Around the Block Property advertising has come a long way over the past two decades since estate agents took their own pictures and printed their own brochures down in the basement. It's now become a sophisticated and tough business to attract the attention of buyers and investors for the ever-increasing number of homes and overseas developments hitting the property pages each week.
A good ad can mean the difference between a sell-out and a flop, and no one knows this more than the estate agents whose reputation is often riding on a successful campaign. Corporate identity has become more important in attracting new customers. The formation of large franchise groups with easily identifiable logos has changed the whole property game, with brand awareness now a key factor in building a top class business.
Just how well the agents have performed with original advertising will be seen next week at the third Annual Property Advertising Awards in the Berkeley Court Hotel. Sponsored by The Irish Times, the awards will be attended by more than 400 property and advertising folk, including many of the top developers in the country. The event will be compered again this year by TV personality Mary Kennedy, who was quite a hit at last year's lunch. The guest speaker will be even better known to the property industry, having financed most of the new property developments since the first signs of a property boom in the late 1980s. Sean Fitzpatrick, chairman of Anglo Irish Bank - reputed to know every single development site in the country - has been a loyal supporter of the industry down through the years, but particularly when other banks shied away from loaning to the men in hard hats. Developers will be anxious to hear his views on the property industry and the likely prospects for the future.
Apartments abroad
Keane Mahony Smith faded off the radar for a while but now it's back, selling condo-apartments in the Chicago Fitzpatrick Hotel. Over 200 of these are on offer to Irish buyers from €240,000 to €385,000 but owners will only be able to use them for two weeks a year. The remaining nights are rented and managed by the hotel, with a projected return of 6 per cent pa, according to the bold Cathal McGinley of KMS. He says the 204 buyers effectively own the hotel and are entitled to any surplus income at the end of the year. After the first two years they are also liable for any expenses incurred. The launch is at the Beacon Hotel in Sandyford today at noon and continues over the next three days.
