Whatever Inc. is a real estate development and renovation company centered around Kyoto's Shimogamo and Demachiyanagi area.
The company began using Wellridge Inc. consulting services in autumn 2023. As of June 2024, Wellridge supports search ads and social media ads to acquire new tenants for the new facility Whatever SHIMOGAMO-EAST, as well as owned-media strategy and branding.
We spoke with Whatever Inc. CEO Fumiaki Yuzuriha about why the company introduced Wellridge consulting services and what changed afterward.
Overview of Whatever Inc.'s Business
What kind of business does Whatever Inc. operate?
Mr. Yuzuriha
Whatever operates real estate sales, renovation, and consulting businesses. Our shared-office business, which began as our own office and shared office, went well, so we are expanding it and building our fourth property, Whatever SHIMOGAMO-EAST, along Kyoto's Takanogawa River (opened July 2024). We plan to keep expanding various types of internally developed real estate businesses centered around Kyoto's Sakyo-ku and Demachiyanagi area.
Reference article: The Story Behind the Birth of Whatever SHIMOGAMO
Murohashi
In addition to Whatever SHIMOGAMO, where Wellridge has been a tenant since summer 2023, you are in a rapid growth phase, creating new facilities one after another, including SHIMOGAMO-EAST.
Background: Concern About Attracting Tenants for Whatever SHIMOGAMO-EAST, the Fourth and Largest Facility
What issues did you have before introducing Wellridge?
Mr. Yuzuriha
The issue was that we had limited means to attract customers and find tenants before opening the new facility, Whatever SHIMOGAMO-EAST. Our first facility, Whatever SHIMOGAMO, was fully occupied four months after opening, which was good. But this time, it was our largest self-operated facility, about twice the size of SHIMOGAMO, with 29 offices and 20 shared-house rooms for a total of 49 units. We wanted to secure tenants before opening.
Murohashi
With a real estate facility of 49 units, it is certainly worrying if tenants have not committed before opening.
What made you decide to introduce Wellridge's digital customer-acquisition consulting?
Mr. Yuzuriha
We felt that anyone working on Whatever's business had to truly relate to our facilities. Our properties are along the Kamogawa and Takanogawa rivers or near Shimogamo Shrine, and our shared offices emphasize a relaxed environment rich in nature. That makes our strengths completely different from facilities that emphasize convenience. Rather than entrusting the work to an advertising agency or professional who did not know our facilities, we thought it would be faster to ask tenants or tenant companies who shared similar values. This time, Mr. Murohashi, one of our tenants, happened to become independent, so we asked him to handle customer acquisition. We also asked Mr. Otsu, representative of YunY-Sun Inc., another tenant, to build the website.
Murohashi
It is true that asking tenants who understand and relate to the facility gives the work more energy. I still remember telling you in autumn 2023 that I was becoming independent, and you asking whether I could help with customer acquisition because you were building a new property. Since this was a valuable opportunity for a facility whose location and design I liked and where I was a tenant to expand, I think I immediately said I would love to help.
Results: Before the July 2024 opening, 80% of shared-house rooms and 62% of offices were pre-leased.
After starting Wellridge's monthly consulting, did you feel an impact?
Mr. Yuzuriha
Customer acquisition improved significantly. We were satisfied because Meta Ads and Google Ads exceeded our original goal of 50% occupancy before the 2024 opening. Specifically, before the July 2024 opening, 80% of the shared-house rooms and 62% of the offices had been pre-leased. It was also good that we could move forward through two one-hour monthly meetings, talking directly in the office.
In addition to advertising-based acquisition, it is helpful that we can consult comprehensively on owned-media content topics after the corporate-site renewal, from strategy proposals to feedback on each article. Because Wellridge is a tenant, I feel the sensibility is somewhat similar to mine, and that helped us promote effective initiatives without major revisions.
Physical proximity was also quietly helpful. Since Mr. Murohashi is a tenant of the first SHIMOGAMO office, whenever I had something to ask, I could immediately talk to him and resolve it. Some things are hard to communicate otherwise.
Murohashi
That makes sense. Real estate is a physical product, so there are things that are hard to communicate without meeting and talking in person.
Further Developing Real Estate in Kyoto's Demachiyanagi Area Through Wellridge Customer Acquisition
Please tell us about Whatever's future business development.
Mr. Yuzuriha
Whatever has mainly operated offices and houses. Going forward, we would like to work on wet labs, or research facilities, and shared kitchens. Because we want to do new things in real estate, we will need marketing and branding from scratch, so we would like to ask for your support again. It may even become part of revitalizing the Demachiyanagi area.
Murohashi
Completely true.
Mr. Yuzuriha
Whatever wants to keep increasing its own real estate developments. We will acquire land and develop housing, offices, and other real estate needed in the coming era.
Another point is not leaving existing facilities half-finished. I think it is about carrying things through.
What do you expect from Wellridge?
Mr. Yuzuriha
Whatever plans to continue developing its own real estate projects centered around Kyoto's Demachiyanagi area. We have already acquired several plots of land and will develop a series of interesting initiatives, so we would appreciate continued support for pre-opening customer acquisition. As the number of properties increases, we would also be happy to ask for additional branding support.
Ken makes rational suggestions for customer acquisition and increasing inquiries, but I am very busy opening the new facility, and if inquiries increased too much all at once, it would be difficult. I hope we can find good compromises going forward. New staff will also join from July, and we will sell furniture in the lounge of the new facility, so I would like to think through sales strategy together.
Thank you very much for sharing your valuable story.
We will continue improving so that Wellridge can be useful to you.