#Women'sMonth: Maxine Dursham transforms property marketing with innovation

Source: Supplied. Director of Marketing EMEA at MRI Software.

With a diverse background spanning telecoms, banking, and manufacturing, Maxine’s strategic vision and commitment to innovation drive her efforts in transforming traditional property markets.

Her approach emphasises personalised strategies and local insights, reflecting her dedication to enhancing customer satisfaction and operational efficiency through cutting-edge solutions.

What inspired you to pursue a career in marketing within the property industry, and how did you get started?

After working in marketing across multiple industry sectors, telecoms, banking, manufacturing and professional services, always with a software angle, the property sector felt like the next industry most needing a technology shift. It is a very traditional market that is really still at the early stages of technology adoption.

There is so much potential as a marketeer. I joined MRI Software initially focusing on the social-housing sector in the UK and then moved to focus on our commercial property and occupier markets. It was alot of new terminology and jargon but in reality, all the sectors I've worked in have similar value propositions, to improve customer satisfaction and to reduce operational costs for audiences. 

How do you approach marketing strategy for the diverse EMEA region, considering cultural and market differences?

I have worked across the EMEA region for most of my career in marketing. It is important to spend time, understand the difference in the approaches, and gain insight by working with the local teams, partners and industry associations. 

It is important not to think one style fits all. To be relevant you need to personalise your approach to fit the needs of your audience. Seasonality, business models and cultural approaches are key when working across geographies. I've been very fortunate in the past to have been able to spend periods of time based in local offices to truly get to know the market and people.  

What are some of the biggest challenges you face in marketing property solutions, and how do you overcome them?

In the main I would say the market's knowledge and understanding of technology and what it can do for property businesses. Our solutions cover every aspect of a business from Finance, Property and Lease Management, Facilities and Energy Management through to Retail Footfall Analysis, all your property technology needs. 

This requires clear profiling of potential businesses and the ability to talk to multiple personas to be relevant. 

What emerging trends in the property industry are you most excited about?

I am really excited about the adoption of AI Technology, enabling users to leverage volumes of data in a faster and more structured way in order to make quicker and more intuitive decisions.

By freeing up people from manually entering data, businesses can streamline operations and focus on making informed decisions to drive better business results. 

This is going to change the way the property industry thinks about the use of software, data quality and user training. Being able to use AI with natural search within business software also makes the sector more inclusive by enabling a wider range of users to interact with the technology more effectively.

Can you share an example of a successful marketing campaign you led and what made it effective?

It is hard to pick one example but most recently our annual client conference, MRI Ascend was a great success. The event is part of a global series for MRI clients, and our South African event was bigger and better than in previous years

The excitement could be felt throughout the conference, with great content, lots of industry speakers sharing insights and a showcase of our partner solutions. The feedback so far has been very positive! Teamwork was key to making the event a success, together with good project management with clear goals and objectives.

What advice do you have for women aspiring to leadership roles in marketing and the property sector?

Go for it! Join industry associations and conferences to build your network, gain more knowledge and spot opportunities. Seek out a mentor to help you develop your skills. Diversity in the property sector is improving, get involved - there are lots of LinkedIn groups and support networks to help. 

How do you see the property industry evolving in the next five years, and what role do you see marketing playing in that transformation?

Sustainability will become critical, firstly at the build stage but also in the managing and operations of property. Smart sensors and AI will enable us to monitor and alter the way we approach Facilities Management, Energy and Property Management in the next five years.

Marketing is the first touch point where the industry discovers what is possible with AI solutions and therefore plays a significant role in educating the market on the transformation it is going through with client testimonials, webinars and live events - driving actionable change and helping to create a sustainable future.