A property development copywriter has essentially one job: to make someone feel what it’s like to live there. To paint a rosy picture, for sure, but without overclaiming.
In this article, I’ll go through some of the do’s and don’ts involved in writing about property developments, from glossy brochures through to websites, videos and articles.
What goes into an effective property development brochure?
The picture you paint must be complete – the properties, the fixtures, the fittings, the surroundings, the amenities, the area, the green spaces, the transport links and so on. And that goes for whether you’re selling an exclusive upmarket UK development, affordable housing, or a dream escape overseas.
The specs should come later in the brochure but they’re equally important. The different property types and sizes, obviously, but also the floorplans and the brands used for the fixtures. You should also include precise measurements, although with caveats, given last-minute adjustments sometimes have to be made.
The many brochures that I wrote for the Berkeley Group, such as the one above, were full of information, right down to the types and positions of the light switches, shaver sockets, smoke detectors, towel rails and cupboard lights. Details such as these really matter to some buyers. They may represent the icing on the cake, or simply provide reassurance that what they’re buying will be special.
Question: How do you sell the property dream without overpromising?
Answer: It may be property, but don’t trowel on the adjectives. Instead, bring your language down to earth with specific, verifiable detail, from cornicing to the handy corner shop nearby
Location, vocation, sensation
(Or to put it another way: where is it, will it work with my job, and what does it feel like to live there?)
Looking beyond the property itself, there are plenty of other potential selling – or sticking – points. Location is the obvious starting point, yet some brochures and websites will tend to skim over this part. Where does it sit in relation to other properties? And within the district, town, city?
Moving on to vocation, does it work with your work? Most people still commute at least some of the time. How close it to the motorway, the tube, the station? How often do the trains run? When is that new route opening?
Sometimes, location and vocation are intimately linked, as in the Sovereign Court brochure shown above.
As for sensation, what does it feel like to live there? What are the locals like? Is there a young, trendy vibe or it more family-friendly or suitable for empty nesters or retirees? Don’t try and be all things to all people – be honest, pick your audience and sell to them.
Offering a very different vibe from Sovereign Court, the image above is from another brochure that I also wrote. Hammersmith might have had the business opportunities, but Hackney had the buzz, hence the testimonials. (One of them being from me, given I lived there.)
Find something unusual – or unique
Other ways of making your property development stand out from the crowd today are to look to yesterday. I wrote a whole series of brochures for Berkeley Homes on Royal Arsenal Riverside (RAR) – including one that focused purely on the area’s history as the centre of munitions making in centuries past.
In fact Berkeley Homes have made a specialism of focusing on individual selling points. If the opportunities warrant it, they think nothing of producing standalone brochures focusing on local lifestyles or educational opportunities.
On the other side of London from RAR, a recent new development was on the site of a country house which also had major historical significance. That included housing captured German generals during the last war. It was also home to many hidden microphones – which is how the allies first heard about the Nazis’ infamous V-weapons.
Question: How do use videos to sell property?
Answer: Drone footage is now cheap and easy to obtain, and an obvious go-to for marketing property developments. Internal walk-throughs are now almost obligatory, and several companies specialise in ways of bringing properties to life for prospective buyers. Read more on this in my recent PropTech article
Writing international property showcases
Overseas developments are often about selling a lifestyle relocation rather than a home. For one thing, owners will often be on the premises only during certain seasons, or for a few weeks here and there. Some won’t even spend time there at all, or even visit – it’s purely an investment decision.
For high-end properties in the sun, privacy and tranquillity may be two of the main attractions, as with the Garden Square, Cyprus brochure above.
For others, such as the Andermatt article shown below, the aesthetics of the property are one of the key selling points. Rather than writing standard brochures, I wrote and edited articles such as these, featuring interviews with the chief architect and interior designers.
For more details on writing for international audiences and markets, please see my writing for international clients page.
Get a real live professional property copywriter to write it for you
Follow the guidelines above and you won’t go far wrong. Ask AI to do it and selling the dream could become a bit of a nightmare. Flat and lacking empathy, the property dream it portrays could be one of those that you forget the second you wake up. Worse still, some of the vital details could be wrong.
A better route could be to opt for a professional property copywriter such as myself. (Take a look at more of my property copywriting examples.) If you’d like a free, no-obligation quote, then please contact me now
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