People-Centric and Culturally Rooted: Vikas Nair on the Future of Real Estate Marketing
Century Real Estate is redefining the real estate market with a focus on insight-driven storytelling and immersive technology, aiming to connect with buyers on a deeper, more personal level.
Real Estate MarketingVirtual ExperiencesInsightdriven StorytellingCultural RelevanceImmersive TechnologyReal Estate NewsAug 28, 2025
Century Real Estate is one of the companies leading this transformation. The company has doubled its revenue year-on-year for five consecutive years and has increased its marketing investment for FY26. Vikas Nair, VP & Head of Marketing & Communications at Century Real Estate, emphasizes the importance of ‘insight-driven storytelling.’ This approach involves using immersive technology and cultural context to connect with buyers who are looking to invest in a lifestyle.
In this conversation, Nair discusses how Century’s marketing strategies have evolved from heavy discount-led campaigns to innovative virtual experiences, aiming to stand out in a highly competitive market.
Century’s Marketing Investment and Focus
We’ve been doubling our topline year-on-year for the last five years, driven by strong customer demand and a robust pipeline of projects across various categories. As we expand our footprint in Bengaluru, our marketing efforts are focused on building top-of-mind awareness (TOMA) in our category, especially as we enter new segments and markets. Our marketing budget for FY26 has been significantly increased, with a majority allocated to media spends across digital and above-the-line (ATL) channels. This includes leveraging ATL for compelling brand storytelling and digital for performance-driven campaigns.
Media Mix and Platform Performance
Our media mix is designed to reflect the evolving consumer journey, from online discovery to on-ground validation. We ensure a presence across digital, traditional, and experiential touchpoints, emphasizing where today’s buyers seek information, comparison, and reassurance. While digital drives discovery, traditional media still plays a crucial role in building brand trust and recall, especially in high-investment categories like real estate. Out-of-home (OOH) and print media complement online searches, driving spikes in site visits and web traffic, creating a truly integrated media mix.
Festive Quarter Strategies
In a high-involvement category with long buying cycles, we avoid short-term festive offers. Instead, our strategy focuses on building a strong funnel of qualified prospects and driving sustained engagement through campaigns that highlight long-term lifestyle value, strategic location advantages, product benefits, and brand trust. During festive windows, we use limited-period payment plans, select waivers, and inventory-specific benefits to convert highly engaged prospects, informed by insights gathered over the engagement cycle.
Role of Influencers
Influencers have become a vital bridge between brand messaging and consumer trust. We prioritize creators with strong personal brands in finance, home, or lifestyle who can contextualize Century’s projects in a relatable way. These partnerships help drive both brand recall and qualified inquiries, particularly among younger audiences.
Targeting Millennials and Gen Z
Today’s homebuyers are research-driven and design-conscious. They are not just purchasing a home; they are investing in a lifestyle. This discerning audience expects brands to be transparent, culturally attuned, and digitally native. In response, we have evolved our communication style and customer experience. We’ve adopted cleaner visual aesthetics, a more authentic tone of voice, and created richer, more immersive brand touchpoints. High-quality 3D CGI films, AR/VR walkthroughs, interactive scale models, and phygital displays enable customers to vividly explore every facet of a project, fostering emotional connection and aspiration.
Moving Beyond Conventional Visuals
Real estate brands need to think differently about marketing. Most campaigns default to predictable tropes like high-rises, expansive green spaces, and stock images of smiling families, leading to a sea of sameness. To stand out, marketers must understand their customers’ aspirations, mindsets, and motivations. At Century, our approach centers around people, telling stories that are insight-led, visually authentic, and culturally resonant. We craft our campaigns to speak to the Bengaluru buyer, someone who values both rootedness and aspiration.
Enhancing Transparency and Value
Today’s homebuyers expect to explore, compare, and evaluate properties in depth on their own terms. Forward-looking brands are embracing more immersive and informative experiences. At Century, we’ve integrated advanced digital tools across the customer journey to elevate the project experience. From high-quality 3D CGI films and AR/VR walkthroughs to interactive scale models and phygital experiences, our immersive formats help bring every detail of the project to life, fostering trust, emotional connection, and aspiration.
Leveraging Data and Insights
What has made a real difference for us is the ability to measure, learn, and adapt across the buyer journey. We leverage data analytics to evaluate the performance of each marketing channel, allowing us to continuously fine-tune our media mix and sharpen ROIs. Consumer surveys and on-ground feedback loops provide valuable insights into buyer preferences, shaping our planning and product communication. For instance, evolving preferences around community spaces, work-from-home zones, or sustainability features directly influence our strategies.
Key Beliefs and Learnings
In a high-stakes, high-involvement category like real estate, decisions aren’t made overnight; they are made over months of exploration, discussion, and doubt. While aesthetics and emotion can capture attention, it’s insight-driven storytelling and relevance that sustain it. Every campaign we build starts with a deep understanding of our homebuyer, their aspirations, anxieties, cultural context, and life stage. Whether it's the tone of voice, the visual language, or the media strategy, everything is crafted to feel personal, rooted, and real. Buyers today aren’t just looking for a home; they are seeking a lifestyle.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Century Real Estate use video marketing to increase inquiries?
According to the National Association of Realtors, properties with video marketing receive 403% more inquiries. Century Real Estate leverages this by incorporating high-quality 3D CGI films, AR/VR walkthroughs, and interactive scale models to create immersive experiences that help buyers envision life in their spaces.
What is Century Real Estate's approach to media spending in FY26?
Century Real Estate has more than doubled its marketing budget in FY26, with a significant portion allocated to media spends across digital and ATL channels. This includes leveraging ATL for compelling brand storytelling and digital for performance-driven campaigns.
How does Century Real Estate avoid discount-led campaigns during the festive quarter?
Instead of short-term festive offers, Century focuses on building a strong funnel of qualified prospects and driving sustained engagement through campaigns that highlight long-term lifestyle value, strategic location advantages, and brand trust.
What role do influencers play in Century Real Estate's marketing strategy?
Influencers play a vital role in building consumer trust. Century prioritizes creators with strong personal brands in finance, home, or lifestyle who can contextualize their projects in a relatable way, driving both brand recall and qualified inquiries.
How does Century Real Estate ensure transparency and value for today’s homebuyers?
Century integrates advanced digital tools across the customer journey, including high-quality 3D CGI films, AR/VR walkthroughs, interactive scale models, and phygital displays. These tools help bring every detail of the project to life, fostering trust, emotional connection, and aspiration.
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