By Emma Drake

This chapter explains the challenges and barriers for PR practitioners working on the development of new communities – from planning and construction, to promoting a new destination. It covers the strategic approach required and the political, environmental and economic issues that can impact on development. It emphasises the importance of a strong narrative, well-crafted key messages and stakeholder engagement. The chapter also includes best practice guidance, case studies and practical tips on managing relationships and issues, and monitoring and evaluating a communications programme.

Emma is an independent communications consultant and Chartered Public Relations Practitioner who started her career in corporate communication and has since gained 20 years’ experience in the PR and communications industry, more than half of which has been within the built environment sector. Emma is also founder of Henbe which provides corporate communication, marketing and PR consultancy to organisations in the built environment, predominantly in housing and large scale development, but also finance and technology-led products and professional services firms servicing this sector. Emma has been an advocate of best practice techniques and professionalising the PR industry her entire career and was one of the first CIPR practitioners to obtain the Post Graduate Diploma from the CIPR and, subsequently, the Crisis Communications Diploma. She is volunteer director of a local community charity, a mentor to those entering the industry and also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

By Dan Innes

Described from the perspective of integrated communications consultancy Innesco, this chapter focuses on the changing retail and commercial sectors and shows how communications professionals are able to input into the design and development process, influencing the product in such a way that it then lends itself to successful PR. It emphasises the importance of research to inform creative thinking, of a strategic approach and of the benefits of evaluation.

Dan is the founder of INNESCO.  He has worked in real estate and the built environment for over 25 years, spent entirely in an agency environment aside from the first year after graduating which he spent working in the real estate planning team at what is now AXA. He works to articulate success, build reputations, trigger business growth and drive asset value.  He and the wider INNESCO business have gained the trust of numerous property clients including AXA, Blackrock, Brookfield, Capital & Regional, CBREi, AlliedLondon, Hammerson, Hermes, HINES, Landsec, Bouygues, Pradera, Delancey, IKEA Centres, Stanhope, intu Spain, British Land, MAPIC, Westfield, Tesco, The Crown Estate, and The Wellcome Trust.

By Clare Jones

On-the-ground communications around the delivery of new homes is emotive and challenging, framed by the reputational challenges that the homebuilding industry continues to face nationally. This chapter explores the wider context, mapping out the PR and engagement objectives throughout the cycle of a typical homebuilding project, as well as exploring some of the tools and tactics that can be used to help meet these communications objectives. The chapter sets out how improving communications and engagement at a grassroots level can help to shape the homebuilding agenda, and through a bottom-up approach, help improve the reputation of the wider industry.

Clare is founding director of Grasshopper Communications. Clare has over a decade’s experience in delivering communications campaigns for property and regeneration projects, including a number of mixed-use urban extensions and homebuilding projects. Clare has particular expertise in designing and implementing community and stakeholder engagement programmes for major planning and infrastructure projects, and is interested in best-practice approaches to grassroots community engagement. Clare is member of the CIPR and is currently vice chair of the South Wales branch of Women in Property.

By Susan Fox

This chapter is aimed at those interested in understanding the issues facing social housing communicators. It finds a regulated sector that is historically well-established, yet little understood, with an uncertain independence and status. Frequent political changes, the drive to develop and the need to generate funds bring challenges to organisational culture and to communications. The chapter describes wide-ranging challenges, and provides examples of campaigns and tactics.

Susan is a communications consultant and coach. She was director of communications for The Regenda Group, where she led a major project to rebrand the Group and its subsidiaries. Previously, as director of policy and communications, Susan established the policy function at Ombudsman Services, and as director of corporate affairs at the Information Commissioner’s Office, she achieved the highest ever awareness of data protection and freedom of information. Susan is a Chartered PR Practitioner and a Fellow of the CIPR, and contributed to the CIPR book Chartered Public Relations.

By Fiona Lund

This chapter looks at how and why local authorities are evolving the housing product they deliver and the way in which they deliver it. Through case studies and practical advice, the chapter gives an overview of the changing landscape of development by local authorities and the implications for PR and communications.

Fiona’s 25-year career has been defined by strategic communications and the delivery of professional public relations and marketing across the housing supply chain. For the last 13 years she has led Brouha, an award-winning agency, to becoming one of the leading strategic boutique PR brands in social housing, retail, housebuilding and property services.

By Henry Columbine

Student accommodation is changing rapidly. With higher prices, increased competition among developers and from institutional investors entering the fray, communications requirements in this sector have gone from non-existent to significant. Communicating to potential residents offers opportunities for creativity but also requires care. Choosing a suitable tone for audiences, whose values and priorities are changing constantly, is not always straightforward. This chapter illustrates the importance of the research vital in understanding how messaging will be perceived and campaigns planned and executed.

Henry is a managing partner of Newgate Communications. He has 12 years’ experience in strategic communications, with a focus on the property sector. His work includes corporate campaigns for real estate developers, investors and consultants, as well as supporting sales and lettings programmes for commercial, residential and mixed-use schemes.

By Tania Thomas and Henrietta Harwood-Smith

Drawing on the expertise of boutique PR consultancy Maison Communications, this chapter considers the unique challenges and opportunities in promoting high-end residential property. It demonstrates how integrated communications strategies are designed, implemented and evaluated and illustrates advice given with examples from Maison’s own work.

Tania and Henrietta are joint founders of Maison Communications, a London-based boutique agency which specialises in property, lifestyle, interiors and architecture, with a passion for design and wellbeing. Maison provides corporate and consumer campaigns for start-ups through to global brands and listed PLCs. Clients have included Great Portland Estates, The Buying Solution (the buying arm of Knight Frank), The Modern House, Ekkist and Banda Property. Tania was previously head of the property division at Luchford and prior to that Head of Residential PR at Knight Frank. Henrietta worked at Luchford before heading up Hamptons International’s PR.

By Tricia Topping

We live in an age in which the selfie and the image reign supreme: an image is now worth more than 1,000 words. Every sector of the property industry is touched and enhanced by interior design: from offices to penthouses, interiors and architecture are the businesses to watch in the 21st century. This chapter describes an industry now shaped by digital media but also how traditional communications have an important role to play in promoting interior design.

Tricia has over two decades’ property marketing experience across the residential and commercial sectors. Previously chief executive of TTA Group (now Chime Communications subsidiary Good Relations Property), she founded Carlyle Consultants in 2013. Her love of property, art and interior design inspired Tricia to create Luxury Topping, a newsletter which focuses on ‘the business of luxury’. Tricia is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a member of the Directors’ Circle of the Victoria & Albert Museum, a Freeman of the City of London, and judge of both the International Property Awards and the What House? Interior Design Awards. Tricia won Marketing Firm of the Year at the Influential Businesswoman Awards in 2018 and Best Luxury Product Marketing Agency, South East in 2019.

By Jamie Jago

Estate agents are, or should be, experts in marketing property. They are not all PR experts but must understand the significance of building and managing a company’s all-important reputation. As property matters to everyone, the appetite for property stories – from house price forecasts to eye-catching interiors – is strong. Knowing when and how to engage with the media is key. This chapter is a personal reflection on how embracing effective, well-founded PR as a business essential, never an afterthought, will pay dividends in an industry that is not always greeted with trust and respect.

Jamie began her PR career in 1987 as an in-house PR manager at a small boutique estate agency in London. Three years later she set up Jago D’Arcy Hale, specialising in residential property in the UK and abroad. In 2002 Alison Dean joined as co-owner and the firm was rebranded Jago Dean. Widely regarded as the leading PR firm in the industry, it was acquired by Savills in 2008 where Jamie remains to this day running the B2C press office.

By Ed Mead

Proptech opens up many opportunities for estate agents to improve upon their services to customers – but promoting innovation in a B2C context requires significant marketing budgets which are in short supply. Written by the founder of Viewber and based on personal experiences and successes, this chapter demonstrates how online communications is now more prevalent in estate agency and describes the steps taken to promote Viewber to key audiences.

Ed has been hands-on the in property sector since 1979. He has been director of various companies, most recently Douglas and Gordon. Ed has written weekly columns as Agent Provocateur in The Daily Telegraph and as The Sunday Times Property Expert. He has fronted two BBC TV property series, sat on the board of The Property Ombudsman and is a Fellow of the RICS. In 2016 Ed launched Viewber, which has given him a deep insight into the rapidly expanding world of proptech.

By Louise Parr

Based on the conception and evolution of Kamma (formerly GetRentr), this chapter considers the adoption and promotion of proptech in a B2B context, specifically in the private rented sector. It describes the currently fragmented nature of proptech and describes the PR tactics and strategies that can be adopted to help drive behaviour change.

The senior PR and marketing manager for Kamma, Louise specialises in technology marketing – specifically product launches and creating new markets for large global companies and growing tech firms. Louise’s background includes global campaign development and product launches and execution for global leaders Cisco Systems, Vodafone, EE and BlackBerry.

By Penny Norton

Property consultancies frequently span the breadth of the property lifecycle, primarily through providing expert advice, an intangible and often complex service. This chapter considers the challenges in promoting expertise and how and why the PR function is changing so rapidly. It describes appropriate strategies and structures and uses case studies to illustrate successful tactics.

As director of PNPR, Penny has worked with leading property companies, commercial developers, both private and social housing providers, architects, interior designers and local authorities. Clients have included CBRE, Carter Jonas, British Land and Broadgate Estates, More London and Sainsbury’s. Penny has written extensively on the subject of communications for property publications and her book, Public Consultation and Community Involvement in Planning: a twenty-first century guide was published by Routledge in 2017. Penny is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and founded the CIPR’s Construction and Property Special Interest Group.