Marketing a new Australian development that’s been benchmarked against projects in global cities such as London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore is no small feat.
Such was the challenge Crown Resorts had when launching its $2.2billion One Barangaroo project on Sydney’s harbourfront in 2018.
With apartments priced from a reported $9.5million and prospective buyers expected to be among the world’s most discerning, prioritising the customer’s needs was essential, Crown Residences at One Barangaroo Partner Erin van Tuil says.
To visit the One Barangaroo marketing suite is to walk into a polished and generous space that’s lavish yet instantly comfortable.
Sinking into the comfortable semi-circle lounge or navy occasional chairs after inspecting the Wolf and Sub-Zero kitchen appliances, the quality of the in-built cabinetry and cool grey marble bathrooms, feels just right.
This is what it will feel like to come home to Australia’s first branded hotel residence of which there will only be 82 residences, where no two floorplans will be the same.
It’s illustrative of the meticulous planning and thought-process behind One Barangaroo’s unique marketing suite.
“Most critically it needs to be an exceptional representation of the product on offer,” Erin says of the space.
“When selling Residences at this price point off plan, a detailed and accurate representation needs to also encompass a ‘touch and feel’ experience for potential purchasers.”
— ERIN VAN TUIL
The space has been so well executed that potential purchasers who have insisted on only having a 10-minute window for an inspection find themselves rescheduling appointments and meetings to appreciate the suite for a couple of hours.
But selling such a project that will set new benchmarks in terms of lifestyle and luxury amenities wasn’t without its challenges.
“The most significant decision that needed to be made was around the location of our marketing suite,” Erin says.
“We realised fairly early on that we would be unable to find a location that had direct views of our site under construction and direct views to the Bridge and Opera House to mirror our actual view lines.”
By utilising a space that overlooked the One Barangaroo site – currently under construction and due for completion in the first quarter of 2021 – and incorporating technology to accurately showcase the view lines, potential purchasers could tangibly link the contents of the marketing suite and the construction taking shape before them.
“We felt that it would be a stronger message to our purchasers that our building was under construction and progressing at speed,” Erin says.
“This was the right decision. Being able to see the incredible shape of our building come to life has been a real asset.”
Multiple view lines of each of One Barangaroo residence has been replicated on a floor to ceiling window-sized screen that quickly demonstrates the differences between levels and gives purchasers clarity on exactly what they can expect to see from their apartments.
Erin says the tech, accessed via a quick touch process on iPads, which also showcases each individual layout, has been invaluable and “doesn’t cease to impress people”.
Knight Frank announced sales transactions had hit $650 million in February, including the exchange of 12 individual sales in excess of $20 million.
While tech has been paramount to this success, Erin says it was essential it was audience appropriate; simple and easy to use.
”It doesn’t take away from our human to human interactions, it enables us to give accurate information to our purchasers in a way that does not detract from the relationships we want to build with our purchasers,” she says.
“The technology we have enhances the customer experience but it in no way takes centre stage and this is what we were seeking.”
From the sales team’s perspective access to all the information at their fingertips, via an intuitive and user-friendly interface had proven invaluable.
“We needed an easy-to-use system that gave us just the information we required and knew we would actually use and this is what we have,” Erin says.
“It ensures a smooth and relaxing visit with us and we often find people stay in our suite for much longer than they may have needed to because the space is so calm and relaxing, it feels like a home, not a tech hub.”
A handful of Crown Residences at One Barangaroo remain for sale with inspections available by appointment.
