The importance of the display suite for an off the plan apartment buyer
The display suite is one of the most important parts in an off the plan buyers journey.
While technology has evolved and renders are looking more and more realistic, there's nothing like being able to touch and feel the apartment you're going to buy. Display suites act as a bridge between buying off the plan and buying an established property.
They're also an essential point of difference for property developers, often proving the difference between whether buyers purchase in your project, or in a neighbouring suburb at a similar project.
There's a rivalry in the Gold Coast, with SPG going head to head with Gurner on their display suites. Hardly a display suite, they're more a display experience.
SPG had their commissioned builder, Hutchinsons, create the $4 million, 750 sqm building, making it the largest sales gallery of any new development in the southern hemisphere. It takes up 2,000 sqm of the Ferny Ave site which SPG are set to create nearly 800 apartments across three towers.
Gurner just opened theirs across the road for their equally large La Pelago, which will have over 900 apartments across four towers.
Display suites tend to be reserved for the larger, multi-res projects. Small boutique developments, maybe less than 40 or so apartments, often don't have the budget for a fully fledged display suite.
The Sydney developer Coronation Property have long known the importance of the display suite, with their last five display suites featuring full scale apartments in the future development.
The display suite at Mason & Main. Image supplied
Coronation Property's Head of Sales and Marketing Cameron Porter says display suites have come a long way over the last decade.
"While previously display suites were ordinarily quite sterile with little more than demountable floor plans and finishes boards, we’ve seen the display suite journey for off-the-plan apartments over the last five to 10 years come a very long way," Porter says.
"Nowadays, any premium display suite journey includes a fully immersive and engaging experience for purchasers that touches on all the senses – sight, sound, touch smell and taste."
Porter says they want people to walk in and start envisaging the new building, picturing exactly how it could become a place they could call home.
Despite the changes and evolution of the display suite experience as technology advances, Porter notes that display suites have, and always will be, about creating trust between the developer, the prospective purchasers, and the community in which the development is being built.
Coronation took that belief into its under construction Merrylands project, Mason & Main, the mini-community designed by Woods Bagot with its own vibrant market-style laneways with retail and dining precinct underneath nearly 800 apartments.
Since opening the display suite in 2020, the space has evolved. Coronation have created a café for the community and purchasers to get a sense of what’s to come, as well as two built-to-scale apartments in differing schemes to show buyers exactly what they’ll get, a very rare offering. They also included varying building and design features that showcase the intricate architectural detailing of the Mason & Main development. It allows buyers to literally picture themselves in what will be produced.
"Beyond just a display suite, we wanted to create a space that was an experience. We wanted to create a connection," Porter says.
The community-led display suite at Mason & Main. Image supplied
Coronation has always placed a strong emphasis on creating a display suite that to help buyers feel confident in purchasing off the plan.
The display suites in their two latest developments, Mason & Main and Ashbury Terraces, include life-size apartments and features, with various colour schemes and finishes available. Their significant investment in the display suite experience was also prevalent across their previous developments, 8 Phillip St in Parramatta, Charlie Parker in Harris Park and the acclaimed Paper Mill Precinct in Liverpool.
"Buying a home can be daunting, especially when you can’t physically see the property," Porter adds.
"It’s our responsibility to make the process as seamless and stress-free as possible. As part of this process, it’s important for buyers to see and feel the different aspects of their future home.
The display suite at Ashbury Terraces. Image supplied
"As one of the biggest investments most people make in a lifetime, we believe a premium display suite experience is integral to facilitating trust and assurance that what you’re buying off-the-plan will be delivered come handover.
Porter suggests that beyond showcasing their built product, they also believe the display experience is essential for prospective purchasers and developers to understand each other.
"By taking prospective purchasers on tours of our displays, we have the space to better understand what their individuals needs and aspirations are, to ensure they feel comfortable with what they’re purchasing, to learn more about the developer and design team, and help them to better understand the process of buying off the plan."
