Meet the Instructor: Emma MacKenzie – Real Estate Marketing 2024
This series introduces you to REDI’s adjunct instructors who teach Real Estate Development Leadership (REDL) courses offered in collaboration with the Haskayne School of Business.
Emma MacKenzie is Director, Creative & Strategy at Chatterson, a Calgary-based performance marketing agency. She has spent the last 12 years at Chatterson, planning and executing strategic marketing for a multitude of real estate development clients across Western Canada. Emma specializes in strategy development, project visioning, creative execution, and the important connections between buyer motivations and marketing success.
HSK 826: Real Estate Marketing starts April 29, with in-person instruction on May 6 & 7, 2024, at the University of Calgary main campus.
Tell us about yourself.
I actually always thought I would be a high school teacher, so I’m grateful that I’ve had the chance to teach at some point in my career. I never planned on being a marketer; it’s something I fell into, and fell in love with. I’ve been with Chatterson since 2011, and I’ve been lucky enough to grow and evolve in parallel with the company. I’m a born and raised Calgarian with a wonderful husband and two young boys who are 6 months and almost 3. I love food, travel and the outdoors. This year, I really can’t wait for spring to finally arrive!
What role does marketing play throughout the stages of a development project?
I want to say, take my course and you’ll find out! But, to be brief, marketing plays a role from the very early beginnings of a project (research, naming, branding, etc) all the way through to when the home or unit is sold. It’s important for so many reasons. Project positioning and market perception, on the outset, and ultimately driving traffic and sales. Marketing is essential to project success.
Tell us about a recent development project you’ve led the marketing strategy for.
One recent notable project was a new show home village in Brookfield’s Livingston. Chatterson was tasked with the sales centre pathing and design, which is one of my favourite types of projects. This sales centre was purpose-built and includes individual trailers for each builder partner attached to the main centre. It was also a large space, which sounds like it would make things easier, but it requires more creativity and out-of-the-box thinking to display content at scale. In this space, we were able to create an engaging sales experience for buyers while maintaining a functional and comfortable work environment for sales staff. I recommend checking it out!
What will an instructional day look like for REDL learners?
An instructional day in my course is jam-packed. There is a lot to learn in a short amount of time. There will be lectures, but there will also be group work and a lot of group discussion and activities. Our guest speakers range from real estate professionals, to marketing professionals with a wider breadth of experience. It is my job to give you the tools, while my learners will work to apply those tools and philosophies to a real-life, local real estate project.
Interested in Real Estate Marketing with Emma?
Register for this course by April 29 through the Haskayne School of Business Executive Education website. Or, visit redicanada.org to find the right program and courses for your career goals.