Improving Sales Rates in a Challenging Market
Tuesday 9th September
in association with 
The panel of expert speakers will explain the current sales market situation and what can be done to increase the sales of new homes in London. This is a chance to see what everybody else is doing and discuss ideas as well as learn about which techniques work and which don’t.
The event isn’t just about the conventional however, we will hear about non-domicile and overseas investors who, despite the downturn, remain active buyers in London. We will also hear about mortgage lending and how developers can guarantee mortgages to encourage buyers. The section on the use of digital marketing should also be extremely useful.
The Agenda is as follows:
9.00am Arrival
Tea and coffee will be served
9.30am Chairman’s welcome
Richard Cotton, Senior Partner, Cluttons
Tricia Topping, Chief Executive, TTA Group
- Overview of the day’s events and topics
- Overview of speakers
9.45am Where are we?
Overview of the industry in London
John Slaughter, Director of External Affairs, Home Builders Federation
- Developer activity in Central London
- Financial, construction and sales challenges in Central London
- Buyer’s interests and concerns
Impact of the credit-crunch on homebuyers & sales
Liz Peace, Chief Executive, British Property Federation
- The effect of the credit crunch on mortgage lending
- Are institutional investors emerging to replace private ones, who are they?
- Key issues relating to lending
- Mortgage finance
- Overseas investors - Sources of potential investment
- Should developers close their business and re-launch in 2009?
10.35am Site presentation and marketing
The current sales environment
Adrian Owen, Director, Hamptons International
- Owner occupier versus investor sales in Central London
- Sales performance by different price points and postcodes
- Buy to let versus end users
- Sales from overseas investors
- Buyers interests and concerns
Site presentation standards & marketing – what are others doing?
Robert Weston, Chief Executive, Weston Homes
- Getting the sales message right in the current marketplace
- Show homes and marketing suites to attract customer interest and footfall
- Directional signage and hoarding to draw purchasers
- Maximising your marketing material and spend
11.25am Coffee
11.50am Sales staff & customer service
What are other people doing to fine tune customer service, product knowledge and sales technique to influence buyers?
Shirley Humphrey, Sales Director, Harrods
Estates
- The right approach to customer care
- Staff must understand the product and the customer
- Sales staff training makes all the difference
Been through this before and risen to the challenges
Lisa Hollands, Head of Residential Development, EA Shaw
- Ensuring you have the right team around you
- Follow up every lead and opportunity
- Qualifying applicants properly
- Ensuring the sales experience exceeds expectations
- Maximising reasons to buy, minimising reasons not to buy
12.40pm Mortgage and Development Finance
When will the mortgage market soften for your buyers?
Rob Thomas, Senior Policy Adviser, Council of Mortgage Lenders
- The status of the current mortgage market in London
- Mortgages still available
- What mortgage lenders want from developers
- What mortgage lenders want from purchasers
- Short vs medium to long term investors
- Buy to let vs end user issues
How to create your own mortgage product
Vernon Dennis, Partner, Howard Kennedy
1.30pm Lunch
2.30pm Maximising overseas opportunities
Chasing the money around the world
Harry Lewis, Director, Savills International
- Overseas investors and their sources of wealth
- Why overseas investors buy in London – push and pull factors
- Taking London property to the world
- The options for taking property overseas
- Top tips to make your overseas exhibition a success
- The count-down to a trip
- Taking the right team and presentation material
- Choosing the right venue
Raising your profile in overseas markets
Alex Lawrie, Group Client Services Director, TTA Group
- Understanding the target audiences and media in overseas markets
- Tailoring the message to meet your objectives
- Promoting the brand and the product
- Selling London as a place to invest
3.20pm Capturing the power of the internet
The power of the internet for driving sales leads
Mark Milner, Chief Executive, The Digital Property Group (findaproperty.com)
- The impact of the internet on how buyers find a home
- The digital tools available to help drive sales
- Optimising your digital system so you appear at the top of searches
- Simplicity is the key on the internet
- Capturing purchaser sales date
- Marketing to buyers over the internet
Using digital technology to drive sales
Andrew Girdwood, Director, BigMouthMedia
- The latest digital marketing tools – podcasts, blogs and microsites – examples from St George, Weston etc
- How digital marketing can be used to drive sales
- Using corporate and site videos and flythroughs for overseas exhibitions
- Proper use of websites – corporate and site specific
4.15pm Networking session begins
6pm Event ends
Places cost £499 plus VAT per delegate and, as spaces are limited, are on a first come, first served basis.
To reserve your place contact Lexi Segar at London Development Events on 020 8877 0088 - email lsegar@ldevents.net