5 May 2026

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing

CASE STUDy

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing

SimplyPhi helps local authorities and housing providers simplify the complex challenges of affordable housing delivery by connecting the public and private sectors. They brought us onboard to help them handle some factually incorrect, yet potentially damaging press coverage. We helped them get on top of it, and have been building their profile and credibility in the sector ever since.

Our approach

A phased approach that took SimplyPhi from managing a reputational challenge to becoming a credible, influential voice in affordable housing.

  • A robust defensive approach to the negative press coverage – engaging directly with the journalist and providing clear, factual commentary to stop the negative reporting in its tracks.

  • Pivot to strengthen SimplyPhi’s reputation and relationship with the press – building trust with key journalists and maintaining a regular cadence of coverage around how SimplyPhi can add value, quarterly data reports, major milestones, partnership announcements and business ambitions.

  • Grow SimplyPhi’s influence in the affordable housing sector – by championing partnerships, and events such as a Labour Party Conference fringe event, and an invitation to attend an exclusive Estates Gazette roundtable.

The results

Careful, targeted media management has transformed SimplyPhi’s reputation.

  • Negative press coverage stopped.

  • A positive, productive relationship with Inside Housing, which has led to two journalist meetings and multiple pieces of coverage.

  • Their Labour Party Conference fringe event was chaired by the editor of Inside Housing and generated several new business enquiries.

  • Coverage about a partnership with Bristol City Council generated at least three new prospect meetings.

  • Several further new business leads generated through partnership and milestone coverage.

  • 52 press and media mentions in 2025, with a reach of 86.4 million.

  • 10 pieces of coverage secured for Q2 and Q3 data reports in titles including CoStar, Big Issue, Estates Gazette, Housing Executive, Housing Digital and Inside Housing.

Building Relations have strong relationships with journalists and editors, which is worth its weight in gold! I’ve previously tried to manage PR myself in-house and it was tough trying to get relationships going with journalists, so it’s nice to hand that element over to the experts who can really get things done. 

The team really does care and it is a genuine pleasure working with them. They are super responsive, bring fresh ideas, and aren’t afraid to challenge my views on what they feel would work best and achieve the most coverage. 

Our recent PR with Bristol City Council has generated at least 3 new prospect meetings for us and counting. And our first official Labour Party fringe event, which BR helped us organise and host, has already led to several new client meetings and created quite a bit of buzz online for us. I see PR as a key channel to raise our profile and credibility within the sector, so the fact that it’s helping us win new business too is a bonus.

Jonathan Wootten,
Chief Marketing Officer for SimplyPhi

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
3 May 2026

How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders

CASE STUDy

How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders

City & Country has been creating exceptional homes for over 60 years. With a new five-year business plan, they needed a new PR agency to help them drive the business forward. They brought us onboard to increase brand awareness, boost customer engagement, drive sales and build their reputation as one of the UK’s leading SME housebuilders.

Our approach

A holistic approach to increase reach and build a reputation that would support City & Country’s growth plans, including consumer PR, corporate communications and community engagement.

  • Drive awareness and sales of new developments with targeted local and national media relations, around:

    • Major development and sales milestones, including the launch of their flagship scheme – Bath Press.

    • Strong case studies.
    • Community engagement, including onsite events and championing charitable partnerships.

  • Build City & Country’s national reputation for quality, design and placemaking, including:

    • Proactive media relations.
    • Filming and content creation with brand ambassador George Clarke at different developments.
    • Launching a partnership with Forest to offer new residents at The 1840 in Wandsworth a year of free e-bike travel.

  • Place City & Country at the forefront of the SME housebuilding conversation:

    • Raise the profile of key spokespeople with speaking slots, reactive comment, thought-leadership, and interviews across national, business and trade press.
    • Case studies, comment and a video series in partnership with Time for Timber around City & Country’s leadership in timber construction.
    • Engage with key industry stakeholders and relevant members of parliament at the Labour Fringe Conference, driving the conversation on unlocking high-quality housing across the UK.

The results

Consistent, high-impact coverage across local, national and industry media, culminating in being crowned Housebuilder of the Year at the WhatHouse? 2024 Awards.

Consumer PR

  • 218 pieces of coverage in 2025, an uplift of 30% from the previous year.

  • 126 pieces of development-focused coverage supporting sales.

  • 14 customer case studies, resulting in 20 pieces of coverage and a reach of 525 million.

Corporate PR

  • 92 pieces of coverage profiling brand activity and the senior leadership team, with a reach of 704.8 million.

  • Speaking slots at leading industry events including Footprint+ and Edie.

  • Exclusive FT Adviser site visit.

  • CEO, Planning Director and Technical Director all regularly profiled in the press.

Working with the team at Building Relations has been fundamental for us in raising the profile of C&C both through corporate and development PR. Building Relations go above and beyond to provide agile and strategic communications strategies, coming up with new, innovative ways to share what we are doing. The sheer breadth of coverage, attention to detail and expert advice is fantastic. Our expectations have been exceeded and being crowned Housebuilder of the Year 2024 has been the icing on the cake! We highly recommend them as an agency.

Shelley West
Group Sales and Marketing Director, City & Country

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
3 May 2026

How we gave Barratt London’s Passivhaus announcement the launch it deserved

CASE STUDy

How we gave Barratt London’s Passivhaus announcement the launch it deserved

This was one of Barratt London’s biggest announcements in over a decade, believed to be the first time a volume housebuilder had committed to Passivhaus and Lo-E homes at this scale in England. Barratt London needed a proactive and tactical comms strategy to match the ambition.

Our approach

A precisely-timed announcement and proactive media engagement centred around UKREiiF, the largest real estate event in the UK.

  • Coordinated media engagement – including detailed Q&A materials, tailored journalist briefings and pre-launch press material, to maximise high-quality media coverage.

  • Lead the conversation at UKREiiF – with one-to-one meetings and a panel event on delivering sustainable homes at volume, featuring senior industry figures including Joanna Averley, Chief Planner at the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government.

  • Raise the profile of Barratt London’s senior leadership team – with targeted thought leadership and podcast interviews placed in specialist media, coordinated alongside the launch.

The results

High-impact coverage that put Barratt London’s announcement at the heart of the conversation. 

  • An exclusive in The Times, on the front page of the website (which has an online monthly reach of 15 million) the day before UKREiiF.

  • Over 40 pieces of press coverage for the announcement in London, business, property trade and sustainability media.

  • Thought leadership pieces and podcast interviews in Edie Magazine, Inside Housing, NLA Magazine, Net Zero Ambitions Podcast and Passive House Accelerator.

“The strategic PR support from Building Relations has been impactful in establishing Barratt London as an industry leader in regeneration, partnerships and London development.”

Craig Carson Regional Managing Director of Barratt London

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
2 May 2026

How we’re helping SoResi change the reputation of shared ownership

CASE STUDy

How we’re helping SO Resi change the reputation of shared ownership

We’ve been helping Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing raise the profile of its shared ownership brand, SO Resi, since 2020. Their goal: simplify shared ownership, position it as a credible, mainstream route to homeownership, and show how it can build strong, sustainable communities.

Our approach

An integrated PR strategy across consumer, corporate, trade and broadcast media.

  • Raise SO Resi’s profile with key journalists and national audiences – through a proactive press office, targeted media relationships and a dedicated campaign with The London Standard to challenge perceptions of shared ownership.

  • Position senior spokespeople as credible voices on shared ownership – with strategic thought leadership across trade and consumer media.

  • Broaden reach beyond traditional PR:

      • Digital and video campaigns to extend reach and engagement.
      • Influencer partnerships to reach new and underrepresented audiences.
      • Launch of SO Resi Partnerships’ LinkedIn channel to strengthen corporate visibility.

  • Ongoing support around development launches and the rollout of new propositions including SO Flexi (Rent to Buy) and London Living Rent.

The results

Consistent, high-impact coverage that has raised SO Resi’s profile and put shared ownership firmly at the heart of the homeownership conversation. In 2025, we achieved:

  • 121.4 million total audience reach.

  • 88 pieces of coverage, approximately 50% national coverage.

  • 58,000 LinkedIn impressions.

  • 6,000+ Instagram views.

  • 14 hours of video watch time.

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We appointed Building Relations because we wanted to leverage relationships at a greater scale, push shared ownership up the agenda and ultimately sell homes.

The world has been tumultuous over the past five years, and it’s been challenging to try and put shared ownership at the forefront. But Building Relations helped us get a lot of coverage on the topic, speak at conferences and grasp opportunities.

They channel our thoughts and give us options. We don’t necessarily do everything they suggest, but we definitely have choice and that gives me what I want as a leader.

The team at BR are genuinely lovely people that you can have honest conversations with. They aren’t just a PR agency, but a partner. Someone who, if you are willing to invest that time and relationship with, will be invested in your business as much as you are.

Esaiyas Mollallegn
Head of Marketing and Sales Operations at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
2 May 2026

How we help Barratt London stand out in one of the world’s most competitive property markets

CASE STUDy

How we help Barratt London stand out in one of the world’s most competitive property markets

We’ve been Barratt London’s PR partner since 2018, delivering consumer PR for landmark developments across the capital, from Nine Elms Point in Battersea to Upton Gardens on the site of the iconic former West Ham United ground. Our role: to position Barratt London as the number one choice for new homes in London.

Our approach

A dynamic programme of creative PR. We coordinate everything from brand partnerships and journalist engagement to influencer activity and international affiliate agencies.

  • Ideas worth writing about – we create campaigns that cut through, from partnerships with brands like IKEA, COAT paints and Patch Plants, bringing in world-renowned street artists and Pride Week rainbow light installations, to community planting with residents, collaborations with influencers like Big Manny, and an accessibility campaign positioning Barratt London as a leader in inclusive home design.

  • Next level journalist engagement – we think beyond the usual site visits, from media dinners with leading restaurateurs and wellness events in on-site spas, to journalist events at the Singapore F1 and taking the former Editor of The London Standard’s Homes & Property on a speedboat down the Thames.

  • Bring the developments to life – using case studies and influencer partnerships to show what life in a Barratt London home looks like, and creating community-building events for residents and prospective buyers, from fun runs and photography workshops to beer tastings and canoe clubs.

  • Extend Barratt London’s reach nationally and internationally – with influencer and content creator activity, video projects including Women in Construction and National Apprenticeship Week, and coordinating a network of affiliate agencies running campaigns across six international markets including MENA, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, India and Turkey.

The results

A regular stream of coverage online and across top tier titles in the UK and internationally. In 2025 alone, we secured:

  • Over 250 pieces of UK coverage.

  • 40 pieces of national UK coverage.

  • 106 pieces of international coverage in top-tier titles in all our international target areas.

  • A reach of 1,794,804 and overall engagement of 84,260 with a single influencer campaign.

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The strategic PR support from Building Relations has been instrumental in establishing Barratt London as an industry leader in regeneration, partnerships and London development. By raising our profile in a range of top tier publications, the team has helped to open the right doors, supporting our work with key partners including Places for London, High Speed 2 and the Greater London Authority.

As an extension of our marketing team, Building Relations provides unmatched expertise to ensure we are well prepared for every engagement, from press trips to visits from senior ministers.

Craig Carson
Regional Managing Director of Barratt London

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
28 April 2026

How we helped Dorchester Living tell the Heyford Park story and build a reputation for sustainable, community-led regeneration

CASE STUDy

How we helped Dorchester Living tell the Heyford Park story and build a reputation for sustainable, community-led regeneration

Once home to RAF Upper Heyford, Heyford Park is being transformed by one of Oxfordshire’s most significant regeneration projects, with 9,000 new homes, new transport links, community facilities and extensive open space. Ahead of its masterplan submission, Dorchester Living appointed us in March 2025 to help drive forward their vision for Heyford Park and build support for the masterplan.

Our approach

A targeted and proactive PR programme across national, property, planning, construction and regional press to tell the story of Heyford Park and build Dorchester Living’s reputation as a responsible community builder.

  • Keep the development front of mind – with consistent media coverage, generated through a proactive press office, and press releases tied to key milestones.

  • Make an impact with the masterplan submission – with proactive pitching, one-to-one journalist interviews and a dedicated press day in Oxfordshire to give journalists direct access to the site and a helicopter tour with the CEO.

  • Position Dorchester Living as a responsible, community-led developer – with positive news stories, thought leadership and broadcast interviews, alongside crisis communications support, handling incoming press enquiries and establishing a charity partnership with Homeless Oxford.

  • Place Dorchester Living at the heart of the national conversation on brownfield regeneration – by raising the CEO’s profile through comments, podcasts, profiles, panels and speaking opportunities at events including the Labour Party Conference fringe and UKREiiF 2026.

The results

In the nine months between our appointment in March and the end of 2025, we established Heyford Park as a development worth watching, with strong journalist engagement, significant coverage around the masterplan and a growing presence in the national conversation on regeneration.

  • Nine journalists attended the dedicated press day in Oxfordshire.

  • Ten one-to-one interviews arranged with key national, regional and trade titles, and broadcast interviews secured on ITV News, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio Oxford.

  • 126 pieces of media coverage, including 48 pieces around the masterplan announcement alone.

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“We appointed Building Relations because we wanted to leverage relationships at a greater scale, push shared ownership up the agenda and ultimately sell homes.

The world has been tumultuous over the past five years, and it’s been challenging to try and put shared ownership at the forefront. But Building Relations helped us get a lot of coverage on the topic, speak at conferences and grasp opportunities.

They channel our thoughts and give us options. We don’t necessarily do everything they suggest, but we definitely have choice and that gives me what I want as a leader.

The team at BR are genuinely lovely people that you can have honest conversations with. They aren’t just a PR agency, but a partner. Someone who, if you are willing to invest that time and relationship with, will be invested in your business as much as you are.”

Esaiyas Mollallegn
Head of Marketing and Sales Operations at Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing.

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
28 April 2026

How we’re helping Anchor drive sales and change the conversation around later living

CASE STUDy

How we’re helping Anchor drive sales and change the conversation around later living

Anchor is England’s largest provider of specialist housing and care for those in later life. They’re committed to telling a better story around retirement and creating homes where people love living in later life. We’ve been working with Anchor for over five years to raise the profile of their developments and position later living as a positive, active choice.

Our approach

A targeted PR programme to shift the conversation from ‘retirement’ to ‘enjoying later living’, while raising awareness and driving sales across Anchor’s developments.

  • Show what enjoying later life in an Anchor home really looks like:

    • Coordinating resident case studies (press releases and video) for national, local, online and social media.
    • Local press activity around resident events, activities and campaigns.
    • Case studies showing how Anchor’s Social Value Project supports residents’ wellbeing.

  • Build awareness of developments across local, trade and national press – with coverage around key milestones, stakeholder events, groundbreaking and topping outs at developments.

  • Drive sales across Anchor’s developments – with a combination of events including coffee mornings and seasonal festivities and media relations.

The results

Consistent coverage across national, local and trade press has promoted Anchor’s developments and helped to change the story around later living.

  • 62 pieces of coverage in 2025, with an overall reach of over 113 million.

  • National features including a shared ownership piece and The Landings resident case study in The Daily Express, and a feature on downsizers at Pemberley Place in The Guardian.

  • Trade coverage coverage around key construction milestones.

  • And as part of a wider business social value report centred around a key development (The Wharf), confirmation that through their shared ownership and social rent offerings, Anchor is helping people out of temporary accommodation and into secure, long term homes in later life.

We have worked with the team at Building Relations for many years now and they are excellent. Very easy to work with, professional, reliable and a genuine extension of our in-house team. They have achieved great results including securing a range of media coverage, helped organise key events and interviewed resident case studies to get testimonials. The BR team is always proactive, sharing press requests and supporting with comment when required.

Derya Filiz
Head of External Communications at Anchor

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
28 April 2026

How we’re helping Better Green Living build a reputation as a leading sustainable refurbishment and retrofit specialist

CASE STUDy

How we’re helping Better Green Living build a reputation as a leading sustainable refurbishment and retrofit specialist

Better Green Living delivers creative, sustainable refurbishment projects for educational institutions and their estates – including universities and private schools. Their projects protect the legacy of the buildings, improve the student experience and ensure the building operates as efficiently as possible. We’re helping them raise their profile in the student accommodation and construction sector, and support their ambitious growth plans.

Our approach

A targeted media relations strategy to increase Better Green Living’s visibility and credibility in both sectors and among industry decision makers.

  • Showcase the quality of their work – by bringing key projects to life in the media, including their flagship refurbishment projects for King’s College London, Stamford Street Apartments and Manchester Co-op Live.

  • Prove their expertise in sustainable refurbishment – with thought leadership on sustainability, retrofitting, building safety and the future of student living.

  • Build confidence with stakeholders and sector decision makers – by promoting award wins, new appointments and expansion announcements in targeted higher education, construction, property and facilities management titles.

The results

A consistent drumbeat of coverage across student accommodation, retrofit, sustainability and building safety, directly in line with Better Green Living’s objectives.

  • Overall media reach of 1.2 million in 2025.

  • 40 pieces of coverage over 12 months in targeted titles including CoStar, Construction News, Building, Planning, Estates Gazette and PBSA News.

  • Six thought leadership pieces published in 2025 reinforcing Better Green Living’s expertise in sustainable refurbishment, including Higher Education Estates Magazine.

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We chose Building Relations due to their enthusiasm for our design ethos, their expertise in sustainability and buildings as well as their understanding of our business.

Deborah Parsons
CEO and Sustainability and Outreach Director at Better Green Group

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
28 April 2026

How we’re helping PAH Building and Construction show their impact on the construction sector

CASE STUDy

How we’re helping PAH Building and Construction show their impact on the construction sector

Hampshire-based SME contractor PAH Building and Construction specialises in retrofitting and insurance projects. As client expectations around ESG continue to evolve, they came to us to help articulate their credentials, raise their profile across the construction sector and show the next generation of tradespeople that construction is a career worth choosing.

Our approach

PAH were already doing great work, both in terms of quality and ESG. Our job is to make sure their clients, partners and the wider industry know about it.

  • Get clear on their story – strategic communications advice to define messaging around ESG, skills and construction more generally, then redeveloping their website to reflect their credentials.

  • Demonstrate their capabilities and commitment to retrofit – with project case studies, business growth announcements, and advice on the filming and documentation of a major two-year refurbishment of 56 ex-MOD properties in Surrey with our other client Annington.

  • Show their commitment to people and communities – support and promote partnerships with Basingstoke College of Technology and The Lighthouse Charity.

  • Build their visibility and online presence – build a professional LinkedIn presence from the ground up, secure media coverage, and position the MD and Director as thought leaders in the construction sector.

The results

A stronger, more visible presence across the construction sector, with impact felt well beyond the brief.

  • MD and Director established as thought leaders in the construction sector.

  • LinkedIn presence built from scratch into an established platform for the business.

  • Stronger positioning with clients through clearly articulated ESG credentials.

  • Thriving partnerships with Basingstoke College of Technology and The Lighthouse Charity.

  • Secured PAH’s first ever apprentice through their partnership with Basingstoke College of Technology.

  • While generating new clients wasn’t part of the brief, the increase in visibility has helped with new business and tender opportunities.

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They ask us questions others wouldn’t. They push us to promote our company and share our knowledge with the next generation. We didn’t appoint BR to generate new clients or opportunities. But organically, our reach has grown. We certainly have no regrets in appointing BR, the team is professional, knowledgeable and genuinely good fun to work with.

Trevor Wilkins
Managing Director at PAH Building and Construction

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
27 April 2026

How we helped Nest Seekers International break into the UK luxury property market

CASE STUDy

How we helped Nest Seekers International break into the UK luxury property market

Nest Seekers International is the New York-based brokerage behind hit Netflix show ‘Million Dollar Beach House’, and one of the fastest-growing luxury real estate firms in the world. They came to us to launch the brand in the UK, build their reputation in the prime London market, and attract the best agents and properties to their roster.

Our approach

Strategic PR to help Nest Seekers firmly establish themselves in the UK and Europe.

  • Launch the brand with impact – with an exclusive in The Times to announce Nest Seekers International’s arrival in the UK prime property market.

  • Build trust in the brand by positioning Nest Seekers as an expert in luxury real estate – with expert comment on the prime property market from agents and the CEO, and by profiling the UK CEO as a credible voice in luxury estate agency.

  • Drive awareness and sales of prime properties – securing coverage of key listings in prime central London, Surrey and Cheshire.

  • Attract top agents to join the team – by raising the profile of Nest Seekers International as the most exciting luxury brokerage to work for in the UK.

  • Build on the success of the UK launch – with further launches in Spain, Portugal and France, and for the BBC series ‘Crazy Rich Agents’.

The results

An impactful launch into the UK market, and ongoing PR that has helped firmly establish Nest Seekers International’s reputation as a leader in the luxury real estate space. 

  • A front-page spotlight and full page feature on page 3 of The Times main paper, positioning Nest Seekers as a trailblazing firm bridging the gap between the US and the UK property markets.

  • A further 15 pieces of coverage in key national, international, trade and online publications off the back of the launch.

  • In the year that followed, over 200 pieces of coverage across key property titles for new property listings, announcements and profiling of the CEO.

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After the property featured in the Times, I got a phone call the next day from an international buyer saying they had seen the article and wanted to make an offer on the house.

Agent at Nest Seekers International

See some of our other work

How we helped SimplyPhi rebuild their reputation and become a trusted voice in affordable housing
How we’re helping City & Country build a reputation as one of the UK’s most distinctive housebuilders
Ben Hamman
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