Three Keys to Faster, Stronger Property Sales.

Author | Paul Skuse, Oakfield Marketing

The Six Ps of Successful Property Sales
Part 1: Product, Price, Place

What really makes a development sell?
It’s a question that George Cardale, Head of Residential Development Sales at Savills, has been answering for more than thirty years. From land values to lifestyle marketing, he’s helped developers avoid costly mistakes and unlock hidden demand.

In this exclusive interview, George shares his framework for the Six Ps of Successful Property Sales — practical, actionable insights that show developers how to design schemes buyers actually want, price them with confidence, and position them for faster, stronger sales.

In this first of two articles, we explore the first three Ps: Product, Price, and Place.

Product: Getting It Right from the Start

Paul: George, your first P is Product. Why does it matter so much to get this right at the beginning?

George: Product is everything. If you get it wrong, you’re fighting uphill from day one. What often happens is that developers are so focused on securing planning consent, they’ll agree to whatever gets them a green light. Then they go ahead and build — without really considering who the end buyer is, what they can afford, and what’s actually in demand.

That’s when we get the difficult calls: “We’ve built ten houses” or “We’ve finished 100 flats, now please sell them.” By that point, our ability to add value is limited. Where we make the biggest impact is right at the start — pre-planning — shaping a scheme so it’s the right size, the right type, and at the right price point for the local market.

We’ve got decades of data and instinct to draw on. For example, we can use Savills Maps to analyse all land registry transactions in a postcode: what sizes sold, what £/sq ft they achieved, who the buyer types were. Pair that with OnTheMarket Expert, which tells us who’s actively clicking in a given area and price range, and we can give developers a clear picture of both historic demand and emerging buyer interest.

There’s also a tendency to overbuild on size. I see it all the time on village schemes — 3,000–4,000 sq ft houses at £500 per square foot. That makes them £1.5m–£2m homes in markets where the pool of buyers above £1m is incredibly thin. Shrink that same house to 1,800–2,000 sq ft and suddenly you’re at £900k–£1m, where there’s real depth of demand. It’s not about building the biggest possible house; it’s about building the most saleable house.

Paul: And what are buyers valuing more in today’s market?

George: EPC ratings are now critical. Fifteen years ago we’d list them on brochures and nobody cared. Today, with energy prices where they are, an A or B rating is a big selling point. Downsizers especially want to keep monthly bills predictable. New builds have a natural advantage here, but only if developers think about efficiency from the outset.

Parking consistently tops the list of buyer must-haves. Beyond that, quality and trust in the developer make a huge difference. Social media is full of horror stories of “cardboard” new builds. Buyers do their homework — they want to know who they’re buying from. Developers who put their name and face to the scheme, even meeting buyers personally, instantly give confidence. That kind of human touch should be standard, but because it isn’t, it becomes an unfair advantage.

Price: Premium vs. Sensible

Paul: Your second P is Price. How do you balance premium positioning with buyer expectations, especially with rising build costs?

George: Viability is always the challenge. Land values are high, build costs have escalated, and yet affordability is stretched. Developers want to achieve premium values, but the prices still need to feel fair and grounded in the local market.

Spec plays a huge role. Buyers care deeply about what they see and touch — the appliances, the finishes — but they’re less concerned with the brand name behind the cabinetry, for example. You don’t need the most expensive option, you need the right option. Get the balance wrong and you blow the budget without lifting value. Get it right and you deliver a home that feels premium without costing the earth. (This is where a partner like Wolfstone Leigh kitchens can really help — advising developers on the design and specification that hits the sweet spot between cost and buyer expectation.)

Buyers are more digitally informed than ever, but the fundamentals haven’t changed. Twenty years ago, someone would view three or four comparable properties in a day and pick the one they liked best that felt fairly priced. They do exactly the same now, except they can do more homework online beforehand. If three houses are identical and one is £100k more expensive, they won’t haggle down the outlier; they’ll just buy the sensibly priced one.

At Savills, our conversion rate is roughly 1 sale for every 10 viewings. That hasn’t shifted much despite digital tools. Buyers might be better educated, but in the end they buy the house that feels right, is well presented, and is priced with realism.

Place: The Hybrid Shift

Paul: The third P is Place. How has location evolved in buyers’ minds since COVID?
George: The pandemic really shook things up. Suddenly, people realised they didn’t need to be in London five days a week. We saw a surge of buyers moving out — to the South West, Bath, Bristol, even coastal areas. For some it worked brilliantly. For others, it didn’t. They missed the creature comforts: Deliveroo, good restaurants, daily convenience. A remote cottage might look idyllic, but if you can’t get your morning coffee or Japanese takeaway, it quickly loses its shine.

Now, many are rebalancing. Places like Bath have benefitted — offering a slower pace, community feel, and lifestyle appeal, but still close enough to London for a two-day commute. That hybrid model is shaping demand more than ever. Buyers are happy to be one or two hours out, but not three. They want rural benefits with urban access.

Search behaviour reflects this. Portals allow postcode searches and clever radiuses, but at heart most people still start with the location they want and then see what’s achievable within their budget. What’s changed is the weighting — they’re layering lifestyle and convenience into their decision-making in a way we didn’t see 10 years ago.

Laying the Foundations for Success

George’s first three Ps — Product, Price, and Place — all point to a single, inescapable truth: success begins long before the first spade hits the ground. By shaping the right product at the right size, positioning it at a price point the market will embrace, and anchoring it in a location buyers genuinely aspire to, developers remove the most common barriers to sales before they ever appear.

In the next article, George turns to the remaining three Ps: Promotion, Presentation, and People — exploring why a show home can act as the “silent closer,” how lifestyle storytelling is now more persuasive than features lists, and why today’s buyers become tomorrow’s most powerful ambassadors.

You can connect with George on LinkedIn here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-cardale-frics-b23933a/