How can marketers be heard among the hundreds of other companies marketing to their target audience? In a city like Dubai, where the real estate market is saturated with agencies and developers all trying to get the attention of the same buyers and sellers, standing out in such a crowded space is increasingly challenging.
Having a great product or service is one thing, but it’s another to make sure people hear your voice above everyone else’s.
Most industries are crowded, of course, but there’s nothing quite as crowded as real estate in Dubai. So, if you are already in the business – or thinking about entering it – how can you make your marketing messages stand out?
This article focuses on three key areas: psychology, self-marketing, and working within a niche. Along the way, it discusses the importance of emotion and voice and – perhaps most importantly – telling a story.
While there’s no quick fix or wholly original solution, the objective should be to avoid the banal and go that bit deeper. There are countless companies, influencers and agencies out there, so how do you ensure your audience sees you for the original entity you are?
Guiding principles for marketers
Let’s start with some overall principles. Regarding audience engagement for real estate companies, marketing guru Seth Godin says it’s all about delivering ‘anticipated personal and relevant messages to people who want to get them, over a period of time.’
There’s a lot in that single sentence. Anticipated – it’s something they’re waiting for, were already aware of, or were perhaps hoping for. Personal – it feels like it’s tailored to them, and it fits exactly what they’re looking for. Relevant – it focuses firmly on their area of interest.
Godin goes on to say, ‘Somebody who is looking at real estate wants nothing but that, and if you can show up with the single best feed delivering to them on a regular basis exactly what they need … the people who want it will eagerly engage with it.’
Psychology of marketing real estate
Real estate marketing goes beyond selling properties – it’s about creating emotional connections. By considering the human emotions behind your prospects and customers’ desires, you can start to craft strategies that move you from selling walls and a roof to selling an idea with real meaning and emotion in the buyer’s mind.
This is done through storytelling. By creating a narrative around a property, by tapping into the aspirations and even dreams of the potential buyer, you are essentially selling an extension of a person’s life and goals.
This sounds complex, but it doesn’t need to be. A buyer’s dream might be to have a safe place for their children to play, an easier commute to work, or a level of luxury that impresses their visitors.
Regardless of the buyer’s motivation, it’s your job as a marketer in real estate to understand their aspirations and craft stories that evoke images of their future in the place you’re trying to sell. In short, the story you tell is how a particular property will deliver on their dreams.
There are no new ways to get this across – it’s more about the story you choose to tell. This story may be backed up by social proof – whether that’s testimonials, influencer endorsements, community engagement – and so on.
But the key point is that your competitors have the same tools as you, whether that’s virtual reality, augmented reality or the ability to write a brilliant caption on Facebook. What’s unique to you is your background and approach and the story you choose to tell about the property you’re working with.
Yes, you may use the scarcity principle to highlight limited availability and anchoring to demonstrate the low price compared to a previous, much higher one. But in the end it’s the narrative you weave – and that’s original to you.
Marketing marketers, marketing real estate
Since the uniqueness you are offering is all about you, the next question is, do you have a website? In a competitive market, and when a lot of money is at stake, people will look up not just your company but your name specifically. Alongside the company website, it’s essential to have a personal one that gives a sense of who you are, your values, and what drives you.
As we have said, emotion plays a huge role in real estate purchasing, and part of that is the personal connection between you and your client. To this end, you need to ensure the message you are getting across is that you are an expert in your area, that you are offering helpful and educational content for free, and that you genuinely value the communities in which you work.
How you get this across – social media, digital marketing, and so on – is up to you, and as long as you are measuring the effectiveness of your campaigns, you can always pivot if you find a particular channel is bringing better results. But this is a two-tier approach – to show yourself as a fully rounded human being, and also an expert in what you are selling. Make yourself someone who people remember.
Then deliver that through interactive virtual tours, live property viewings on social media, or hosting exclusive events for potential buyers. You may even choose to collaborate with local influencers or lifestyle brands – whichever route you choose, it’s all about aligning with other trusted names to reinforce your brand’s credibility.
Marketing while in a niche
The real estate market is one of the most competitive industries out there, especially in a city like Dubai. But standing out isn’t just about offering a good property or using traditional marketing tactics. To truly capture attention, you need to engage your audience on a deeper level.
By leveraging psychological principles, offering unique value based on you as a person as well as the space you are trying to sell, while also focusing on building relationships rather than making quick sales, you can create a marketing strategy that resonates.
Once you can craft messages that break through the noise and speak directly to the desires and motivations of your clients, you have answered the question posed at the beginning of this article: ‘How do I stand out?’ Because it’s never about shouting louder than everyone else – it’s about speaking to your audience in a way no one else has thought of.
Real estate marketing – it’s down to you
The real estate market is unique. On one hand, you have massive international investment, a constant influx of expats, and an actual demand for both luxury and affordable housing. On the other hand, there is fierce competition among businesses targeting the same audience.
But unlike other industries, where competition might be more generalised, real estate marketing operates in a niche that thrives on reputation, trust, and credibility. It’s down to you to deliver that through the stories you tell and the connections you make.
By Anisha Sagar is Managing Partner at Créo Global
