Think Property & Co
Marketing Strategy of a Start-up Real Estate Agency
Think Property & Co is an independent, owner-operated real estate agency that set out to challenge the conventional norms of the industry. The founders of Think Property & Co launched their business with a mission to prioritise the customer in a way that had not been done before. To achieve this, they needed an online presence that not only reflected their unique and innovative approach but also empowered their clients to make informed decisions regarding property investments or rentals. Think Property & Co chose Ex Animo due to their Melbourne-based team’s strategic digital marketing and creative expertise, which is backed by decades of experience in the real estate industry.
Revolutionising Real Estate: How Think Property & Co Achieved Digital Excellence with Ex Animo’s Strategic Marketing.
Think Property & Co, an innovative start-up real estate agency, sought to disrupt the traditional property market by putting the customer at the heart of their business. Partnering with Ex Animo, they aimed to build a strong online presence that reflected their unique approach and empowered clients with the tools to make informed decisions.
Ex Animo developed a comprehensive digital strategy that included a customer-centric website, localised content, and a robust social media campaign. The website, optimised for SEO and designed with user experience in mind, became a critical tool in the agency’s success. The creation of suburb-specific and social media content further strengthened their online engagement.
The results were remarkable: exponential growth in site traffic, a significant increase in customer acquisition, and recognition as a finalist for the REIV Awards for Excellence in 2016. Through continuous improvement and strategic digital marketing, Ex Animo helped Think Property & Co establish a powerful, award-nominated online presence that resonated with their target audience and drove substantial business growth.
Think Property & Co
Ex Animo’s Approach
At Ex Animo, we believe that every business is unique, and its online presence should be a true reflection of that uniqueness. For Think Property & Co, we adopted a customer-centric approach, crafting a website that would fully support and enhance their online-only business model. This digital foundation was further bolstered by a robust digital and social media campaign strategy.
Our approach involved active social listening and continuous monitoring of consumer behaviour, using advanced analytics to track brand mentions, social sharing, click-through rates, and much more. This meticulous analysis allowed Think Property & Co to continuously adapt and improve, ensuring they consistently provided the best service and content on the most effective platforms.
The Design – Our Creative Approach
Based on comprehensive research, Ex Animo took a highly localised approach to the creative direction for Think Property & Co. We intentionally avoided generic stock imagery, opting instead to capture the authentic character of each individual suburb. Each photoshoot focused on local landmarks, amenities, unique spaces, and other factors that buyers and renters consider when making their decisions.
To create a memorable and distinct brand identity, our team employed a bold design strategy using neon colours and geometric shapes alongside a palette of grey and pine lime brights. These designs were often paired with playful imagery, such as a French bulldog dressed up, to infuse the brand with personality and convey that each client would be treated as an individual, not just another customer.
Each suburb, referred to as a “stomping ground” on the site, was given its own unique SEO elements, creating engaging and locally relevant content for potential tenants and landlords. This approach highlighted the brand’s deep local knowledge and connection to the communities they serve.
- Area maps and median prices for buying and renting.
- Original photography showcasing the unique features of each suburb.
- Social media content relevant information about each area.
- Articles, blogs, and other content pertinent to further inform and engage users.
Social Media Integration
The site is socially activated, allowing the directors of Think Property & Co to track and record customer feedback through analytics and measurement tools. We also integrated a range of plugins and APIs to streamline the publishing and advertising of properties from platforms like REA and Domain, integrating ListOnce into the website. These feeds are then pushed through to the social media platforms.
To enable this feature, the Ex Animo team created multiple social media accounts for Think Property & Co, including:
This integration reduces the need for manual uploads and syncing of properties, benefiting both Think Property & Co and their customers by making it easier to share and discuss properties via social media.
Website Results
The Think Property & Co website was recognised as a finalist for the Best Website of the Year at the REIV Awards. This recognition underscores the importance of a strong online presence, particularly for a business that operates primarily online without a physical high street location. By incorporating continuous analysis and improvement, the site consistently exceeded goal conversion rates. This analysis included tracking user behaviour through heat maps, exit page analysis, and more, allowing us to make informed adjustments such as adding content, refining calls to action, restructuring pages, and A/B testing features.
Between August 1, 2015, and July 31, 2016, Think Property & Co achieved remarkable results:
- Customer testimonials: A 200% uplift in monthly unprompted inbound testimonials, reflecting strong brand recall and customer service.
- Returning users: Increased to 2,656 from just 2 in June 2015, demonstrating a significant positive impact on brand recall and recognition.
- Average sessions: Growth rate of 6,822% in monthly sessions, far exceeding the industry benchmark of 300 monthly sessions.
- New business enquiries: A 17,482% increase in new monthly visitors, driving a 4,800% increase in customer acquisition (from 1 to 480).
- Rent roll asset value: Increased to over $1 million, highlighting the agency’s growth.
- New leads generated: A 2,600% increase in new leads, with over 500% of new customers converting monthly.
- Bounce rate: Decreased by 11%, indicating that visitors were purposefully coming to the site and engaging with the content.
- Time on page: Remained steady, reflecting ease of navigation and a positive user experience.
Awards
Think Property & Co was nominated for the REIV Awards for Excellence 2016 in the Best Website category and was honoured as a finalist, a testament to the success of their digital strategy and online presence.
