By: Imran Khan, CEO & Founder of PIXL Group
In this competitive world of real estate, where stats reveal that on an average 18 property development projects were launched every hour in the UAE in 2024, marketeers and developers are always outdoing themselves to make their first impressions.
“Real estate events have gone way beyond the traditional sales pitch. While it’s still a quintessential marketing tool for the industry, one size does not fit all. So when some of the bigger, reputed developers are going virtual with their events becoming more niche and functional, there is a huge and crowded market for off-plan real estate where new developers are not only launching new projects but also showcasing their own strength in the market with more extravagant dos. Events are integral tools to tell the story and build the trust of the community for their own developer brand,” says Imran Khan, CEO & Founder of PIXL Group, a 360-degree marketing agency, hyper focussed on the property sector, which has conceptualized, managed and executed over 50 real estate events in 2024.
One of the most compelling examples in recent times was the stunning launch of Evora Residences by ANAX Development hosted in the shadows of the iconic Burj Al Arab at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel. The pioneering real estate developer broke conventions by constructing a real-life show apartment directly at the event grounds – creating real estate history in Dubai. This innovative approach allowed potential buyers to walk through a fully realized version of their future home, providing an unmatched sense of assurance and connection to the project. By doing so, ANAX didn’t just showcase their attention to detail and make their presence felt, but also demonstrated their commitment to quality, a crucial factor in building trust.
“Events are a way to create immersive experiences that bring a developer’s vision to life. When done right, these events can be the bridge between the developer’s aspirations and the buyer’s imagination. They allow our clients to create a first-hand glimpse of the project and also seal their trust with investors and buyers so they can visualize the lifestyle being offered through the events they host,” says Valanni Magalhas, Events Manager at PIXL Group who with her team curates every aspect of a developer’s event from scratch. The minutest details from colours and themes to centre pieces, audio-visual, media walls, branding, innovative performances, unveiling gimmicks and even bringing in the right audience is managed by PIXL Group, offering the client end-to-end expertise and efficiency.
A Diversified approach
As Khan pointed out, the types of events hosted by developers have diversified significantly, each tailored to achieve specific goals.
Top Tech focus in events: Real estate companies have been adopting AR and VR to create cutting-edge events that not only show properties but allow potential buyers and investors to experience them in entirely new ways. Big ticket property launches going this route
Closed-door Exclusive Announcements: Hand-picking your audience and curating an experience exclusively for them, generates a sense of exclusivity and urgency, encouraging immediate interest.
Press Unveilings: Engaging the media through exclusive press events is one of the most authentic ways of ensuring organic visibility for a brand. The idea is to weave the story of the developer brand and showcase their commitment to the market by taking the news to the media first. This is particularly impactful for new developers who are keen to make their mark in the industry and can build their positioning in the market through their announcement. PIXL Group offers a 360-solution to clients’ events by managing the media relations and even curates press conferences and exclusive media events to carve their positioning in the real estate landscape.
Celebrating Milestone: Highlighting key stages of developments are a great way to showcase the developers commitment to project delivery. This inevitably fosters goodwill among stakeholders, including local authorities and the community. Groundbreaking, handovers and sell-out announcements are therefore becoming increasingly popular reinforcing trust and customer satisfaction by creating a positive emotional connection with the brand who may have numerous more projects in the pipeline.
True-to-life Experience Centres: Most developers create show apartments and sales centres which become the hub for business conversations and also a glimpse of the true to life projects they want to invest in. Show apartment tours and open house events have always been hugely popular as they allow prospective clients to touch and feel what a completed home or project will look like. Over the years, the inclusion of AR & VR have further redefined these experiences – combining the physical with the aspirational. Coupled with investors’ nights, brokers’ breakfasts and the like, the scale of everyday apartment tours have become the grounds to close sales.
