PR for housebuilders: steps to swerve tumbleweed and sell homes
The showroom’s open. Site branding looks fabulous. Crisp brochures in hand. Ads are running across search engines, socials and Rightmove. And then… Tumbleweed.
So much effort and expense goes into marketing new homes, that it’s distressing when it doesn’t translate into interest from would-be buyers.
Housebuilders must navigate many different and conflicting factors to sell homes profitably. The housing market is a complex beast, fuelled or dampened by big issues that no single company can influence. Interest rates, cost of living and consumer confidence all play a part.
But any housebuilder can control how they present their developments to potential buyers. Public relations and story-telling can play a vital role in elevating the marketing activity outlined in the opening paragraph. We know it makes a difference, by helping our clients’ sites stand out in a competitive market.
This post shares our thoughts about how clever PR and community building can bolster housebuilders’ chances of generating interest and a return on investment that their teams’ work deserves.
Some of this is slow-burn and strategic. Some is clear, direct and timebound. Taken together, these steps make up a great campaign that connects new homes with people who want to live there.
This should form part of a wider plan that involves understanding your audiences, how you will reach them and when. Our seven-step strategy process explains this.
Below, we share five steps to shape a PR campaign that opens the doors to potential new homeowners.
Step 1: be a good neighbour from the start
Always remember that your reputation goes before you. In many cases, rightly or wrongly, this forms before the marketing team gets onto site.
How your business navigates the planning process, how site teams communicate and how neighbours experience construction all set the tone for a development. The last thing any new development wants is a Facebook campaign or negative media headlines that anyone searching for it will see first.
Investing in a PR function that manages your business’ reputation from the start and works alongside your team to keep things on point during construction is a smart way to address this risk.
Step 2: engage the community and stakeholders regularly
Building proper relationships with community representatives isn’t just a ‘nice to have’ any more. It’s an essential part of delivering a successful, profitable development.
We call these people stakeholders for a reason: they have a stake in local developments because of their level of interest and ability to inform others about it. Stakeholders can include local and parish councillors, business owners, residents’ associations, schools, community groups, faith groups and sports clubs.
Connecting with these groups through community funds, sponsorship or pro bono support can be a community relations game-changer. Whether it’s a grant to improve the local playground, school visits about site safety, or supporting a community event, there are plenty of opportunities for positive partnerships.
Doing this well builds trust, shows your business cares about the place, and opens networks to share your story. And it’s the right thing to do too.
Step 3: mind the milestones
Every stage of a development gives you something new to talk about, and marketing teams should take full advantage of this.
Doing this regularly helps generate interest, a sense of presence and connection with the places you’re investing in.
Start by mapping the milestones in your programme that lend themselves to PR and content creation, like the ones listed below. Each step provides an opportunity to continuously tell your story in different ways, but they won’t happen well if you don’t plan for them. So, make sure you know the timeline for important milestones to plan your PR around these.
Involving stakeholders in these milestones – by inviting the local MP or councillor to cut a ribbon, asking a school to design a poster for the site entrance, or getting residents to help plant trees – gives you great stories too and helps to turn neighbours into advocates.
Make sure that your PR team is plugged into these, so you can take full advantage of opportunities as they arise.
Remember also that consistency is key. One post won’t persuade potential buyers. Regular updates keep your development front of mind. Using the content across social media, newsletters and news outlets means you’ll be the homebuilder of choice when they’re ready to come looking.
Step 4: humanise your story
There is plenty of research highlighting that real people can shape buying decisions. This can influence life-changing decisions like buying a home too.
This is why our CHATS story-telling approach puts people at the heart of clients’ campaigns. Real-life case studies of families moving into the homes make great content for news and social media.
It’s important to identify and develop stories that work for you. Case studies need that personal detail to bring them to life – names, pictures, understanding what made them buy. We’ve had some belters, from delighted buyers moving into their dream homes, to the crane driver sharing a bird’s eye view of his development with the BBC.
Smart PR professionals know what they’re looking for here. Let them spend time with your sales and site teams to spot the stories that bring your development to life.
Step 5: seeing is believing
When the development is complete and ready to share, give people a reason to check it out.
An afternoon or weekend event is a great way to engage a select audience and invite them to celebrate your development with you.
We’ve done things with influencers, music, locally sourced food and activities for kids – considering your audience and what they will enjoy is key here.
Although journalists are busy, we’ve found that they’ll make time to visit if they can talk to someone and have confidence in the development, which the activity outlined above will help to build. The resulting write-ups can be fabulous and help cement a positive relationship with the media that you can return to.
Top PR for housebuilders
We are proud of our track record of supporting housebuilders’ growth ambitions by connecting them with communities and customers.
Signs are that confidence is returning to the economy after a tough couple of years, and this is good news. Now is the time to put your best foot forward.
Housebuilders who put smart, human comms at the centre of their developments will stand a much better chance of success as green shoots emerge around us.
Contact us if you’d like to know more about how we can help you.
Photo by Tierra Mallorca on Unsplash
Written by
Arianne Smart and Ben Lowndes
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