press attention with interesting stories. Targeting publications such as The Urban Developer, the Daily Telegraph and Real Estate Group, alongside TV news bulletins, interesting stories such as this piece titled Homebuyer buries copper plates in Sydney unit for good luck, gains public attention and interest.
• VIP launch events for finance ready home buyers. This network includes active home buyers, alongside buyers agents who seek exclusive homes for their local and international clients. The excitement that Fiona is able to generate around each new development, sees units and houses sold out in a single event.

Most importantly, Plus Agency don’t just view their off-the-plan marketing campaigns as lead generators. They are not satisfied with merely gathering views and clicks. Securing sales for the highest possible price in the shortest possible time frame is the ultimate goal. Their model sees them set price records, such as the $4.7 million price tag achieved on 8 brand new luxury townhouses in Lindfield, that were $900,000 above the median price in the same suburb for freestanding homes.

Building a VIP list of new home buyers

Plus Agency has a long established list of prospective buyers eagerly awaiting the next release of new developments, having missed out on others prior. The demand that Fiona and the Plus Agency team are able to generate, for Sydney’s new homes market in general, is then fulfilled by their loyal base of property developer clients.

Property developers know that partnering with Plus Agency and signing up to their superior sales and marketing methods not only save them time and marketing dollars but ensure finance is secured earlier in the project. Plus Agency projects take days to sell out, whilst homes sold through other more traditional project marketers take months or even worse, years to sell, and only secure their first sale when the property is built.

Want more successful project marketing campaigns?

If you’re a property developer wanting to better promote your project and sell more homes faster, then contact Fiona Yang today. Better still, drop into Plus Agency’s long-established office in Chatswood or their newly opened office in Castle Hill to see their setup for yourself.

Building successful real estate brands

Hoole is a specialist marketing agency with over 20 years real estate industry expertise. If you you’d like to secure quality clients and a increase your property listings to grow greater profits in your business then contact me, Melanie Hoole. I offer a free one-hour consultation where I’ll review your current brand marketing activities and recommend the very best next steps for you.

Written by Melanie Hoole

My team and I specialise in helping real estate and property professionals perfect their personal brand, build a first-class digital profile and implement inbound marketing activities to attract leads. If you are unsure which direction to take with your digital marketing contact me for help.