Last January we organized together with Luxury Real Estate the 11th Annual International Symposium in Barcelona. Colin Kingsmill was one of the featured speakers and his view about sales and marketing strategies was like fresh air, something new to think about and improve our businesses. So, it’s well worth reading this Q&A and explore the possibilities with Laurier Partners.
Can you explain a little about your background in real estate?
I began working in real estate about 15 years ago in Vancouver, Canada. I worked for an integrated destination resort developer and operator that was the largest in North America at the time. We developed and operated ski, golf and beach resorts in Canada, the United States and Europe. We also did real estate sales and marketing for third party developers around the world.
I have worked on real estate in projects from Bora Bora to The Maldives and Thailand as well as Montenegro. Now I am based in London focused property in the Super Prime segment of the market.
During the last Luxury Real Estate International Symposium you shared with us your ideas about what you defined as a “new era” we are living, can you highlight the key points to succeed in this “new era”?
– The first step is to recognize and accept that we find ourselves entering a new age; you cannot rest on your laurels of past successes.
– Then you need to distinguish yourself from the rest of your competition. To thrive you must become an authority on something and create brand you. You want to own a personality and a specific piece of the market. The question to answer is: what do I become a source for?
– Change the narrative of what you are offering. You have to contextualize your offering into a more relevant conversation that will resonate with your target audience.
– Use real language. People are tired of meaningless marketing talk.
– Make sure your Online Reputation passes the test. We are all checked out online before a prospect engages with us. There can be no loose ends!
What services do you provide in Laurier Partners?
In real estate, hospitality and other sectors, we help companies with strategies around their:
– brand management
– sales, marketing and communications
– business and financial models
– growth strategies
As we are, you are a member of Luxury Real Estate, why do you think it is important to be a member?
First and foremost for the authentic relationships that are created and nurtured within the organization.
You have recently been in Barcelona, what would you feature about Barcelona?
There are so many indicators of Spanish recovery that are also applicable to Barcelona. I think they make for a very compelling argument to invest in the city today. Because of the negative news cycle, everyone remembers the crisis, but the recovery has not had the same exposure.
Guifré Homedes
Inernational Manager
