More Than a Walkthrough: Why Storytelling Is the Next Frontier in Lettings Marketing
If you’re leading a lettings agency or managing a portfolio of properties, you already know the ground is shifting. Landlords expect more, tenants are savvier, and differentiation isn’t a bonus, it’s a business necessity. So how do letting agents cut through the noise and connect? According to Chris England of PVS Media, the answer is simple: stop marketing properties, and start telling stories.
In a recent episode of The Viking Chats, our co-founder Kristjan Byfield sat down with Chris to unpack the true role of video in today’s property market, and the conversation was a wake-up call for how the lettings industry approaches brand, content, and customer connection.
From Features to Feelings: What Tenants Really Want
Chris makes a compelling case: listing videos are often cold, clinical, and forgettable. While they may technically “show the space,” they rarely communicate what it feels like to live there.
Today’s tenants, especially Gen Z and Millennial renters—expect more than square footage and rental terms. They want:
Authentic storytelling
Personality and brand values
A glimpse into the lifestyle the property supports
If your agency is still stuck in the “wide shot + piano music” format, you’re not just behind the curve, you’re losing trust.
Why Lettings Needs to Rethink Video (and Fast)
Let’s be clear: video isn’t just for sales agents with multimillion-pound listings. In fact, video is arguably more important in lettings, where brand perception, repeat business and long-term management value play a bigger role.
Chris and Kristjan discuss how video:
Accelerates trust and reduces friction
Humanises agencies in an increasingly automated world
Differentiates your service beyond price or portal visibility
At The Depositary, we see this every day, agencies that combine great tech with powerful storytelling create faster, cleaner tenancies and stronger long-term relationships with landlords and tenants alike.
Done Is Better Than Perfect
You don’t need cinematic lighting or a drone to make great video. Chris’s advice? Start where you are. Use your phone. Let your team show up as themselves. Speak plainly. Be real.
Great video content in lettings can be:
A 30-second explainer about your onboarding process
A friendly face walking through end-of-tenancy steps
A short Q&A answering tenant FAQs
These are the human touches that build trust, reduce unnecessary contact, and showcase your agency as professional and approachable.
Storytelling = Strategy
The best agencies understand that marketing isn’t a department, it’s the frontline of customer experience. Video storytelling isn’t fluff. It’s:
A trust accelerator
A brand builder
A retention tool
When agencies embed storytelling into their content strategy, they don’t just fill properties faster—they attract better tenants, retain better landlords, and command higher fees based on genuine service value.
What It Means for You as a Leader
If you're a director, MD or senior decision-maker in lettings or residential property management, the takeaway is simple:
You don’t need to become a filmmaker. You need to become a storyteller.
Equip your team with confidence and clarity
Empower your brand to be more human
Shift from sales-mode to service-mode in your content
This is where trust is built, and where your competitive edge lives.
