ULI is typically a great venue to learn what new trends are becoming the undercurrent of the market and where developers and designers come together to find solutions for the real estate industry. As a member of the Recreation Development Council, I had an opportunity to hear from a number of industry leaders in the master-planned and resort industry sector, many of whom have led the way for innovative developments over the past several decades.
On the panel for Council Day, were several leading architects including John Cottle, Principal at CCY Architects, Jorge Garcia, CEO at Garcia, Stromberg Architects and James Wurst, partner at NBWW Architects, who led a discussion on creating a series of new, innovative resort style designs – one for mountain communities, one for oceanfront and one for golf communities of the future.
What came from the discussion and the sample designs presented was fascinatingly simple; give customers in the new economy a place that is “Efficient Luxury.” What a great term to describe high quality, engaging living spaces designed for second home living, with the simple touches we all come to love in homebuilding over the boom years. Efficient Luxury includes multipurpose spaces for living and entertaining, less formal rooms from the past, media walls, and less overall square footage by combining utility into spaces that are used daily.
A key idea discussed included designing spaces that are romantic and smart; giving customers as many views as possible with indoor/outdoor living rooms that deliver an experience they cannot have in their primary homes. Another interesting design concept presented was one that combines shared ownership with a “4D” experience for each bedroom. The idea, “LLC” cottages that offer a central gathering space with three to four separate bedroom bungalows connected by open spaces and gardens so everyone has a “room in the trees” and shares the central spaces at their leisure.
Also on the agenda was an eye-opening discussion from our friends Beth Callender (Greenhaus) and Toni Alexander (InterCommunications), on hand to debunk the top myths of Social Media. Many developers believe that simply having a LinkedIn account and a Facebook page will make leads magically appear from cyberspace. These industry pros quickly dispelled misinformation and provided tactical solutions to combine with sales and marketing strategies that will create a web of activity for your community sales program. However, they were quick to caution that although very powerful, social networks are not a magic bullet – there must be a cohesive marketing plan that incorporates every tactic (of which social media is a part) to drive interest and awareness about your offering. Then there has to be an equally compelling sales message and follow up process once a prospect shows interest. See exactly what DMB Realty Network has been saying on the topic; download our White Paper, Developing and Executing an Integrated Marketing Strategy.
What’s most important about engaging with industry experts at ULI each year is that you clearly see the leaders in the industry changing the way homes and communities are designed, built and sold to meet the needs of the housing market. If you haven’t started looking for ways to make your community innovative, surely your sales will suffer when compared with competitors who are working with industry innovators to create the next new-new things.
Meet and exceed the needs of this increasingly fast changing market. We invite you to consult with our industry leading team of professionals at DMB Realty Network. Contact me to arrange a preliminary discussion on how we can help put you on a clearer path to success. You can reach me at bjenkins@dmbrealtynetwork.com; I look forward to learning about your most recent innovation very soon.
Ben Jenkins
VP of Sales Development
