Making Real Estate More Real: How to Humanise Your Property Brand

Right now, property has a PR problem. The Governance Institute of Australia now ranks it as one of the least trustworthy professions in Australia, lagging behind even the likes of politicians, and Roy Morgan’s Image of Professions survey rated real estate agents as the third lowest for ethics and honesty.

Over the years, hard-sell tactics, deceptive sales pitches and cold communication styles have eroded the public’s goodwill, tarring the whole industry with the same impersonal image (regardless of how good or upstanding many property companies actually are).

But the good news is, this judgement isn’t final. There are ways to brand your property company in a more personal, empathetic and authentic way, and ultimately, win back the trust of the customers you need to reach. Here’s how.

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‍1. Personality

Scroll through any real estate website and you’ll see stunning shots of properties, accompanied by a slew of stats: price, weeks on market, square metres, distance from schools and shops, and long, long lists of amenities. These numbers and features are essential, but without introducing customers to the people behind the transactions, your company can feel like a faceless entity.

So put your team front and centre of your brand. Tell customers about their journey, their values, their approach, their experience and what they love about their job, then package it all up in an engaging set of bios and videos. (After all, these are the people buyers or sellers will be trusting with their hard-earned money.) The more you do so, the more people will feel reassured that you’re a safe pair of hands – and can guide them safely and smoothly through the process.

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2.Credibility

In the war for attention, some companies lean on puffed up claims, offering “amazing returns”, “exceptional client experiences” and “unmatched off-market discoveries”. Often, these big claims aren’t backed up by any tangible proof, which only adds to customers’ wariness of being misled.

A more credible approach is to stick to real case studies and real results, as real estate coach Adrian Bo recommends. That way, you can show people you know what you’re doing and have the solid track record to do it. Tell the full story of how you helped a client, starting with the problem they faced, the solution you delivered and the results it achieved, accompanied by authentic photos and genuine quotes. And do so in an understated way: no buzzwords, no exaggerations, just a simple demonstration of how you made someone’s life easier.
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3.Empathy

Property branding almost always starts with the properties, rarely the customers. Many brands sell their spaces with extraordinary care and detail, but don’t take the time to tap into the (often nervous) mindset of the buyer, renter or investor. 

After all, securing a property can be an emotional rollercoaster: there’s plenty of choice, plenty of jargon and a scarcity of clear advice. Then there’s the high stakes nature of it all: where you choose to rent, buy or invest will ultimately influence your quality of life for months, years or even decades to come.

These big emotions aren’t to be ignored. If you can build a brand proposition that really speaks to these emotional needs (i.e. confusion, stress, anxiety) and offers a strong antidote (i.e. clarity, peace of mind, rigour), customers will feel much more confident about your service. In fact, behavioural science firm System1 has discovered that emotional ads can achieve up to 6x the brand uplift and 20% more recall than functional ads. Which just goes to show: empathy is a great strategy.
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4.Transparency

Last but not least, be very transparent about what customers can expect when they work with you. Some companies are light on details when it comes to their process, pricing and services, preferring to keep their copy general and ambiguous. However, this ambiguity can make customers feel uneasy, as if you’ve got something to hide.

A simple way to address this is to create a methodology, which breaks down how you help clients stage by stage. At each step, clearly define what you’ll do (e.g. search for properties), and what outcomes you’ll provide (e.g. a property shortlist, conducting initial inspections, etc.). If you’re feeling particularly bold, attach clear costs to it all: how much do steps 1 and 2 cost, what about half the process, and what about the full journey? It may seem labour intensive, but it means that everyone is on the same page from day one.

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Rethink Group: Using The Power of a Founder

See how we helped property investment firm, Rethink Group, earn the hard-to-get trust of high-end clients, all thanks to a brand fronted by their founder Scott O'Neill.

View the Full Rethink Case Study

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Matched: Property That Puts People First

Matched are a buyer’s agency who do things differently, prioritising customers’ needs over the pursuit of profits. The problem was: trust in the category had been weakened by inexperienced competitors who often make grand promises, but deliver not-so-grand results.

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To win over skeptical buyers, we built a brand that was less transactional and more personal. We framed Matched as the agency that takes a tailored approach to property, matching people to the place that’s right for them (and only them). We gave them a transparent methodology, the Matched Experienced™, which highlighted the care and consideration they give clients throughout the buying process. And we put their three founders, Bill, Eva and Hassan, at the beating heart of the business, highlighting their skills, experience, values and (disarmingly charming) personalities. All of which gave them the human touch they needed to succeed.
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View the Full Matched Brand

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