In a climate where extended approval delays, escalating construction costs and contract cancellations have rattled buyer confidence, the off-the-plan market is under pressure. With timelines blowing out and developers waiting months to break ground or clear council, perception becomes everything. And in off-the-plan sales, your project’s reputation isn’t just important, it’s the deciding factor between momentum and a market stall.
Why market confidence is everything in off-the-plan sales
Buyers invest in your vision long before a project is built. If they sense hesitation, silence or mixed messages, confidence fades.
We often see buyer uncertainty grow when:
- Projects stall in council or during the DA phase with little public explanation. Time passes, and doubts creep in.
- Messaging is inconsistent across sales channels, especially when multiple agents aren’t aligned.
- Construction updates are unclear or non-existent, prompting questions like ‘Is it still going ahead?’
- Marketing efforts stop and start, signalling risk rather than reliability.
When this happens, speculation rushes in to fill the void. The absence of information becomes the story. This is when buyer confidence collapses, and it’s incredibly difficult to recover without a strong, proactive plan.
1. Fill the silence with strategic communication
A stalled project doesn’t mean a silent project. Council approvals can take months, and buyers need reassurance during this time. Use marketing to show continued activity, reinforce the project vision and keep anticipation high.
Ideas to bridge the gap:
- Share DA milestones or behind-the-scenes progress (e.g. town planning wins or builder onboarding).
- Publish developer spotlight content or architect interviews.
- Create community engagement reels to remind buyers of the lifestyle and location benefits.
2. Align everyone with a master agent framework
When multiple agents represent your project, inconsistency can kill trust. That’s why many developers work with a master agent model—think Australian Residential Group or Oliver Hume—so there’s one clear voice managing buyer communications and enquiry nurturing.
If you’re using multiple agents, you need:
- A shared messaging document (central source of truth)
- Ongoing training or briefings
- Access to updated sales collateral and visual assets
- One point of contact to approve or coordinate outbound messaging.
3. Show visible progress
Buyers today expect more than verbal updates. They want proof your project is real and progressing. A simple eDM isn’t enough.
Progress isn’t just about pouring concrete, it’s about shaping perception and building confidence during quieter phases.
Community events and public updates are powerful tools.
At Brookhaven by Frasers Property Australia, the launch of their Boutique Display Village became a family-friendly event, complete with food trucks, face painting and park openings, turning a standard milestone into a local celebration that generated buzz and brand goodwill.
Likewise, Fortezza Group took a proactive approach with The Belvedere, using media coverage to communicate progress during the DA phase. The project had officially been declared a State Significant Development by the NSW Government, which allowed it to be assessed under a fast-tracked planning pathway (the Housing Development SEPP). Rather than wait for council timelines to run their course, Fortezza shared this update in interviews with the Newcastle Herald and ABC Newcastle Radio, reinforcing confidence and transparency even before construction began.
Other ways to show momentum include:
- Drone footage of site works
- Time-lapse videos
- On-site signage with QR codes linking to project updates
- Interactive displays showing finished product or lifestyle vision.
Even if construction hasn’t started, there’s always an opportunity to stay visible, shape the narrative and demonstrate traction.
(Both Brookhaven and The Belvedere are projects supported by iCreate Agency, where we’ve worked closely with the developer teams to ensure positive public perception and consistent buyer communication throughout the sales journey.)
4. Nurture leads with automated email sequences
Let’s be honest, sending a single email update here or there isn’t enough. Not when the average off-the-plan buyer journey spans 22 months, and buyer trust is at an all-time low. What you need is a sustained, automated strategy that keeps your project top of mind while building belief over time.
Buyers don’t make off-the-plan decisions overnight. That’s why we use a 6-part automated email nurture journey, triggered by buyer actions and timed to guide them through the long decision cycle. With email still the most preferred communication channel, and SMS a distant second, this kind of automation builds trust consistently and cost-effectively.
Each nurture journey includes:
- Educational content on buying off the plan
- Location or lifestyle benefits
- Trust signals (e.g. builder profiles, certifications)
- Key milestones and FAQs
- Social proof (testimonials, sold stats)
- A compelling call to action at every stage.
These sequences are personalised and automated based on user behaviour, ensuring leads receive the right message at the right time. Your sales team can focus on qualified, ready-to-act buyers, while trust is being built in the background.
5. Shift the message from price to positioning
When sales slow, the temptation is to drop prices or offer discounts. But this often cheapens the perception of your project.
Instead, focus on:
- Scarcity messaging (e.g. ‘Limited release’ or ‘Top floors selling fast’)
- Long-term value (e.g. future growth potential, design quality, builder reputation)
- Creating urgency through credibility, not price.
Buyers don’t want a bargain, they want reassurance they’re making a smart, safe decision. Help them see your project that way.
Final thought: Reputation is a long game
In property marketing, perception is reality. You can’t afford to let silence or inconsistency define your project, especially when there’s little product to market, or when delays and missteps have eroded early momentum. The most successful developers aren’t just reacting to the market, they’re actively shaping it.
Take control of your message. Build buyer trust. And remember: how you show up when things aren’t perfect is exactly how buyers and stakeholders will remember you when it’s time to sell.