Meravista, the newest property website for the Algarve in Portugal, has always claimed to do things a little differently. When it listed Silves Castle for sale and promoted it in the local media, it did just that.
Silves Castle is the focal point for the Moorish town’s annual medieval festival which got underway on 2nd August and runs until 11th. Silves always puts on the best and most elaborate festival of medieval times in the Algarve which attracts thousands of people from far and wide. The 2012 Festival was just one of many events and leisure activities which helped to draw over 5.5 million tourists to the region last year.
The fantasy advertising campaign created by Meravista may be tongue-in-cheek, but there’s a clear objective behind the marketing. Rather than presenting property for sale in the Algarve solely to people looking to buy a home in the region, Meravista is aiming to capture the imagination of the increasing number of property hunters looking for the best location to buy property and a destination which offers them a good investment opportunity, a perfect holiday retreat or a permanent home.
Anita van Huson, co-founder of Meravista comments: “We’re not just offering property for sale, we’re offering a lifestyle that we believe is pretty hard to match. We need to sell the Algarve as well as real estate to potential buyers. That’s why you’ll find information on towns and cities, leisure activities and up-to-date news on what’s on across the region on our website.”
Online property news service Propertywire recently reported that more Brits than ever before want to retire overseas and that the number of people aged between 45 and 64 who are considering buying a home abroad when they retire has risen from 30% in 2006 to 38%*. That’s 5.4m potential buyers from the UK’s future retirement market alone.
Christine retired to the Algarve from the UK 18 months ago and lives just outside Silves: “I chose to retire to the Algarve because of the fantastic lifestyle here. Apart from the wonderful climate, there’s so much about the region to enjoy. The countryside with its stunning views, the quaint old towns, wonderful beaches, the culture, the cuisine and the friendly people, to name but a few.” She laughed: “One of my friends in the UK asked me where I was going on holiday this year. I was genuinely taken aback; I replied that every day’s a holiday here.”
Anita concludes: “It’s not just retirees who are seeking to wind down in warmer climes. Many younger people eager to escape the rat race and enjoy a better quality of life are looking for opportunities to relocate abroad. The market is there, we just need to capture it.”
Suggested links
http://pt.meravista.com/en/algarve-information/silves
http://pt.meravista.com/en/blogentry/silves-castle-sale-through-ages
http://pt.meravista.com/en/portugal-property-map
Reference
*http://www.propertywire.com
About Meravista:
Conceived, designed and developed over the course of 18 months, Meravista is a property portal focused exclusively on Algarve property in Portugal, targeting buyers across Europe.
Contact Meravista:
Anita van Huson
E: info@meravista.com
W: www.meravista.com
