The real estate sector has undergone several revolutionary changes within a few years, thanks to a growing middle class and the meteoric increase in their disposable incomes. This has led to the creation of an aspirational class that is keen on investing in real estate. Therefore, real-estate marketers today are expected to be tech savvy, communicate confidently, post content online, familiarise oneself with regulatory information, and possess relevant client servicing skills, to name a few. In an increasingly competitive market, these skills can give individuals an edge, as both buyers and sellers require experts who can deal with the intricacies of property purchase.
Essential skills
For several decades, the real estate industry was unorganised, with minimal regulatory systems to check the proliferation of unregistered brokers and agents. Fortunately, transformation in the past 15-20 years has seen the increase of professional and qualified marketers. The sector also witnessed segmentation across consumer categories, backed by dedicated market research, based on which projects are pitched to customers. This cohesion in branding strategy, and the gentrification of properties and customer demands, is driving the next generation of marketers to acquire the necessary skill sets.
The key to becoming a marketer in any field is having the consumer at the centre of whatever you’re trying to sell, and the real estate industry is no exception. Trade marketing plays a crucial role with brokers becoming significant spokespeople for the real estate brand. Convincing a buyer to take the first step of visiting the sales gallery and the layout is similar to a retailer planning walk-ins and the shopping experience. All marketers can be real estate marketers as long as they understand the importance of cracking the consumer behaviour code. Several academic institutions in India offer courses and degree programmes, which can open new avenues for professionals. Some are known for their management programmes or hospitality training; however, they offer key learnings and skills that may come in handy in the real estate industry as well.
The advent of edtech and increasing Internet penetration across the country has made online courses accessible to aspirants from remote locations as well. There are specific certification and executive courses to train even those from different academic backgrounds. Furthere, there are several workshops and lectures that focus on teaching the nuances of the Real Estate Regulation Act (RERA), construction management, real estate management and consulting, to name a few.
Future of real estate marketing
A good marketer understands minute details of customer behaviour, does the right research, and is the face of the real estate brand during interactions. Today, he/she is able to reach out to the customer through specific websites, apps, social media and digital marketing. In fact, Augmented Reality (AR) helps property buyers undertake virtual tours and use tools to design elements within a property. Therefore, it is essential for marketers to learn the significance of new tech in the real estate sector without compromising on the basics of consumer marketing which remains the foundation.
The writer is Director, Xanadu Realty.
