Marketing for new developments in Tirana and Vlorë: how to sell apartments before the site is finished
Tirana and Vlorë build more than anywhere else in the Balkans. The project that sells during construction finances itself; the one that waits for completion competes with ten others already finished.
Who buys new builds in Albania
Kosovars and Albanians from North Macedonia (apartments in Durrës, Golem, Vlorë for holidays and investment). The diaspora from Italy, Greece, Germany, Switzerland (Tirana for family, the coast for summer). Italians and Germans (Vlorë, Sarandë, Ksamil for holidays and rental). Tirana locals (first home, mortgage). Each group has its own language, channel and season.
The project page
A dedicated page per project: name, location with map and distances, exterior and interior renderings, floor plans of every type with size and price, phases with dates, developer and track record, documentation (permit, tapi), payment methods, a reservation form, WhatsApp. In Albanian, Italian, English. It is the page all ads lead to.
Visual material
Photorealistic exterior and interior renderings (not sketches). A 60-second project video with a drone over the area. 15-second vertical videos for social. Site photos every month: the distant buyer wants to see progress. A virtual tour of the show apartment if there is one. Good material sells apartments that do not exist yet.
Prices and phases
A visible price per type, with the planned increase by phase (“reservation: €1,200/m², structure: €1,350/m², completion: €1,500/m²”). Early buyers get the best price: that is the incentive to decide now. Clear payment methods: deposit, instalments by phase, mortgage with partner banks for locals.
Google Ads
An Albanian campaign for Kosovars and the diaspora (“new apartments Durrës”, “new build Vlorë”, “apartment for sale Tirana complex”), Italian (“appartamenti nuovi Valona”, “nuove costruzioni Albania mare”), German (“Neubau Albanien Meer”). A campaign on the project name. Every campaign to the project page, with the reservation as the conversion. Budget concentrated in the reservation phase and in summer for the diaspora.
Meta Ads
The project video to Kosovars and the diaspora (Facebook is still their main channel), to Italians aged 40-65 interested in Albania, to Tirana locals for a first home. Remarketing to those who viewed the project page. Goal: messages and reservation forms. For the diaspora, dedicated campaigns June-August when they are in Albania.
Sales events
Site opening day with invitations to the contact list. Diaspora events in August (presentation with the physical model). Property fairs in Tirana, Pristina, Milan. Site visits by booked appointment. Every event is fed with ads before and content after.
CRM and follow-up
Every contact in the CRM: type of interest, budget, language, channel, phase. Follow-up: a call within 24 hours, floor plans sent, an invitation to visit, a reminder before the next phase’s price increase. A monthly email to all contacts with site progress. A new-build buyer decides over weeks or months: without follow-up, you lose them to the project next door.
Partner agencies
The developer also sells through agencies in Pristina, Tirana, Milan. A site area for agencies with downloadable material, the price list, the commission. An agency with everything ready sells more. The developer’s ads and the agencies’ ads must not compete for the same searches: they are coordinated.
The phase calendar
Before the site: page, renderings, video, a reservation campaign with the lowest price. Foundations: progress photos, events, first price increase. Structure: drone video, show apartment, summer diaspora campaign. Completion: virtual tour, last apartments, “ready to move in” campaign. After handover: buyer testimonials for the next project.
Measurement
Reservations by channel (Google, Meta, agencies, events, direct), cost per reservation, conversion from contact to visit and from visit to contract, apartments sold per phase. A monthly report for the developer. For an 80-apartment project, the marketing budget is a small fraction of the value sold and shortens sales time by months.
The mistakes
Starting marketing when the site is finished. Bad renderings or sketches. Hidden prices (“contact us”). A page without the buyers’ languages. Contacts without follow-up. The same ads for Kosovars and Italians. Not documenting site progress: the distant buyer needs to see that construction is moving.
Example: 80 apartments in Vlorë
A project with 80 sea-view 1+1 and 2+1 apartments, target market: Kosovars (40%), Italian diaspora (30%), Italians (20%), locals (10%). A project page in three languages with renderings, floor plans, phase prices and reservation. Google campaigns in Albanian and Italian, Meta to Kosovars on Facebook and Italians on Instagram, a diaspora event in August with the physical model, partner agencies in Pristina and Bari with a dedicated site area. CRM with follow-up within 24 hours. Result: 30 reservations in the reservation phase (lowest price), 25 during the structure, 15 at completion; the last 10 sold at double marketing cost. The lesson: the marketing budget concentrates at the start, when the price is lowest and the clients most.
Material for agencies and representatives
A developer selling through agencies in Pristina, Milan or Tirana must give them everything ready: the PDF presentation in three languages, high-resolution renderings, floor plans, the phase price list, the video, social texts, the standard contract, a clear commission, the sales contact. A password-protected site area for agencies. The agency with material ready sells; the one asking for everything by email sells the competitor’s project.
Frequently asked questions
When should marketing start?
Before the site opens, with the page and the reservation campaign.
Are renderings mandatory?
Yes, photorealistic. Buyers buy what they see.
Which languages?
Albanian, Italian, English; German depending on the project.
How much budget?
A small fraction of the project value, concentrated in the reservation phase and in summer.