Are You Shouting About How Your Buildings Have Sustainable Features?
In today’s world, where environmental awareness is not just a trend but a necessity, the property sector is increasingly focusing on sustainability. However, it’s not enough to just implement these features; it’s important to communicate them effectively to your residents and potential clients.
Generation Z is at the forefront of this change, reshaping the future with a heightened focus on sustainability. They have come of age in an era acutely aware of our accelerated climate emergency. This awareness is reflected in their living choices. According to our recent youth forum sustainability report, when considering their future residences, 53% of future students, 82% of current students, and 70% of graduates deem sustainability features as an important factor. This trend highlights that Gen Z is not only conscious about how they live but actively seeks out more sustainable lifestyles.
Yet, despite this strong preference for sustainability, it is evident that cost factors heavily into their decisions. This reality should not overshadow the significant value they place on sustainable living. Embracing practices like using upcycled and recycled furniture, opting to live with sustainably minded flatmates, and prioritising buildings with eco-friendly features are inherent to this generation's ethos. It's clear that students and young professionals expect sustainable features to be standard, not a costly luxury.
Therefore, as a property developer or manager, it’s crucial to not only integrate these sustainable features into your buildings but also to actively promote them. These features are no longer just a premium add-on but a fundamental expectation of the next generation of residents.
So, are you effectively communicating the sustainable attributes of your buildings? Here’s why you should, and how you can do it.
Know Your Building Inside Out
Before you start spreading the word, your marketing team needs a thorough understanding of the building's sustainable aspects. This includes how the building was constructed, the eco-friendly materials used, and the amount of waste diverted from landfills during construction.
Highlight Operational Sustainability
Once the building is operational, focus on features like solar panels, energy-efficient lighting, and water-saving systems. For instance, take a leaf out of the Odeon cinema’s book, they effectively showcase their sustainability with a bold wall graphic inside their buildings, highlighting that 81% of their lighting is powered by solar energy. This clear, impactful statistic easily connects with the audience.
Marketing Your Sustainability
Create Educational Content
Develop blog posts, brochures, and social media content that educates residents and visitors about the sustainable features of your building. Use easy-to-understand language and visuals to explain how these features work and their environmental impact.
Organise Sustainability Tours
Offer tours of your building to showcase its eco-friendly features. This hands-on experience can significantly enhance understanding and appreciation of your efforts.
Incorporate Sustainability in Your Branding
Make sustainability a core part of your brand identity. This could mean updating your logo, mission statement, or even the aesthetics of your marketing materials to reflect your commitment to the environment.
Partner with Eco-conscious Brands
Collaborating with other sustainable businesses for events or promotions can amplify your message and reach a wider, like-minded audience.
Green Pioneers
Leading in sustainable development, Unity Place and Room2 Hometels excel in their eco-friendly practices and effective promotion of their green features. Unity Place, a sustainable co-working space inside Santander’s HQ, stands out with its green roofs, enhancing biodiversity and offering better insulation and stormwater management. Its energy-efficient systems reduce carbon footprint and increase comfort.
Unity Place champions local, sustainable food to support the local economy and reduce food miles. Emphasising waste reduction, Unity Place practices closed-loop recycling and collaborates with suppliers to minimise packaging and single-use plastics. Unity Place's commitment to these sustainable practices is further highlighted by its pursuit of the BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating, reflecting its outstanding environmental performance and alignment with ethical partners who share its values.
Room2 Hometels takes a more comprehensive approach, using 100% renewable energy, avoiding single-use plastics, and implementing extensive recycling which guests are encouraged to participate in via the recycling bin in every room.
Both Unity Place and Room2 highlight these green attributes in their marketing very well, using their sustainability as a key selling point. Their websites and promotional materials educate and captivate audiences by demonstrating the real-world impact of these green initiatives. This approach resonates with eco-conscious individuals, especially younger generations who value sustainability. These examples show the effectiveness of combining sustainability with strong communication in real estate and hospitality, proving that eco-friendliness can be a major draw for businesses. Unity Place and Room2 aren't just following trends in sustainable living; they're setting the standard for the industry.
Engaging Residents in Sustainability
Educational Workshops
Conduct workshops or seminars for residents to educate them about the sustainable features of their home and how they can contribute to a greener living space. Such as curating a pizza gathering into an opportunity to educate about proper disposal of pizza boxes. This approach makes learning about sustainability more relatable, practical and how everyday actions can collectively make a significant impact on the environment.
Feedback and Suggestions
Encourage residents to provide feedback and ideas on improving the building’s sustainability. This not only fosters a sense of community but also can lead to practical, innovative ideas.
Incentivise Sustainable Practices
Reward residents for engaging in sustainable practices, such as recycling or conserving energy. This could be in the form of discounts, recognition, or other incentives.
Conclusion
Remember, your building’s sustainable features aren't just a selling point; they're a testament to your commitment to a greener planet. By effectively communicating these features, you not only educate and engage your current residents but also attract potential clients who share your environmental values. In the end, it’s about building a community that’s not only aware but also proud of their role in promoting sustainability.
If you're looking to enhance your communication strategies to better reflect your commitment to the environment, as Carbon Literate Accredited marketing professionals, we're here to help.
Drop us a line and let's work together to make your sustainable efforts shine: info@propertymarketingstrategists.co.uk