Blog

Everything about Landscope Christie's International Real Estate and the Hong Kong luxury property market


The Heartfelt Pioneer - The Key

A 'Key' plays an important role as a pivotal tool that opens up doors. To luxury apartment owners, a key connects them to their safe haven – to their home. To Landscope, a key, or more aptly, The Key – Landscope’s luxury property publication – connects the company to their valued clients. Since its inception in 2003, The Key magazine has continued to grow and prosper. Today, we are privileged to be speaking with Landscope’s Managing Director, KS Koh, on the key to their success.

In Hong Kong, there are currently no monthly publications featuring exclusively upscale luxury properties. The Key however, is the exception. The Key is also commended for its innovative ideas and insightful discussions, merging topics of general interest with luxury apartments. We wonder, what inspired Landscope to do all this work? “We deal with many rentals of luxury properties so it is important for us to have credibility and respect. Down from our clients, to property owners, to the buildings we hold, the same philosophy applies – respect our heart,” says Koh. He continues, “We read and saw many real estate companies advertising their properties in newspapers. The featured properties were usually squished in the corner of the page, and the photos were blurry making the property unappealing. We offer the rental and sale of high-end and exquisite properties, therefore we cannot afford to feature our properties in such a way.” In the past, The Key didn’t exist and there were no regular publications. Instead, Landscope made pamphlets for certain luxury apartment complexes, which were distributed when needed. These pamphlets may not be up to par today, however in terms of quality, they were much more effective than the advertisements other real estate companies were placing in newspapers. The Key magazine – from content to print – enables valued clients to enjoy and experience their properties in the best possible light.

“When a customer visits a department store, whether they buy something that is worth a couple of dollars or a few thousand dollars they will receive the same treatment. So why is it that those who can afford to purchase luxury apartments that cost over millions of dollars are not offered the same treatment?” says Koh. It was this that led Koh to launch The Key in 2003. “We wanted to offer a monthly publication so that our clients would be kept up-to-date with what was going on. We also wanted clients to have a deeper understanding and knowledge base of apartments on the market. The Key is now a 20-page booklet featuring over 100 luxury residential properties compared to the four-page booklet featuring only six properties that we published when it first started. In addition, we make sure that we print the full addresses of each property to allow customers to get a better idea of the property – unlike other real estate companies who keep this a secret. We believe it is more professional to be transparent with our information and this will allow us to build a better relationship with our clients.”

The Key magazine not only benefits the buyer but also the seller of luxury properties. As Koh says excitedly, “Luxury apartment owners, buyers, and sellers are all those who understand la dolce vita, which is why The Key has featured some interesting articles such as the Do You Know section which allows readers to learn some interesting facts about buildings, street names, governors, history, and much more.” Like other products, luxury properties need to be packaged – perhaps even more so. From The Key’s glossy pages, visually-enticing photos and layout, awe-inspiring articles, to its exquisite properties, it has proved to be a good investment of its own.”

Both Landscope and The Key share the same business philosophies: to be one step ahead and remain at the forefront of the industry. As of its 59th issue, Landscope appointed inMAGAZINE to be solely responsible for The Key – ensuring that the magazine reaches new heights. Landscope’s efforts to improve The Key – a magazine which connects them to their clients – stands as testament to how much they value and respect their distinguished clients.

As The Key continues to bring itself to the next level, its website – www.landscope.com – will carry on serving as an additional platform for Landscope to serve its clients. And the website calls for an exciting new piece of news – it recently won the Standard of Excellence Award by The Web Marketing Association.

“It is a rewarding feeling to be able to meet our client’s demands – all of whom are the crème de la crème of Hong Kong. Allowing our information to be accessible via the Internet is particularly important in serving the wealthy population in Hong Kong – be they tycoons or entrepreneurs. An accessible, user-friendly and informative website is what they are looking for,” says Koh. “Accordingly, to provide an even better service we have revamped our website and have linked it to Google Map and Property Alert. Additionally, after submitting an apartment search, customers will be able to receive information on apartments for sale or rent that meet their desired requirements,” says Koh proudly, revealing a smile of success.

By Kit Chau