Buyers are trusting a promise
A buyer purchasing off the plan commits to something that does not exist yet. They cannot inspect the finished building, so they judge the promise by the evidence around it. The Queensland Government has noted the risk involved, with the Attorney-General describing off-the-plan residential contracts as complex and involving non-standard terms and urging buyers to seek legal advice before signing.
That caution is reasonable, and it shapes how buyers read every piece of a development’s brand. They are looking for reasons to trust it.
What buyers look for
The diagram on this page sets out the questions a buyer works through. First, the name and identity: does this project feel like it is for someone like me, at this price? Then the place: where is it, and what will be around it? Then the people: who is behind it, and what have they delivered before? Then the proof: specifications, finishes and completed work that can be checked. Finally, a credible and easy way to ask questions.
The people are often the strongest evidence. A developer, architect and builder with completed projects a buyer can visit offer more reassurance than any render.
| Question | Project brand | Developer brand |
|---|---|---|
| Speaks to | Buyers for one project | Buyers, investors, councils and partners |
| Main message | This place, for this kind of buyer | Our track record and standards |
| Lifespan | Until settlement and handover | Across every project |
Positioning comes first
It is common for a project to commission renders and a name before anyone has agreed who the buyer is. The materials then look polished without making a clear case to anyone in particular. Positioning decides who the project is for and why it suits them better than the alternatives, which, in Michael Porter’s terms from What Is Strategy?, is the point of strategy: being different in a way that matters to the buyer.
Project brand and developer brand
Each project usually needs its own brand, designed to sit clearly under the developer’s. The project brand speaks to the buyers for one place. The developer brand carries the track record across every project. When the two are designed together, each project adds to the developer’s reputation, and each new launch starts with more trust than the last.
Consistency through to handover
The sales experience should tell one story across the website, display suite, printed materials, agents and buyer updates during construction. Zelexis works with developers and builders on positioning, naming, identity and sales materials, planned from the first decision through to settlement.
A useful next step
Something to try this week.
Before commissioning renders or a name for your next project, write one paragraph describing the buyer it is for, the alternatives they will consider and why this project suits them better. If that paragraph is hard to write, the positioning work should come first.