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03/09/2026

September is a natural time for a reset after the unpredictability of the summer. For the property industry, it is also an important point in the year to take stock. The final quarter is approaching and businesses are looking towards 2027 but before making any changes, it is worth taking time to look at your PR, marketing and social content with a critical eye.

Today, it is no longer enough for each element of your marketing to work well in isolation. Your PR, website, social media, content and visual identity all need to tell the same story.

For property businesses in particular, consistency matters. A strong development may have an excellent brand, but if the website feels disconnected from the social media, the PR tells a different story and the visual identity changes from one campaign to the next, the overall impact is weakened.

This is why Puttock Brown’s integrated approach works so well. With experts across PR, marketing, design and social media, we can look at the bigger picture while understanding how every element needs to work together to build a strong, consistent property brand.

With decades of experience in property communications, Founder Anne Marie Brown shares her insight and practical advice on what to look for when reviewing your communications strategy this September and how to make sure your brand is still fit for purpose.

What makes your brand different

Whether you are a housebuilder, developer, estate agent, property investment company, Build to Rent operator, professional services business or property supplier, you are operating in a highly competitive market where many businesses can look and sound remarkably similar.

• Beautiful imagery.
• Polished websites.
• Professional brochures.
• Property photography.
• Social media feeds full of developments and listings.

A strong visual identity is only one part of a successful property brand. It also has to communicate who you are, what you stand for and why someone should choose you.

Anne-Marie's advice

“I have seen businesses spend a great deal of money making their brand look better without first asking whether it is saying the right thing. Design should support your positioning, not replace it. Before you change your logo, colours or website, be absolutely clear about what you want people to think and feel about your business.”

Is your website working

At first glance, the answer may seem obvious. Your services are clearly described, your contact details are easy to find and everything appears to be working as it should. But a successful website needs to do far more than simply function. It needs to communicate why someone should choose your business, not just what you do. For property businesses, that means answering the questions your audience is really asking: Why this business? Why this development? Why this location? Why should I trust you? And what makes you different?

Anne-Marie's advice

“One of the biggest mistakes I see is businesses writing websites from the inside out. They talk about themselves, their services and their history, but forget to answer the questions their customers actually have. Your website needs to make your audience think, ‘They understand me and they understand what I need.’”

Stop looking and sounding like everyone else

Walk through the marketing of property businesses and you will often see the same language repeated:

• Outstanding service.
• Creating exceptional places.

 The problem is that these words have become so widely used that they rarely differentiate a brand. If everyone is saying they are innovative, who actually is? Your brand needs a point of view and something distinctive to say. That could be your approach to placemaking, your commitment to customers, your expertise in a particular market, your local knowledge, your approach to sustainability or simply a personality that competitors don't have.

Anne-Marie's advice

“I always encourage clients to be brave enough to say what makes them different. You don't have to be controversial, but you do need to be distinctive. If I can remove your company name from your marketing and it could belong to three of your competitors, we have a branding problem.”

Your PR should be consistent

Property businesses are often very good at announcing things such as planning approved, development launched, site acquired, homes complete etc. These are legitimate stories, but they are not necessarily going to build a strong reputation on their own. The strongest property PR positions people within the business as experts and gives them something interesting to say about the issues affecting the industry.

Anne-Marie's advice

“The best PR is rarely about the fact that you have done something. It is about why it matters. Journalists don't need another company announcement, they need expertise, insight and a good story. If you can provide that consistently, you build a reputation for being an expert in your field.”

Are your socials performing

Social media has transformed the way people discover brands and information. But there is also so much of it that to cut through the noise, property brands have to show personality, demonstrate expertise and tell stories. You want to give people a reason to follow you even when they are not actively looking for a property. Social media works best when it is used for discovery, research and trust-building alongside traditional property marketing channels.

Anne-Marie's advice

“Think about what your audience wants to see, what will interest them and what will make them remember your brand. This is an area where Puttock Brown has particular strength, with our own social media expert who understands how each platform works, what cuts through and, importantly, how to bring a brand’s personality to life. The aim isn’t simply to create more content; it is to create the right content, in the right voice, for the right audience.”

Make your people part of your brand

People buy from people they trust. Clients instruct people they believe understand their needs. Investors want confidence in the people managing their money. Professional clients want to know they are dealing with experts. Yet many property businesses hide their people behind corporate branding. Your team can be one of your greatest marketing assets, making a corporate brand feel human.

Anne-Marie's advice

“Don't be afraid to put your experts forward. Their knowledge and personality can make your brand much more memorable than another corporate brochure ever will.”

Don't wait until January

The final few months of the year are an important time to build your reputation and position your business for the year ahead. Before you start planning your 2027 marketing, take a fresh look at the brand you already have. If you’re not sure where your brand stands, Puttock Brown can help. Our integrated team can review your PR, marketing, design and social media, identify opportunities and make sure your brand is ready for 2027- info@puttockbrown.co.uk

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