Showcase Is The New Staging For Ultra Prime Properties
by Christian Turnier, Managing Director at GCT Marketing, a firm specialised in luxury staging and sales events.
My journey as an entrepreneur started in New York City where, as Sinatra sang, “if you can make it there then you can make it anywhere”. Well! There is a good reason for him to have said that.
GCT Marketing, based in New York and London, was born out of the desire to make a difference in the real estate and interior design industry. In 2014, the ultra prime luxury market in NYC was booming, and in a city that is always looking for the next big thing, there was a need for innovation and passion. The real estate market was getting worldwide attention and yet the marketing was still in its infancy.
As the president of GCT Marketing, I was invited to one of the launch parties of an ultra lux new development in midtown Manhattan being held in a fabulous penthouse. The property was absolutely stunning with all the right finishes and architectural elements one would expect in a £14m listing. The developer had staged the property with top design brands, displaying very expensive products, and yet… it was such a BORE. It was not designed with a buyer in mind; in fact, it was just a bunch of expensive products on display in an expensive listing.
It was a lot of grey and beige, which in interior design equals “GREIGE”. Each room blended into the next and the property in itself lost the feel of a luxury listing and looked more like an extension of the showroom they had partnered with.
How could something with so much potential become so lifeless? It blended into a déjà vu staging, leaving everyone walking through the space like zombies looking for that spark of life to devour.
As I was touring the property, I spoke to the PR for the development and could not hide my opinion when she asked me for it. She had a sense something was missing and she immediately introduced me to the developer.
Upon our conversation, the developer understood my view that luxury properties are the perfect canvas to create and to showcase the best of the best. A collaboration of top brands and designers to empower the sale and simultaneously promote a unique design felt so obvious that I decided to put together GCT’s first showcase.
I lived in New York for 20 years and, during that time, GCT Marketing was able to create some of the most amazing staging designs out there, and attracted brands and designers from all over the world wanting to take part in the process.
My inspiration for GCT marketing showcase comes from the showhouse concept that has been a staple in the New York Interior design industry for the last two decades.
Much like fashion week, it is a period in the fall when ultra prime properties get a makeover by hosting top designers from all over the world to create one of a kind statement designs known as haute living design.
Designers use this opportunity to create extraordinary designs not for the compensation, cause there isn’t any, but for the prestige and the publicity that comes with being associated with such an event.
The idea of hosting brands and designers in luxury properties and celebrating their creation made me think how this could be used in the ultra prime real estate market. Properties selling for £5m and up offer the perfect setting to create a showcase that can attract buyers and sell buildings through the promotion and presentation of something unique and beautiful.
What we call a showcase at GCT Marketing is the idea of using the jewel listing of a building to create a design that will shine above all others and catch even the most discerning buyer’s attention.
GCT Marketing has sold properties valued at £19m within a year by simply taking the time to tell a story.
Once a property hits the market, it should take about 3 months to create and generate unique content to market the property, and about 1 year for properties $5m+ and up to sell. Anything longer means something was missed or forgotten.
GCT Marketing showcases designers and brands to compliment the buildings aesthetic and curated products to ensure the caliber reflects what buyers expect to see in luxury listings. We create content that will make any buyer feel as if they have actually visited the property themselves, and they want to be part of our story.
Content is not just nice photography of the design; it starts by capturing the transformation to the final touches and, finally, the unveiling. In the past, content meant taking a few pictures to generate interest for buyer’s agents to schedule an appointment, now as technology has expanded and with new travel restrictions, pictures are not enough.
Content at a minimum should include:
Transformation video;
Informative Video 360 tour;
High Gloss Photography;
Introduction Video with Interviews;
Marketing Videos.
With GCT’s approach, developers are able to keep in contact with prospective buyers through a scheduled release of information by ways of social media channels, word of mouth, and editorial exposure.
By generating a buzz and a story line, we can create the illusion that buyers are inside the space and part of the vision being created.
Once the property is launched, it is time to schedule some lux events made for the affluent market. Marketing is broken into 2 categories: Virtual Events and Live Events.
In virtual events, we include small teaser videos that are streamed on social media platforms to keep the conversation alive. Virtual events can be as simple as a coffee making class, setting a dinner table for a chef’s dinner party and even a discussion panel.
Live events are still very important for the soft sale of the property. We host private dinning experiences, cocktail soirees and tastings, coffee and tea morning tours. Music recitals are huge at the moment and working with high-end galleries can offer private vernissage for art collectors and connoisseurs. By creating these experiences for the buyer to enjoy, they are drawn into the space using a softer approach to a hard sale.
GCT Marketing’s showcase is a perfect recipe to sell an ultra prime property and set new records.
