Marketing your way through challenging times

18 December 2018 9288 Views

It is something of an understatement to say that we are in challenging times. BREXIT is unresolved and we wait with baited breath as to whether we are in, out with a deal, without a deal, having a second referendum or a general election.

With these levels of uncertainty everyone is watching the markets, listening to self-titled experts opinions and in many cases putting big decisions such as property investment on the back burner.

A poll by NAEA Propertymark, conducted last month, found that 46% of members believe a no-deal Brexit would have a negative impact on the market, while 62% think home owners will put off plans to move due to the uncertainty.

The Governor of the Bank of England also said that property values could contract by 30% depending on what happens with BREXIT. This doesn’t help inspire confidence in an already shrinking property market.

So what should an agent do to get through these challenging times?

Keep marketing, keep marketing and keep marketing!

People are still looking for properties, there may be reduced transactions for some but this is not the same as reduced interest. Now is the time to keep your brand in their mind and keep target marketing to tomorrow’s customers. Then when we have a more confident market you will be in the best position with a warm prospect list to target.

One of your key marketing focuses has to be your website and online strategy. Now more than ever people use websites to decide upon which suppliers to choose to work with. A potential buyer will often take a look on a site such as Rightmove and shortlist the properties that they are interested in, after this the first port of call is often your website so it has to look good and be easy to use with right thumb friendly tools and first class customer service.

If a potential buyer visited a high street agency and the windows were dirty, with poor quality property flyers, chipped paint and a dead fly in the corner it is not going to inspire them to walk through the door. If they did enter the office to then be greeted by an agent who can’t answer their questions they are most likely to leave and go elsewhere.

It is the same for your website, it has to have click appeal, look slick, work effortlessly and guide the visitor to where they want to go - and quickly. It is where vendors come to ‘kick the tyres’ and take a look at your property listings/services and decide whether you are worth listing their property with.

Buyers will be looking for tools such as maps, schools information, travel times, the ability to view a 360-degree virtual tour of a property and be able to interact electronically with the agent.

Marketing is your only way to get through challenging times, keeping your name in front of people and making sure they know you are still here. If you cut back on your marketing spend the only agency people will know about is the one who spent wisely. Let that be you.