Set fire to the sales of Fýri

Real estate development companies are often known for having a small group of people that are responsible for a large turnover, as well as managing large portfolios. This is also the case for the Buchardt family’s business, which since the beginning has built 20 hotels and developed more than 500.000 m² of property within leisure properties and commercial real estate. AB Invest consists of the two owners Arthur and Anders Buchardt, in addition to five employees.

“A large part of our core business revolves around developing destinations and leisure properties, such as Hafjell, Kvitfjell, Gaustatoppen, and Hemsedal, which are all mountain destinations in Norway”, says Katrine Belsvik, Marketing Manager at AB Invest.

Finding the X-factor for all properties

With an extensive background in building brands, she is focused on highlighting the unique features and characteristics of each project. First and foremost by securing that the customers get access to good and valid information, and thereafter highlighting the X-factor of each project.

“Our aim is to highlight the unique features of every project. The competition from other players in the market is big and they are very good at presenting their offerings. That is why we need to stand out from the competition and create the best customer experiences.”

Belsvik always aims to find the aspects that surprise and excite to ensure that the impressions throughout the sales process are better than the expectations of the customers.

“We are using personal customer journeys to better get to know and understand every single buyer. To stand out from the crowd is getting more and more difficult, and technology plays an increasingly important role in this,” she says.

Experts at digital marketing in a short amount of time

Belsvik has used the competence and services of the Norwegian technology company Marketer since 2018.

“It started with a meeting where I barely understood what they were talking about, but I knew that it would be great if they delivered what they promised,” she chuckles.

Since that time, the knowledge surrounding smart technology and the eagerness to use new solutions has increased considerably.

“My job is not to understand the technology but to understand enough to make the right decisions. The people I work with from Marketer are very talented, and nice,” she says.

The deliveries from Marketer in this case are mainly landing pages, digital property pickers that are integrated with the CRM system of the agency, and smart technology that ensures that the ads are targeted towards the people that are most willing and ready to make a purchase.

“It is innovative and exciting, and when we need to make quick changes it is very simple. It is awesome how Marketer can help us with narrow targeting and tailored communication towards each customer.”

The insight from the landing pages and the advertising gives valuable insight into the sales processes.

“We receive data that provides important learnings from one project to the next. It is fascinating to see how well we can tailor the marketing to the various types of buyers such as a family with children or those who focus on making a good investment,” she says.

Faster selling time in Hemsedal

Personalised customer journeys help properties sell faster and let the real estate agent work more focused towards fewer and more interested buyers.

“We need fewer names on our lists because we to a higher extent know who the right ones are. The ads follow the maturity of the customers which allows the real estate agents to work towards those who have engaged with marketing efforts over time.”

This was especially important in selling apartments for the destination Fýri in Hemsedal. From the beginning of the sales process until the delivery and handover three years later, 100 apartments have been sold. Belsvik is confident that the high visibility and reach provided quicker and easier sales. In addition, she explains that they had to change the name of the project in the middle of the process. The rebranding happened in record time, and the wide visibility to the right target groups had a huge effect.

“In under a week our leads had become familiar with the new name,” she says.

Belsvik has also used the technology in the Favn-project on Hafjell with results that were equally good, if not better.

Continuous developments

The experiences she has had makes it unnatural to not use Marketer’s solutions.

“The fact that they are able to gather so much and such precise data brings a tremendous amount of value. It helps us understand our customers better and it undoubtedly gives a high return on our investments.”

The alternative would have meant a heavier load for the real estate agents, which to a larger extent would have to start every project from scratch.

“Marketer are eager to succeed in collaboration with us, and they continually develop new useful features. I am confident that Marketer helps me take a lead in the digital transformation,” she concludes.