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THE STUDENT:

Privacy: When students hunt for an apartment, one of their top priorities is having their own space. This means a private bathroom, a personal room to relax in, and a separate area to host friends. College life can be hectic, with constant interactions and activities. After a long day of classes, work, and events, nothing is more important than coming home to a personal sanctuary. A place where you can close the door, lock it, and enjoy your own space. No need to trek to a communal bathroom to wash your face—you have the convenience of your own private bathroom just steps away. This personal space extends to your own room, where you can keep things clean and organized, ensuring it’s always a comfortable retreat from the chaos.

Convenience: In student living, convenience is everything. It means living close to campus so you can walk to class, saving on gas money, or having a dedicated bus from your apartment complex to campus every day. It’s about having everything you need at your fingertips—a cozy spot to hang out with friends, study rooms for those intense study sessions, and amenities like a gym to keep your life balanced. These conveniences make it easier for students to juggle their academic, social, and personal lives, ensuring a smoother, more enjoyable college experience.

Top-Notch Wi-Fi and Internet Connections: Reliable and fast internet access is a non-negotiable for today’s students. Imagine the panic of trying to submit a paper at 11:55 PM, only for the Wi-Fi to crash with only 4 minutes to spare. Or the frustration of logging into a mandatory Zoom class and being marked half an absence because the Zoom connection was buffering. Reliable internet isn’t just about schoolwork; it also impacts your downtime. After a long day, the last thing you want is for your Wi-Fi to go out in the middle of a show or while you’re scrolling through TikTok to decompress before diving into homework, work, or going to plans for the night.

THE PARENT:

When it comes to being a parent, safety is always at the forefront of their minds, especially when their child leaves for college. When parents are assisting in finding places for their students to live, the primary concern is often about safety. Questions arise: Is it a gated community? Are there security guards at night? What systems are in place to enhance my child’s safety, and what protocols ensure that only residents and approved visitors have access to the building?

The latest trend in student living focuses on safety, with key fobs playing a crucial role. These key fobs allow only residents access into the building, their designated apartment, and even their specific room. Functioning as transmitters, these key fobs communicate with locks, granting access only if it’s assigned to a certain lock. Research shows that
“KEY FOBS PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SECURITY COMPARED TO PHYSICAL KEYS, AS THEIR LOCKS CANNOT BE PICKED. ADDITIONALLY, IF A
KEY FOB IS MISPLACED OR LOST, IT CAN EASILY BE DEACTIVATED, PREVENTING UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO THE APARTMENT.”

This system adds an extra layer of security and peace of mind for both parents and students alike.

Young Professionals: Transitioning from the convenience of student living to the complexities of finding a suitable place in the real world….in search of accommodations that reminisce of their student housing experience while meeting the demands of their new lifestyle. 

In their search for the perfect living space, young professionals seek out amenities that they have become accustomed to. This includes fitness centers, communal areas, modern technology infrastructure, and stylish interiors that cater to their desire for convenience and elevated living standards. 

Community and socialization play a crucial role in their housing decisions. They look for co-working spaces, and outdoor areas with amenities like barbecues, fire pits, and pools, where they can connect  

Prioritizing wellness and work-life balance, young professionals seek living spaces that support their mental and physical well-being. They desire areas dedicated to relaxation, exercise, and personal growth within their communities, allowing them to maintain a healthy work-life balance while addressing their everyday needs and challenges. With like-minded residents and foster a sense of belonging and inclusivity. 

 

First impressions matter. Buyers, tenants and developers often make lasting decisions based on the first few seconds they see a new place or site. They can make the difference between “show me more” and “I think we’ll pass on this one.”

In the era of Covid-19, they expect to see safety measures. In a world of high-tech, they anticipate custom technology with ease of function. And in the vein of “think globally, act locally,” they admire thoughtful local touches that make a meaningful first impression.

Fortunately, great design can create that welcoming, enticing first impression, ushering in potential clients from the front door through the lobby and into a building’s every nook and cranny. While small spaces and corners are often overlooked by development teams, an ID team can collaborate with you to incorporate thoughtful details and functions into every corner, offering outlets in common furniture or installing sports simulators, for example. These unique touches add up to heightened interest, improved occupancy, and positive reviews.

As most students across the country head back to school—in person, this year—more developers are taking a closer look at the unique needs of student housing. Students want design, functionality and comfort in equal measure – with consideration paid to community spaces, private study areas, workout facilities and trend-setting aesthetics. These spaces for living, studying and socializing can contribute to the holistic student success.

While pools and clubhouses are still enjoyed and appreciated by students across the country, student housing today must incorporate ample study nooks, indoor-outdoor access, and quiet spaces that appeal to students’ academic demands and personal wellness. Balancing the need for peace and quiet to study with amenity spaces that promote socializing needs to be both techy and welcoming. Spaces need to incorporate ergonomics, the right acoustics and a sense of a home-away-from-home—all designed to set up students to network and connect with each other to create a sense of belonging—for the optimum college experience.

From colleges and universities to off-campus student housing, The Childs Dreyfus Group understands this demographic thanks to our long-time commitment to student housing and our vast experience in this vertical. The spaces we design allow residents to connect socially and technologically with other residents because the thoughtful details we put into each room, nook and walkway create an authentic experience. Our architectural interiors help build a sense of community and create meaningful connections that last well past graduation.

The Childs Dreyfus Group has orchestrated high design for higher education for over two decades and would be happy to share our expertise with you. Contact us for more information on the latest in keeping students safe, engaged and inspired.

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/smart-design-promotes-physical-academic-mental-health-/?trackingId=Fera1sRbdJBq4iaXMFm%2BRg%3D%3D

Project sponsors can move up their timelines due to these market dynamics, according to David Wolf of Wolf Development Strategies.

With the condo market gaining steam in an already sizzling housing market, the race is on for developers looking to get shovels in the ground and capitalize on historically low inventory, as well as demand for larger floorplans, private outdoor space and other features that have become must-haves in new construction.

Existing condominium and co-op sales were recorded at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 720,000 units in April, up 84.6 percent from April 2020. Prices are trending up as well, with the median existing condo price at $300,400 in April, up 12.6 percent from a year ago, according to the National Association of Realtors.

Yet despite a strong sales market, lenders have set high benchmarks for pre-sales that often keep construction from moving forward as quickly as current demand necessitates. As a result, there’s an imbalance in the market as buyers seek out new product in markets where few options exist.

But developers have a real chance to alleviate this tension by breaking ground with less than a typical percentage of units pre-sold or no pre-sales at all—so that the start of construction is timed closely with the launch of sales and marketing.

Traditional hurdles to starting construction earlier can be navigated with the right strategy, and bringing projects to market quicker ultimately helps developers achieve stronger sell-through.

Market dynamics at play should incentivize developers to move up their construction timelines for the following three reasons:

Lower Pre-Sale Requirements, Less Competition

Waiting is simply not a winning strategy in the current market. Although construction sites remained open during the pandemic, many projects that had not yet broken ground were paused, meaning developments that break ground today will face less competition upon completion.

Moreover, developers that start construction ahead of schedule can effectively minimize their pre-sale requirement by bringing more equity or collateral to the deal. Most lenders want between 35 percent and 50 percent of units sold before they will fund the construction loan. But with more skin in the game, developers can lower this percentage, especially if they have a strong track record and existing relationship with the lender.

Quicker Sell-Throughs

From a real estate perspective, a silver lining of the pandemic was that everyone developed a greater appreciation for their home—or, in some cases, a better understanding of what they want in a new home. As a result, the housing market broke records in terms of sales and sale prices. That momentum carried into 2021, yet many would-be buyers were stymied by record-low inventory, prompting some to shift their focus from resale to new construction.

Even with the best sales tools, it can be difficult to sell buyers on a building that does not yet exist. Construction activity not only instills confidence but also shortens the window between contract signing and move-in. Our research shows developers can anticipate selling units about 25 percent faster if sales commence with construction. And as units move closer to delivery, the pace of sales often accelerates, especially if the homes are effectively marketed as “new construction without the wait.”

Sales and Marketing Advantage

When a deal is in motion and construction has started, there’s a greater opportunity to broaden your sales and marketing reach. The reality is that a project that’s viewed as in the concept stage will get less attention from other buyer agents. But once construction has started, the game changes among cooperating agents who become more likely to introduce clients to your listing, and referrals are the key to any successful sell-through.

In fact, we’ve found the announcement of a groundbreaking creates a bump in traffic and sales for a for-sale development—and there’s an even greater bump in sales six months out from units delivering.  

With the market realities in clearer focus as vaccinations continue and reopening plans take shape, developers should capitalize on the fleeting opportunity they have to break through by breaking ground now. Those who do this give themselves a competitive advantage as the U.S. economic recovery gains momentum and a new wave of residential development begins to take shape.

David Wolf is president and CEO of
Wolf Development Strategies.

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