In this session, Ben Cunningham (Director at IMA) and Chris Kelly (Head of Marketing, John D Wood) unpacked how a legacy estate agency is balancing brand building with performance-led marketing in an increasingly data-driven world.
With a brand that’s over 150 years old, Chris shared how John D Wood has evolved its marketing from brand-heavy thinking to a sharper focus on performance, measurability, and data-led effectiveness. But that doesn’t mean creativity is out the window.
The conversation highlighted how Chris and his team balance sales-first expectations with creative thinking - from seasonal campaigns like their award-winning Halloween activation, to coffee-table magazines and smart use of automated direct mail triggered by live property data.
Chris also spoke about the power of agent-level marketing, where trust, personal brand, and local presence matter just as much as corporate comms. And while AI is helping improve efficiency, generating content and boosting campaign output, he emphasized that estate agency remains a “contact sport,” where human connection will always lead.
Ben underscored the classic marketing tension: while brand-building drives long-term distinctiveness, performance marketing is often easier to measure and justify, especially in sales-led environments.
Ultimately, the session was a testament to the value of proving marketing’s commercial impact: when leads go down, so do commissions. For Chris, marketing is no longer a cost centre - it’s an investment with a direct line to revenue.
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