New luxury condos take high-end approach to sales
With the introduction of high-end condominiums to the market come million-dollar showrooms intended to entice buyers with a taste of the good life.
At each of these sales centers, the goal is to give buyers the ambience, or feeling, salespeople say they’ll get when they’re living in the unit.
“The sales environment needs to be indicative of the type of product that it’s selling,” said David Tufts, president of The Marketing Directors LLC, which handles marketing for the new W Atlanta Downtown Hotel & Residences. “The higher end, the more that needs to be spoken to by the sales center.”
Toronto-based BurdiFilek Interior Design will design the W’s $2 million sales center, which will offer both virtual and real tours, and include an entire residential model. A mood video will set the tone for the W lifestyle.
For the Trump Towers, the sales center at Kenji Design Studios uses a dramatic stage-lighting effect to showcase the design; this is fitting because the building will be near the Woodruff Arts Center.
“We’ve emphasized the design of the sculptural form of the building,” said lead designer Jim Weinberg. “We were able to depict its large shard columns in the display center. They’re about 12 feet tall.”
The showroom for The Mansion on Peachtree overlooks the construction site from the 10th floor of Atlanta Financial Center’s North Tower. A flat-screen TV plays a virtual tour, showing potential buyers all the building’s views.
Paul Cullen, vice president of City Center Properties LLC, said in creating The Mansion’s showroom they were looking to create a sales/lifestyle center.
Just down Peachtree Road is SOVEREIGN, where condominiums start at more than $1 million.
Guests at their sales center in Tower Place also can view the nearby construction site. In addition, the showroom has original paintings from artist Todd Murphy, who is curator of the building’s fine art collection.
Spokesperson Gayle MacIntyre said the showroom tells visitors that SOVEREIGN is upscale and discreet.
Another showroom that emphasizes views is the 55-unit Aberdeen, which will be in Vinings Village.
Since Aberdeen primarily targets empty nesters, the developers stayed away from high-tech gadgetry in the sales center, said Geoff Anderson, president of Taz Anderson Realty Co.
“We felt that for our buyer, who is 55-plus, empty nester, probably owns more than one home, that wasn’t the way they bought a house.”
Meanwhile, the showroom for Mezzo is a spa-like atmosphere, with relaxing music playing.
“Immediately after you walk in, you feel the lifestyle and the ambience of the building,” said Leslie Williamson, executive vice president of marketing for Coldwell Banker The Condo Store.
The 20-story Mezzo will have 94 condos on Peachtree Road near the border of Buckhead and Midtown.
“This is a brand-new experience for Atlanta,” said Dale Henson, president of Dale Henson Associates Inc., when asked about the emergence of luxury condos in metro Atlanta and their showrooms. “So I’m not surprised to see those elaborate showrooms because the prices are going up. Some of them are starting in the $1 million to $2 million range. That calls for that sort of exposition of the properties.”
Tufts agreed.
“I think it’s an important sales tool to have these types of environments,” he said. “Building out full sales models pre-building completion is something that has been done before successfully. But the level to which it’s being done now and the types that are coming on line now are vastly different.”
Henson said these types of showrooms do influence buyers’ decisions.
“When they didn’t have a choice of this kind of property, they either bought or they didn’t buy. Now they have several to choose from. So the competition gets good at that level now that we have several that are $1 million and up.”
