Marketing Metamorphosis: Real Estate Branding In Digital First Era

In an era where digital presence increasingly defines brand value, a panel of marketing and branding stalwarts at the 17th Realty+ Conclave & Excellence Awards & AADF 2025 – North Edition explored how real estate brands are evolving to stay relevant and resonate with today’s consumers.

Moderated by Alok Gupta, Director of Graphisads Pvt Ltd, the discussion “Marketing Metamorphosis: Real Estate Branding in a Digital-First Era” brought together Amit Baid (Founder & Creative Director, A B See Brand Advisory), Dimple Bhardwaj (VP – Channel Sales, Marketing & Communication, HCBS Developments Ltd), Karan Kumar (CMO, Hero Realty Pvt Ltd), Dr. Vishesh Rawat (VP & Head – Marketing, Sales & CRM, M2K Group), Rohit Kedia (Founder, archVi), and Shashank Jain (Director, EY-Parthenon). The panel illuminated how the digital shift accelerated by COVID-19 has redefined consumer expectations, reshaped brand narratives, and compelled realty marketers to rethink strategy.

The first theme to emerge was changing buyer psychology. With more real estate research being done online, from virtual tours to social media reviews, brands are no longer judged only by physical model apartments or builder reputations. As Gupta framed the discussion, branding today must begin with authenticity; consumers expect transparency in product quality, pricing, amenities, and delivery timelines. Baid urged that storytelling must align with what consumers care about: sustainability, liveability, and post-sales experience, not just the luxury finishes.

Dimple Bhardwaj pointed out that channel sales and marketing roles have become intertwined with communication and narratives more than ever. For her, digital content—videos, immersive visuals, influencer partnerships—are now central to how customers form impressions. The importance of capturing an emotional connection with prospective homebuyers was underscored. She noted that offline-online convergence (for example, interactive digital kiosks at site offices, AR/VR site walkthroughs) has enhanced engagement, reducing the “trust deficit” that often accompanies large sums in real estate investment.

Karan Kumar from Hero Realty highlighted that strong branding in India’s realty sector now demands data-driven decision-making. Metrics such as online lead conversion, sentiment from social platforms, video watch time, and CRM analytics are shaping what marketing spends are justified. Promotional campaigns need to be agile; quickly able to pivot based on feedback, oversupply risks, or regulatory changes. He observed that long sales cycles in real estate are being compressed when digital tools help in pre-sales visibility.

Dr. Vishesh Rawat of M2K Group brought in the CRM and sales-process lens. He emphasized that branding is not just external—it must percolate into customer touchpoints at every stage, from digital lead generation to realtor interactions, site visits, legal verifications, and handovers. Customers today expect frictionless communication, consistent brand voice, and follow-through on promises made in marketing collateral. In this context, post-purchase experience becomes part of branding; negative feedback spreads fast in the digital-first world, potentially harming reputation more than in the past.

Technology & platform innovation was another strong thread. Rohit Kedia of archVi described how proptech, interactive visualisation, AI tools, virtual reality walkthroughs, and experiential marketing are rising from novelty to necessity. He underlined the role of immersive digital environments in helping buyers visualise their future homes, especially when they cannot visit in person. These technologies don’t just sell space—they sell lifestyle, identity, and belonging.

Shashank Jain from EY-Parthenon added a macroeconomic perspective: the cost-benefit balance of marketing spends is under sharper scrutiny. Budgets are shifting from broad traditional advertising to content marketing, influencers, storytelling, and digital ecosystems. Builders and brands that invest in brand equity—such as consistency, customer trust, and differentiated narrative—are seeing long-term gains in resale value, buyer referrals, and pricing premiums. He cautioned that over-promising and under-delivering, even once, can snowball negatively due to social media virality and reviews.

Regulatory and ethical considerations came up as well. The panel acknowledged that many real estate advertisements risk overhyping amenities, misrepresenting location benefits, or omitting hidden costs. With customers increasingly sharing feedback online, brands need to ensure honesty in marketing claims. Several speakers encouraged self-regulation, more transparent disclaimers, and making project documentation, progress, and amenities clearly visible.

In conclusion, the panel coalesced around the view that real estate branding in this digital era is in a state of metamorphosis. It is no longer enough to simply launch a luxury project with glossy ads and showrooms. Brands across NCR and India must build narrative depth: aligning with buyer values, leveraging technology for immersive experience, ensuring transparency, and embedding brand promise in every customer touchpoint. For realty marketers, staying relevant means being digitally literate, ethically grounded, and emotionally resonant.

While challenges such as rising cost of customer acquisition, regulatory ambiguity, and competition remain, the consensus was that the digital-first era presents more opportunities than risks. Developer brands that invest in identity, trust, and experience may well emerge as winners in the long game, not merely by selling structures but by owning stories.