Chief Real Estate Project Image Creator & Storyteller

Strategic Development Marketing / Sales Leader

Note from the Headhunter:

This search assignment is one of those tasks where "we'll know what the title is for this position when we see what talent is available." In other words, we have options, but ultimately, the person we hire will be an active participant in establishing a distinctive image and identity for existing and new developments. The role includes the coordination of front-end marketing of new developments to potential stakeholders, which provides for syndicated investors and REIT unitholders. On the Back-end of the development projects, we expect the incumbent to develop and execute on marketing strategies, oversee the internal marketing/sales teams while fostering good relations with all relevant commercial/residential real estate brokers.

Fundamentally, concerning the analytics of big data, the industry is in a state of flux when applying strategic market inputs to assess project feasibility. It seems everyone talks a big data analytics game regarding the incorporation of demographic, competitive and market intelligence on the front-end of development, but few do it properly. Having mapped the organizational structures of several top GTA developers, it would appear that much of this role is outsourced to design/planning professionals, city planning departments and/or reliance on developer instinct. Few developers have attached full-cycle development oversight to their top marketing/sales executive.

So, our journey to fill this leadership position can put us on one of two paths based on talent availability. Option One is finding an incumbent that can assist our client in establishing a new product development standard using quantitative intelligence, or we can defer to Option Two which focuses specifically on the digital and physical marketing of a project.

Option One:

This particular executive profile is likely orientated to a person having a PMP, who is innovative, has a keen interest in strategic marketing utilizing demographic data and is entrepreneurially spirited. The incumbent has real developer qualities being able to observe and envision highest and best use for a vacant field, however, isn't wedded to a concept unless proven through an empirical feasibility study. It's highly likely this incumbent has the wherewithal to participate in the financial and transaction side of new project acquisitions and structuring the company's private, public, and partnership bid, including the capital raising process. We would expect the incumbent has a track record in successfully acquiring multi-phase, mixed-use projects on the front-end while focusing on product design, price positioning, strategic marketing, and successfully launching the build-out of the projects.

Option Two:

The emphasis in this role is designed more for a consumer-driven marketing/sales executive who prefers the product delivery or marketing/sales phase and less involved beyond branding/storytelling at the front-end of project feasibility. The principal activities involve the market analysis and implementation of marketing/sales strategies, with lesser accountability for identifying potential development opportunities through the collection and reporting of marketing intelligence, other than data collected from activity in existing projects. This incumbent is a customer-focused project narrative champion, able to educate, motivate and the align marketing/sales team (internal/external) on the brand promise and company vision with a focus on tracking marketing ROI. Core to this role is establishing a distinctive physical and digital image and identity for existing and new development projects. Tactically this role involves project site signage, hoarding, graphics, sales/marketing brochures and advertising materials with appropriate consultants, including the coordination of special events. Also, researches competitors' strategies and follows up reports on the success of past marketing campaigns.

We are prepared to consider either candidate option however the first is a more future-forward role so if you qualify for Option Two but not One, we would need to be confident that you can develop skills in assessing project feasibility and promote a project to relevant stakeholders.

The responsibilities and skills mutual to either option are the following:

• Brand Strategy and Brand Development

• Omni Channel Media Strategy and Planning

• Marketing Strategy and Market Research

• Cross-functional Process Improvement and Operational Efficiency

• Architecture and Product Development including Product Value Engineering

• Digital Strategy, CRM and Online Branding Strategies including Social Media, Web Development and Optimization

• Budgeting/Forecasting