Key takeaways
Real estate marketing lessons from Cityblock
- Bring sales and marketing together. Cityblock was built to close the gap between the two, so leads are followed up and nurtured all the way to a purchase or lease.
- Start early. A proper marketing strategy for a new project needs 12 months or more before launch, because each piece depends on the one before it.
- Treat channels as one system. Ads create awareness, the website converts visitors, and SEO captures organic searches. None of them works well alone.
- Build your CRM around your sales cycle. Buying a subscription is the easy part. The value comes from custom setup, automated follow-up, and training the whole team.
- Separate trends from fads. New tools keep coming, but buyers still want show homes, leasing centres, and people they can talk to.
About the guest
AM
Arif Maherali
CEO and Co-founder, Cityblock Agency
Arif co-founded Cityblock Agency in Calgary in 2018. The firm brings sales and marketing together for home builders, developers, and purpose-built rental projects across Western Canada. Before Cityblock, he ran his own construction company for four years, and he holds a Bachelor of Commerce from Mount Royal University.
Episode summary
In this episode
Arif Maherali built Cityblock Agency after four years running a construction company, where he grew the business through social media and learned firsthand what builders need. In 2018 he turned that experience into a sales and marketing firm for builders and developers.
He explains what sets Cityblock apart, how it takes a project from naming and branding through digital ads and websites, and why so many developers start marketing too late. He also covers how real estate marketing changed during COVID and how online channels, social media, and CRMs work together.
Arif shares what a successful engagement looks like, where he sees the industry heading as AI and new tools flood the market, and the book that is changing how he leads his team.
Chapters
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:45Cityblock’s story
- 5:35What drives Arif
- 7:26Mentorship through VMSA
- 8:29Education and learning in the field
- 10:25What sets Cityblock apart
- 12:16Full-service project marketing
- 15:31How marketing changed since COVID
- 17:37How digital channels work together
- 19:47Social media
- 20:48CRMs and HubSpot
- 25:43What a successful engagement looks like
- 27:35Where Cityblock works
- 28:36The future of real estate marketing
- 31:08Dream project
- 32:47Book recommendation
Jump to a chapter (16)
- 0:00Introduction
- 1:45Cityblock’s story
- 5:35What drives Arif
- 7:26Mentorship through VMSA
- 8:29Education and learning in the field
- 10:25What sets Cityblock apart
- 12:16Full-service project marketing
- 15:31How marketing changed since COVID
- 17:37How digital channels work together
- 19:47Social media
- 20:48CRMs and HubSpot
- 25:43What a successful engagement looks like
- 27:35Where Cityblock works
- 28:36The future of real estate marketing
- 31:08Dream project
- 32:47Book recommendation
From the conversation
Transcript excerpts
You’ll hear the word value all the time… the question is how and how you do that to me is through action and that action translate to your service.
Arif MaheraliPlay from 10:50
I love entrepreneurism. I love to see something come from a concept to fruition and grow that.
Arif MaheraliPlay from 6:22
The best education for me is going out and learning… in the field and doing and working for great companies.
Arif MaheraliPlay from 9:32
Getting a building ready for showings?
We’ll walk your building with you and send a written cleaning scope and price. Free, no obligation.
Read the conversation
Full episode transcript
Show transcript
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FAQ
Questions about this episode
How early should developers start marketing a new project?
Arif recommends starting 12 months or more before launch. Naming, branding, the website, and digital ads all build on each other, so starting after the building is up leads to a scramble.
What does a CRM do for builders and developers?
A CRM records every marketing contact and tracks each lead from first touch to purchase. It automates follow-up, such as a thank-you email after a show home visit, and gives executives reporting on where marketing spend goes.
What book does Arif recommend?
Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell. Arif says it is helping him lean on his team, hand off work others can do, and focus on what only a founder should be doing.
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