Real estate developers are facing new challenges and opportunities as they adapt to the rapidly changing market dynamics. Recent discussions among industry experts highlighted significant trends influencing lead generation strategies for property developers. On February 27, during an online conference on ERZ trends, representatives from various companies shared insights on effective customer acquisition tactics against the backdrop of intensifying competition.
One notable observation was the expected rise of customer acquisition costs by 20% to 30% by 2025. This cost increase is attributed to several factors, including the growing prevalence of fraudulent traffic and the urgent need for implementing anti-fraud systems. Experts emphasized the shift away from traditional methods, like quizzes, toward more interactive chat landing pages, which offer a more native experience for users, particularly on mobile devices.
Kyrill Kholopik, head of ERZ.RF, noted the current relevance of these discussions, stating, “Identifying effective channels for attracting potential clients directly impacts the profitability of developer projects, as marketing expenses are a significant portion of any developer's budget.”
Experts pointed out troubling trends, such as the degradation of traffic quality due to automated browser tools generating bots. Alexander Torichko, managing partner of Artsofte Digital, warned, “Modern advertising algorithms work on neural networks and self-learn by receiving fraudulent applications. They inadvertently optimize for similar audiences, leading to higher volumes of bot traffic.”
The anticipated decline of quizzes as lead generation tools stems from what experts refer to as “quiz blindness,” with developers frequently utilizing these tools incorrectly by promising curated property listings but failing to deliver meaningful outcomes post-application. Chat landing pages, which simulate conversation between managers and clients, are seen as more effective.
Ksenia Korol, founder of KOROL MEDIA, shared findings from their “No Mortgage” study, which found 39% of homebuyers seek content on how to choose housing. This highlights opportunities for content marketing strategies to attract potential clients through social platforms.
Irina Drobysheva, marketing director at GK PO-BEDA, underscored the growing trend of companies developing their own research centers and analytical tools to process market data. “Accurate analytics is becoming the key success factor amid rising media inflation and stiff competition,” she stated.
Prioritized promotion channels for developers now allocate 30% to 40% of the budget to classifieds, 20% to 35% for contextual advertising, 20% to 30% on outdoor advertising, and smaller portions on targeted social media ads. Despite advances toward digitalization, such as dynamic telephony and call tracking, the gray area of image advertising remains significant.
Nikolai Ivashov, head of Internet advertising at GK Granel, explained their strategy to combat fraud, highlighting the efficacy of SMS confirmations. “We expected this to deter potential clients, but it turns out real buyers easily input codes as they are familiar with this process from banking apps. Fraudulent platforms, on the other hand, do not invest in SMS confirmations, making this approach effective.”
Industry competition is intensifying, prompting companies like GK BM GROUP development to innovate. Dmitry Pavlov, the company’s commercial director, remarked on achieving record sales during traditionally low seasons, attributing this success to introducing new client services and focusing on past audiences not initially anticipated to yield results. He noted, “While conditions continue to grow more challenging, we exceeded our previous sales ceiling by 34% to 36% earlier this year.”
Overall, the discussions at the ERZ trends meetings, held weekly, feature leading experts sharing timely analyses and updates on the real estate sector. These gatherings serve as platforms for knowledge exchange and insights on current trends impacting real estate development dynamics.