Real estate developers joining forces with Internet giants has been all the rage of late.

In recent days, Vanke got together with Internet giant Tencent to create a financial product to encourage Tencent's users to buy Vanke's homes. In August, Vanke sold 600 million yuan ($97.8 million) worth of property through a deal with the e-commerce platform Taobao.

These innovative partnerships provide home buyers with many benefits. They make it easier for home buyers to pay their down payments. They can also help buyers save on purchasing costs. For developers, the partnerships can help them improve sales by offering customers a better buying experience.

In the short term, these partnerships have been a successful marketing tool. But in the long term, real estate developers can only remain competitive by maintaining a strong brand.

A good brand is crucial to a developer's success. Property developers can build up a strong brand by planning, designing and producing products based on the customers' actual needs. They can also add value to their brands by providing good community construction and services to support the community.

The author is Tao Yajie, a media personality.

cien.com.cn