A good apartment. But why isn't the buyer buying?

We wanted to understand why someone should choose this particular development.

We compared the project with a strong competitor. We looked at prices, layouts, location and how each presented its advantages to buyers.

One was selling a new, complete living environment; the other offered a home in an established urban neighbourhood. There was also a clear difference in the choice of larger family apartments.

That raised an interesting question. Does a family whose current home has become too small necessarily want a new living environment? Or do they simply want one more room, without having to rearrange the children's school, friendships and their whole existing life?

That could be a much stronger reason to buy than simply a good location.

Developers often talk about architecture, energy efficiency, kilowatts and technical solutions.

But what is a mother supposed to do with those kilowatts? Why not translate them into loads of laundry, for example, or show what the energy savings mean for a family's monthly bills?

The same goes for green space. If there is no park next to the building, there is no point inventing one. But perhaps a pleasant running route through green surroundings starts just a few minutes away. Why not show it?

We tend to sell what we have built, rather than what people can do with it in their lives.

We also noticed a possible mismatch. The developer is better known for exclusive projects, but this particular development has a much more homely character. Can buyers even place it in the right price range for themselves?

We do not know. But it would be worth finding out.

I would not start with another advertising campaign.

First, I would look at what happens to people who have already shown interest. Why do they not buy? Is it the price, the comparison with a competitor, selling their current home, or that no one has shown why this apartment would make their particular life better?

We would speak with salespeople, buyers and people who decided not to buy. We would put their experiences alongside the competitive picture and choose one specific buyer group to test a new approach with.

Not a big campaign, but one change in real sales. Then we would see whether more interested people move towards a purchase decision.

Property developers spend a lot of money getting people to notice apartments. But perhaps the next opportunity for growth lies with the people who have already shown interest.

Before looking for more buyers, it is worth understanding why existing prospects are not buying.

And sales figures or advertising results alone cannot tell you that. You need to talk to real people.