Most new developments will require a dedicated marketing and sales space in which to engage with potential buyers. A marketing suite is your showroom – possibly even before you even have anything to show. We know that creating the perfect environment and optimising selling space is central to generating more leads for a new development, so we’ve put together our top five steps to creating a relaxed and comfortable environment for prospective buyers:
1. Start with the customer journey – during the planning phase, carefully consider how you’ll lead potential buyers through to your marketing suite. Elements like clear external signage and hoarding, the path around the site, inviting directional signage, a convenient car park, external lighting and landscaping can all be used to lead people in.
Once inside, incorporate a reception and refreshment area with development models, interactive displays and brochures. When people are further along in the customer journey, they’ll want to view finishes, such as kitchens, carpets and tiles to get a taster of the style of the development and help them in their selection, so make sure you include space for this.
Consider the route you’ll take to get people to the show house or apartment when it’s ready – this needs to be just as appealing to make sure they don’t feel like they’re stumbling through a building site. Finally, make sure you have an appropriate space in which final negotiations can take place.
2. Showcase the development’s brand – for a great first impression, the interior décor must be warm and comfortable – as well as an attractive and aspirational environment – to appeal directly to your demographic. Whether the finish of your marketing suite is luxury or affordable, or has quirky or traditional styling, will depend on the target audience. To maintain brand consistency, the choice of elements like furniture and technology should also reflect the development.
3. Tell your story – alongside your website, a marketing suite is a crucial tool in telling your development’s brand story. Make sure you do this with clarity and consistency. Intrigue the audience with informative wall graphics, interactive displays with CGI images, or a 3D development model to answer key considerations. You’ll need to communicate information like: the size of properties, how many are available, what the site plans look like, how far the nearest station is, what schools are in the area, the selling points of local amenities and restaurants, the development story, or the history of the area.
4. Function as well as form – marketing suites aren’t always the largest spaces, so don’t forget about practical considerations to working effectively. If your sales team has a good experience of working in the space, this will translate to buyers. Avoid clutter with built-in storage for bags or brochures. Think about formal and informal areas – you may need a relaxed seating area, as well as a private room for sales negotiation. Keep staff facilities, like the cloakroom, kitchen or toilet out of sight. You should also provide hi-vis jackets and hard hats and keep them in a tidy area.
5. Meticulous project management – working on a live construction site is not always easy, so excellent project management will be key to the success of your marketing suite build. Depending on the size and scope of the marketing suite and fit-out, from instruction to design, survey, artwork, production and installation can take anything from three weeks to six months. A good project manager will build strong relationships with the site and construction teams and maintain clear channels of communication.
This will be a public space within a building site, so make sure you work with a company that adheres to strict health and safety guidance for peace of mind. Finally, it’s important to choose a consultative partner you can trust to find practical and cost-effective solutions to any issues that occur – rather than promise you they won’t happen in the first place.
Reade Signs project manages the design and build of marketing suites to help customers visualise their new home. We do this for leading housing associations and property development companies – both one-off projects or nationwide roll-outs. Please visit our dedicated marketing suite page if you’d like to find out more. If you’d like to discuss a project, please call us on 01252 336000
