Real estate is booming in the UAE. As a result, numerous real estate firms and agencies are popping up across the gulf to cater to the growing demand for property investment opportunities.
When starting a real estate business, marketing can seem like a daunting task. People are extremely careful when choosing a real estate firm to place their trust in when it comes to investing in property.
Whether it’s a family home or a commercial office—real estate is a big investment!
Inbound marketing is taking the real estate industry by storm. Real estate businesses across the globe are adapting to shifts in consumer search behavior and demand to ensure their marketing strategies draw in leads. And that’s exactly what inbound marketing does!
In this article, we take a look at how inbound marketing can be applied to real estate firms. Let’s jump right in.
State of Real Estate in The UAE (focus on Dubai)
The United Arab Emirates, located in Western Asia, is one of the world’s richest countries, with most of its money stemming from the production of goods and services related to the oil industry. Its most populous city, Dubai, is home to a majority ex-pat population of more than 3 million people. For the purpose of this article, we’ll focus on the state of the real estate industry in Dubai.
Dubai’s economy was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. A region reliant on trade and tourism, it suffered the consequences of local lockdowns and tourism bans. The ongoing pandemic, along with chronic oversupply and low economic growth, weakened Dubai’s real estate market. But, things are looking up!
Brimming with luxury villas, soaring apartments, and stylish family homes—it’s no wonder Dubai remains a paradise for investors. Sales of such properties are on the rise, reinvigorating a property market that had been declining for five years prior to the pandemic. House prices are down 40% from their peak, providing smart investors with plenty of property to snatch up. But according to a Reuters poll, prices are set to rise in 2021 for the first time in six years.
Dubai has cemented itself as a business hub, where earnings are tax-free, and a desirable destination for investors and expats seeking new opportunities. Dubai Statistics Centre data projects that Dubai’s economy will grow 4.0% this year after an estimated 6.2% contraction in 2020. Its real estate sector has seen a recent uptick and currently contributes to approximately 8% of economic output.
In an article by Forbes, Sir Anthony Ritossa from Ritossa Family Office, impact investor with interests in real estate, was quoted:
“What I have noticed during our last two conferences in Dubai since October, is a surge of international companies mainly from the US, Canada, France, Switzerland, and the UK moving their company headquarters partially or wholly to the UAE as well as moving their families too. The UAE is affirming itself as the epicenter of business development, especially in the fields of AI, Tech, Blockchain, Agriculture, Healthcare, Education, and Diamonds.”
How inbound marketing has helped in the increase of real estate firms and agencies in the UAE
Nowadays, business is all about marketing. The shift from outbound to inbound marketing techniques reflects the shifts in consumer behavior and dynamics that have taken place in response to the digital age. There’s no denying that for a business to be successful in the modern era, it needs to have a digital presence.
However, there are digital marketing tactics that focus on projecting a certain idea to an audience, and then there’s inbound. Inbound marketing is about bringing customers to you. That’s right, it means challenging those typical outbound tactics and, instead, providing your audience with valuable content and, above all, a reason why they should choose your business. In other words, it’s all about the customer.
When it comes to real estate agencies and firms, it’s important to consider the investment that your customers are making. Real estate isn’t cheap, and investing in it is a big commitment for your existing and potential customers. So, the question is, why should they trust you?
Inbound marketing strategies help real estate firms and agencies to communicate authentically with leads and customers, without shoving unwarranted sales pitches down their throats. Establishing a brand as an industry leader empowers interested audiences to make their own decisions based on trust and credibility.
As the market for real estate grows again in the UAE, a number of real estate firms and agencies are popping up in Dubai and the other major emirate cities. A quick look at the top real estate agencies in Dubai reveals how they’re adopting inbound marketing practices to market their business and attract customers.
Top firms like Fam Properties, Allsopp & Allsopp, and Dacha Real Estate are great examples of how inbound marketing can be used to take a real estate business to the next level and remain at the top of the ladder in a competitive market. They offer highly optimized websites, high-quality imagery, interactive content, informative blog articles, handy chat widgets, and much more.
If you’re considering or planning to open a real estate firm or agency in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, you should consider working with a digital marketing agency specializing in real estate marketing to promote your business and connect with leads and customers.
The best inbound marketing strategies for a real estate company or agent in UAE / Dubai
1. Create and share relevant content
One of the most important parts of any inbound marketing strategy is to share valuable and relevant content with your audience. Sharing educational or entertaining content is a great way to engage your audience and establish your brand as a credible source of information. Your audience will be drawn to websites that offer them something relevant and unique to their interests/needs.
Create and share real estate-themed content that’ll inspire prospective buyers. This could include informative blog articles, video content, infographics, webinars, podcasts, white papers, or any other type of shareable content. Discuss topics relevant to your niches, such as growing interest rates, investment locations, or how-to guides about buying property in the UAE.
Make sure you have strategies in place for sharing your content. You might share it with your audience in an email or on your social media pages. This will not only establish credibility with your audience, but it’ll also help you rank higher in search engines to reach a wider audience.
2. Ensure your website is optimized for search engines and mobile
Search engines like Google and Bing are where the majority of people go to discover information about a product or service they’re interested in buying. Be sure to optimize your website with an SEO strategy that focuses on relevant keywords to help you rank higher in search engine results pages. If you’re creating and sharing content, it’s more than likely these keywords will come out naturally.
Consider local SEO to help you rank for local search queries. As a real estate business, people in the local area will likely have inquiries about properties and investments. For this reason, be sure to include all your business information. 60% of smartphone users have contacted a business directly using the search results such as the “click to call” option, so it’s important to ensure your real estate business information is updated and accurate.
It’s also crucial to optimize your website for mobile. More than half of internet traffic worldwide is generated using smartphones, so offering a poor mobile experience is going to deter a lot of potential customers before they have the chance to see what you offer. Consider hiring an experienced web developer to ensure your website provides visitors with the best possible user experience.
3. Establish a social media presence
When defining your target audience, consider which social media channels they’re most likely to use. Sharing content on social media is a great way to boost engagement, but it’ll also help you strengthen your brand position and interact with potential buyers.
Staying active on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn will allow you to answer questions and address any concerns your audience might have. 54% of social browsers use social media to search for products and services, so who’s to say they won’t use it to find a trusted real estate agency?
Your social media profiles should be updated with the correct business and contact information, feature regular posts, and show that you’re quick to respond to any communication initiated through this medium.
4. Measure results and refine your strategy
Without tracking results, how are you going to know what’s working and what isn’t? This step is crucial to any inbound marketing strategy. Use a website analytics tool to measure things like conversion rate, email open rate, bounce rate, and more.
A tool like Google Analytics or Hubspot marketing software allows you to measure any traffic coming into your site. You’ll be able to tell how they interact with your site as well as any other website activities. When you know what’s working and what’s not, you can refine your inbound strategies, readjust your goals, and experiment with new ideas to see what your audience reacts to.
Why market your real estate business with YourTarget?
A real estate agency like YourTarget works closely with clients to ensure all their needs are met. The goal of any real estate business is to succeed and help people make the right investments.
By understanding who your target audience is, what your business SMART goals are, and what you want to offer your customers, YourTarget develops tailored real estate marketing strategies to help you do what you do best: sell properties.
Ready to see what YourTarget can do for your real estate business? Let’s talk!
Book a consultation today to find out more.
