The property market has seen a period of steady growth, especially in Europe where we have seen continued recovery from recession. However, golf resorts with real estate developments are having to adapt. Consumers are changing, how they search and find property has changed and their expectations in terms of amenities and service are growing. Here are three key trends that golf venues need to be aware of and adapt to:
1 Digital marketing
Customers are increasingly younger and tech savvy. That means the way they search for and collate information on property involves significantly more technology than before.
Specifically, 90% of customers will use a website as part of the buying process and around a quarter of buyers will use technology more than any other form of information. Yet, the real estate industry is somewhat behind when it comes to technology. So, tech-based promotion of real estate is becoming increasingly important and is both a challenge and an opportunity. For venues, it means thinking about your website, using rich media on your website such as video to create a call to action, better use of Google analytics and data, remarketing to prospects who visit the property pages on your website as well as paid for advertising on social platforms such as Facebook. The point is, today’s property buyers – some of whom may well have made their money from technology start-ups – will expect to be able to engage with your venue in a tech-savvy way.
2 Lifestyle amenities
The lifestyle aspect of buying a property has never been more important to consumers. And that means venues need to offer the amenities and services customers are looking for.Looking across the European Tour Properties network, we can see how our venues are extending their product offering and introducing new services, some of which are highly personalised. For example, at Terre Blanche in France you can have a personal chef, while a number of resorts now offer personal trainers services. PGA Catalunya Resort is developing a vineyard, Finca Cortesin in Spain has a beach club and a spa, while Quinta do Lago is planning new cycling amenities. So increasingly it’s not only about the product – the design and interior of the property – but the experience that comes with being a visitor and then a resident of the resort.
3 Customer Service
Customer service remains critically important to any resort selling real estate. An important aspect of this is that buyers are likely to visit and stay at a resort three or four times before actually buying a property. So, the experience has to be outstanding, not only for them to return and potentially buy, but for them to become an advocate and create referral opportunities. Visitors to venues in the European Tour Properties network know they are coming to a resort with a stamp of tournament quality and our objective is to provide outstanding customer service at every touchpoint, from before they arrive to following up with them after to check on their experience. In fact, feedback is vital to constantly monitoring, evaluating and improving the customer experience. Ultimately, outstanding customer service creates real value in your resort as well as a competitive advantage in the property market.
