Shaun Osher’s ‘The RED Report’ examines all things real estate from resales to new development, offering opinions, analyses and forecasts from his point of view.
As marketers, we are always trying to define the next big thing. In real estate marketing, we are always trying to foreshadow the market. The better we can do this, the more successful we (and our projects) will perform. As of late, the conversation and narrative has continued to be about the mundane, and obvious. What unit sizes will be more in demand? What finishes do buyers want? What amenities are best? What price points will be the strongest? Who’s the best architect/designer to use? All very important questions for marketers and developers to answer, but still missing the most important questions – which is why we continue to see the same uninspired homes with all the same fixings. Yes, some may be in taller buildings, and others may be glitzier, but pretty much the same old story.
Even though our parents and grandparents created some remarkably beautiful homes, I’m certain we don’t want to live our lives at home the same way they did. So why on earth are we building our homes the same way? We really haven’t seen much innovation since the open loft layout artists lived in, in the 70’s, (which have since been butchered and mislabeled).
All great innovation comes out of identifying a need and solving a problem. The problem we have right now is that we have homes that haven’t adapted to the way we currently live our lives. They are uninspired. We are being forced to live our modern lives in newly built homes designed for the past century. The solution lies in successfully answering the questions that matter most to us today:
• How can my home help me live a healthier lifestyle?
• How can my home help me find solitude and peace?
• How can my home intelligently accommodate the way my family and guests interact?
• How can my home utilize technology and become truly “smart”?
Once we successfully answer these questions, and deliver homes that satisfy these needs, we will be living in the buildings of the future, and not imitations of the past.
Photo credit: Tula Jeng