SATO clearly the most recognised operator in Finnish rental housing – the difference to others is growing

Long-term brand work has maintained SATO, one of the country's largest landlords, as the most recognised in its field in Finland. The company regularly measures its recognition and the perceptions that arise, associating SATO with reliability, effortlessness, and humanity.

According to market research firm Nepa, SATO is clearly the most recognised brand in its sector, rental housing. According to the 2023 research summary, SATO was the first housing provider that came to mind for over one-fifth of respondents. Additionally, over 40% mentioned SATO spontaneously, and over 80% recognised the company from provided options.

Laura Laamanen, SATO's Chief Commercial Officer, smiles: "SATO's recognition is not just the charm of being well over eighty years old. It's backed by long-term, systematic work utilising research and analytics to determine which themes related to rental living we need to focus on in marketing and communications at any given time."

Since the beginning of 2022, SATO has conducted ongoing image research with Nepa, answered weekly online by about 200 Finns aged 18-74 who are renting or considering renting in the near future. Last year, nearly half of Finns fell into this group.

Reliability is the most crucial perception

The perceptions of SATO have further improved over the past two years, and the company is increasingly associated with qualities such as reliability, responsibility, and effortlessness.

According to the researc, the perception of a housing provider’s reliability is the most important single factor when considering renting a home. The next most important are perceptions of competitiveness and homeliness.

SATO's homeliness may be underscored by the company's message of the unsurprising nature of living in a rental apartment and the 'Home for your life' slogan.

"Few probably advertise their brand as predictable, but it suits us well. We want our customers to trust in the safety of their homes and the ease of living, and the research shows the message has been successful," Laamanen rejoices.

Large operators increasingly standing out from the rest

SATO's long-time competitor, Kojamo's Lumo brand, is also familiar to survey respondents. The respondents’ consideration of the two brands competing largely for the same customers compared to other operators continues to grow.

"In a time when there is a lot of uncertainty in society, it is necessary to offer trust and stability as a counterbalance. For us larger housing providers, the prospects in this area surpass those available to smaller players," Laamanen states. "We want SATO to be profiled as a safe housing provider that listens to the needs of its customers. We aim to operate transparently and fulfil our promises."

Younger people value humanity

Respondents traditionally seen as the target group for rental housing, those under 35, seek a human touch and comfort and ease of living from their housing provider, according to Nepa’s research. Laamanen says this need can be met by offering services from SATO's house experts and housing advisors.

"Last year, we introduced ‘Hyvän kohtaamisen konsepti’ - a concept for a consistent SATO way of encountering our customers - to our personnel which makes it easier for us to serve our residents with the same reliable approach, regardless of the SATO employee, customer, or situation," Laamanen adds and specifies, "Younger respondents differed somewhat from other respondents in the areas mentioned above, but otherwise, the respondents' wishes for a housing provider are surprisingly similar."

For more information, please contact
Laura Laamanen, Chief Commercial Officer, SATO Corporation
p. +358 201 34 4360, firstname.lastname@sato.fi

Media inquiries
viestinta@sato.fi