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NEWS
A meeting with
Kathryn Kent
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NEW HOMES MANAGER, BRADLEY HALL
CHARTERED SURVEYORS AND ESTATE AGENTS
Given the current climate and
the impact of Covid-19 – what
do you feel people are now
looking for in a new home?
There’s the obvious key features which
are popular, including gardens and home
oces. Many are looking to get away
from the ‘hustle and bustle’ of the big
cities and towns, so throughout this year
we have most denitely experienced
heightened demand for homes in rural or
coastal areas.
How is the new homes
market performing?
It goes without saying there have
been challenges this year. We’ve
followed government guidelines
vigilantly throughout, however, it
was still important for us to be on
hand to enthusiatically market
properties and provide advice and
support to potential buyers during
every stage of lockdown. The Stamp
Duty Holiday encouraged buyers,
and sellers, to act quickly to take the
opportunity to save up to £15,000.
We’re seeing some fantastic
schemes being approved and pop up
across the region, ranging from starter
homes to luxury family properties.
We’ve recently been appointed to
market a range of exciting
developments, including apartments
and houses at The Coach House,
Gosforth and a development of 45
homes in Bedenell by North East
housebuilder Bondgate Homes.
what do you predict for
the future of new-build
homes in the region?
We will most certainly see the
steady increase in demand for
homes in the countryside or by
the sea. We have been delighted
to have marketed a range of
outstanding and luxurious homes in
areas such as Craster and Lesbury.
In contrast, Covid-19 has had a
huge impact on increasing loneliness
while raising an appreciation for
family and friends. As an example,
Sunderland’s Riverside project is
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promoting the idea of connectivity, and
living in communities which provide
communal outdoor areas and a
concentration on closer access to local
amenities. The popularity of solo living is
growing, so a need for social interaction
may be higher.
The current climate has had a big
impact on exible working and as this
continues the need for assigned spaces
will be required. Many have spent a long
time at home with their partners and
families, and the need for personal space
and clearly dened purposes for areas
throughout the home will be higher in
demand, for example not using the
kitchen table as an oce.
Has the pandemic changed
the way in which you market
properties?
Slightly, however we provide bespoke
and innovative campaigns for each of our
developments, so our marketing is always
moving forward regardless.
Throughout this year we have noted a
stark increase in online activity –
September saw our website trac
skyrocket by 72% year-on-year.
Despite most people not getting ‘out
and about’ as much, footfall on our high
streets has continued. Our branches are
placed in the key towns and high streets
within the North East, so we still have a
lot of visibility and passing footfall.
We use Rightmove to market our
properties, which gains a signicantly
higher amount of trac and enquiries
than other property portals. Our highquality photography and brochures really
help properties to stand out. Obviously
we haven’t been able to do many open
events this year, however we’ve adapted
to delivering safe, socially distanced
viewings.
Alongside the rest of the business, our
New Homes department has an already
established multi-faceted approach to
marketing. We work closely with our inhouse marketing specialist and digital
experts to provide bespoke marketing
schedules which span across print, digital,
social media and content led platforms
which are specically designed for and
aimed at relevant and target
demographics.
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