Nature and Safety Measures Resonate with Condo Buyers

SAN FRANCISCO—As some buyers flee the city, condo properties are finding younger buyers coming in from outlying areas of the city to buy lower priced units. This is due in part to work-from-home options that allow remote working.

With those concepts in mind, One Steuart Lane is doubling down on post-COVID 19 buyer preferences and it seems to be working. The building’s proximity to nature right on the water, unique terrace and den floorplans, 2177 Third’s co-working space, and various post-COVID 19 design and safety measures are resonating with buyers and keeping them invested in the city.

Paul Zeger, partner at Polaris Pacific, recently weighed in on the project and how the sales efforts have pivoted due to the pandemic.

GlobeSt.com: How has the pandemic impacted your sales efforts?

Zeger: Since March, our sales team has pivoted and led our efforts with fully remote virtual capabilities. We have since conducted over 100 virtual tours of the sales gallery, the full-scale building model and model residence, as well as leveraged other tech tools to highlight the facade, views, neighborhood and finishes. The One Steuart Lane buyer is sophisticated and extremely well versed in today’s innovative tech tools. Our offerings show different floorplans and views through our interactive presentation while using the buyer’s size and view preference to narrow down the residence(s) that would best suit their needs. While some buyers have preferred a FaceTime tour of the model residence with our sales team, we have also utilized a turnkey 3D Matterport scan platform. The sales gallery for One Steuart Lane was in presale mode before shelter in place was instituted. Therefore, almost all virtual tours and appointments were new clients who had not been to the sales gallery before. Since we’re still under construction, none of our buyers are able to see the exact home before purchasing. As construction proceeds, we will be arranging construction tours either virtually or in person for serious prospects.  Buyer interest has remained strong and our inquiries are still very high every week. Almost all appointments start virtually before a prospect is ready to come in person for a social distancing in-person visit.

GlobeSt.com: How have prospects’ preferences changed since the pandemic?

Zeger: With the uncertainty due to the pandemic, we are seeing many buyers seeking a quality, lasting offering; a sense of stability among the chaos. Today more than ever, there is more of an emphasis on improving quality of life while still remaining connected to the city. This is translating to a stronger connection to nature and a larger focus on space and balance. Our waterfront Embarcadero location with unobstructed views of the Bay Bridge has generated an increase in interest during this time. Our terrace units have also been quite popular as they offer the largest outdoor living space in San Francisco. Flexible layouts, areas or rooms that can be converted to dens or media rooms have also been a big request among our interest list.

GlobeSt.com: What methods are you using to attract residents?

Zeger: During this time, we are magnifying marketing efforts around promoting these selling points as we know these elements are now more top of mind than ever before. The building has also been an invaluable billboard. We just celebrated our building’s topping off.

GlobeSt.com: Has the pandemic forced you to pivot design or programming?

Zeger: One Steuart Lane’s design team was forward thinking in their approach and thoughtfully planned for many of today’s buyer needs including spacious layouts, flexible spaces, indoor/outdoor flow, private outdoor spaces, and amenities tailored to health and wellness. As the building nears completion, we are planning to accommodate a post-COVID world by implementing design changes that continue to deliver a higher level of security and safety measures. For example, the addition of elevator floor markers, hand sanitizers stations and antimicrobial fabric are all being considered for the building debut in 2021.

GlobeSt.com: What lasting trends do you see after COVID passes?

Zeger: We anticipate seeing less sacrifice when it comes to what we call home. With so much time spent within a residence, buyers are looking to have everything on their wish list. Health and wellness will also become more so front and center with a stronger focus on fresh air, cleanliness, privacy, safety and more.