For many Australians, the dream of building a home can start with excitement but quickly spiral into stress.
Endless listings, confusing incentives and fears about making the wrong financial decision can leave many buyers feeling overwhelmed before they even step onto a display site.
That growing sense of buyer fatigue was exactly what property services business Oliver Hume was trying to tackle when it launched a Black Friday-inspired land campaign that has now been recognised nationally at this year’s REA Excellence Awards.
The company took home the Integrated Brand Campaign of the Year award for its ‘Black Friday Land Grab’ campaign, which offered rebates worth up to $48,000 across 10 residential communities in metro and regional Victoria.
Oliver Hume's Jessica Lochrie said the campaign deliberately borrowed from familiar retail sales strategies to make the buying process easier for consumers to understand.
“The reason that we did it was to reduce the time it would take for a consumer to understand what the offer actually was,” Ms Lochrie said.
“And in reducing that time, it allowed us to cut through much quicker. It didn’t necessarily need that long education process about what this campaign was.”
Oliver Hume's Jessica Lochrie says the Black Friday sale helped buyers secure big savings on land. Picture: Supplied
The campaign generated $11.8 million in titled land sales and cleared 30% of participating stock, while also attracting more than 1.2 million digital impressions during the campaign period.
Buyers were able to secure blocks with varying discounts and rebates depending on the project, with offers reaching as high as $48,000.
Ms Lochrie said affordability was a major focus at a time when many Australians remained cautious about entering the property market.
“In a market where there’s a lot of consumer uncertainty, where there’s a lot of supply on the market, it really drove the message that now’s a really great time to buy,” she said.
“And that we can get you into your home sooner.”
The Alluvium Winter Valley residential community in Ballarat was one of the projects that joined the Black Friday sale. Picture: Supplied
Beyond the discounts, the campaign also attempted to tackle some of the stress and confusion often associated with buying land, with educational videos, consultant support and other tools all built into the process.
“I think one of the biggest parts too is that it essentially gave consumers the power back,” Ms Lochrie said.
“They could transact literally from home, from the comfort of their own home, on the couch at midnight if they wanted to, or they could go in person and meet with a consultant, but it was essentially on their own terms.”
Ten Victorian communities took part in the Black Friday campaign. Picture: Supplied
It also brought together 10 Victorian communities and multiple developers under a single campaign, with Oliver Hume connecting buyers with participating projects.
“It was essentially the first time that this particular campaign had ever been done in property,” Ms Lochrie said.
“It’s very much a retail-based campaign, so I guess it is kind of pioneering it for the property industry.”
Ms Lochrie said the award was a point of pride not only for Oliver Hume, but also for the developers who backed an unconventional idea.
“We are incredibly proud of this award,” she said.
“We’re proud of Oliver Hume as a company and our developer partners for essentially backing something different and taking a risk.”
English (US) · 