Sales Office Traffic Down? Do this!
I’m hearing from our clients that sales office traffic is significantly down since before COVID-19. One client reported around 25% of foot traffic in 2026 compared to 2019. While this could be explained as a different stage of the market cycle, rather than sitting back on the Jason Recliner and rabbiting on about the cause and effect, let me share what we can do to increase foot traffic or repeat visits to the sales office.
1. Do you even have your open times, your address and contact numbers listed?
Holy cats! The number of times I go to a website and don’t see these basic things listed. Do yourselves a favour and check to make sure you have these details listed front and centre on your site. I don’t need to hit up Google once I’m on your web page for the basics. Give the people what they want. Give them your sales office address (and a map link!) and opening hour details.
2. Are you even open?
I don’t want to shame anyone here, but there have been several times when I’ve gone to a sales office advertised as being open, and the door’s locked tighter than a CFMEU delegate’s glutes at the mention of a Big Build Royal Commission. Now we all know people get sick, people are jammed up in the drive-through queue at Mac Café, but where possible, honour your opening hours and be there for the peeps.
3. Do you have people-people?
In my time as a sales office aficionado, I’ve noticed a wild range of people who fulfil the role of a sales consultant. And as with people who do not identify as sales consultants, the personality types span from the whackackular to the high-end professional who would leave nothing to chance. I once had a guy using his credit card to floss between his front teeth whilst I was doing some touch-up work in a sales office, all in full view of a sales office full of customers milling around and waiting for attention. I even assisted some of the customers with their basic inquiries whilst rueing the lost opportunity of bringing a pillowcase for people to shove their cash deposits into. At the other end of the spectrum, I’ve been entrapped by the talents of a true sales professional who even had me seriously thinking about ditching my happy home and throwing my lot in with this new sparkling development. Pick your people well. Look for curiosity, a positive and sunny disposition, and someone who wants to help people find their dream home, while not being swayed by tyre kickers or people wanting to use the loo.
4. Does your sales office actually make sales?
As good as your sales consultant will be, they need a warm and inviting environment to make those sales. Help them (the sales consultant) help you (my marketing and development friend) sell out the development. You can do this by ensuring they have tools like:
- Plans
- Stage releases
- Master plans
- AV presentations
- Printed collateral. Never underestimate the power of a customer being able to take something tangible away from a sales office. I’m happy to report that gone are the days of copious amounts of printed material. However, a well-laid out, beautifully produced development book will always be appreciated by your customer.
- Good spaces to have lingering conversations in a lovely environment which really welcomes people
- A hospitality offer like coffee or a biscuit. On that note, offer more biscuits or cookies. No one ever said no to a baked good.
A sales office is more than just a good-looking space. In these times, a strategically thought-out and designed space that brings the development to life and helps sell it out sooner.
5. Who is your customer?
When we design a sales office, the buyer demographic we’re looking to attract consumes our every thought. We obsess about the target market:
- What information they’ll need to be able to decide on a home or land
- What keeps them up at night
- What sort of things they are looking for in their purchase, etc.
- What budget range?
- Who will be influencing the decision, both positively and negatively?
- What are the non-negotiables they are looking for in the master plan or housing product?
By putting ourselves in the shoes of the target market, we design and deliver superior sales officers. We’re able to speak directly to them and create a space where they feel their budget is reflected in material selection, finishes, furniture, and fit-out. For example, in a first-homebuyers market, our sales officers will use cost-effective finishes and furniture. We won’t be scattering custom-designed furniture and high-end metallic finishes because this is just going to be jarring for a budget-conscious client. Alternatively, for high-end inner-city sales offices, we feature custom finishes like textured paint and custom-designed lighting and furniture because that matches the expectations those buyers hold.
6. Can you make your sales office more than a sales office?
Sales offices typically open between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm most days. That’s a lot of time when the sales office is not open and not making sales. Many community groups are looking for spaces to hold events and gatherings. Could you offer spaces for early morning yoga out on the deck, or would it be more appropriate to have an event where you invite your recent purchasers to come together and meet one another? You may feel that Easter and Christmas celebrations have been done to death, but they definitely build a buzz around a sales office, especially if you throw a snag at the punters. Other events like Grand Finals, the Matildas’ recent fixtures, Fashion Week tie-ins, and seasonal events can also be a drawcard to bring people into the sales office. Just be aware that if you tie an event in with a Wallabies match, you need to have a strong constitution to witness grown men crying and turning their Wallabies jersey inside out on the walk of shame home (we’re in a rebuilding phase).
7. Can you co-share the space?
The pull of a cafe remains strong. It seems that Australians can get through anything, as long as we’ve got a coffee in one hand and a cronut in the other. While having a cafe that is accessible to the general public and not just customers has been used successfully on a number of the estates and sales offices we’ve been involved in, it doesn’t need to be elaborate. Even a takeaway coffee window for passing trades and the public that is run out of a sales office is definitely worth considering. I know the financials need to stack up, so it is a narrow range of companies that you could successfully cohabit and share space with. Even offering postage collection boxes is a niche business that would do well alongside the sales office space. It’s all about expanding the pool of potential buyers and customers and giving people a chance to walk into the sales office who may not have even considered that they were looking for a new home or land.
8. Spruik your sales office.
In your marketing, your EDMs, your billboards, your digital marketing, tell people about your sales office. I think because we’re in the industry, we tend to forget to tell people we have a physical space for them to come to. We assume that everyone knows this, but maybe they don’t. Add the call to action “Come and Visit Margie in the sales office from 10 am to 4 pm daily, and she’d be happy to take you through our latest release!”
Give people a reason to get off the lounge and put on their pants. Make the sales office worthy of their time and car tolls. Welcome them. Offer them a beverage and baked goods. Answer their questions, provide helpful information, give them contact details for follow-up queries, and follow up on leads.
Sales offices are an investment, but done right, they are the best investment you will make in marketing your development. Feel free to reach out to fiona@divaworks.com.au or book time here to chat about your sales office and the glow-up it needs.
Below: Oooh, check out this sexy sales office done right. Stony Creek for The Dennis Family. More images here
Stony Creek Sales Office for The Dennis Family. Photography by Daniela Fulford Photography
