Hill Street Lofts | Atlanta, Georgia

As any real estate professional will tell you, location matters. And sometimes, despite whatever desirable features you may be offering, it can be a deal-breaker.

Such was the case with the Hill Street Lofts, a 146-unit, entry-level residential project in the existing, intown Atlanta neighborhood of Chosewood Park — high atop the area’s highest point and featuring what is perhaps the city’s most dramatic and expansive skyline view. Characterized as an “area in transition,” Chosewood Park had long struggled with a variety of urban dysfunctions (such as ongoing property crimes) associated with concentrated poverty but, at the same time, maintained a deep and committed network of community organizations unwilling to give up. Progress had and continued to be made but it was slow-going. A truly diverse and healthy neighborhood was going to take some time.

Accordingly, the Hill Street Lofts’ accessible pricing and many desirable amenities — including its phenomenal view — provided an insufficient incentive for many everyday buyers. There was a need to better qualify potential prospects up front and deliver sales traffic better suited to seeing possibilities beyond the area’s present condition.

PlaceMakers met this challenge by positioning the project as a ground floor opportunity with potential for longer-term payoffs for those able to see them. Summarized by the tagline, “You’ve got the vision. We’ve got the view,” it appealed to a segment of the market that could not presently afford a similar view elsewhere in the city and was willing to accept some locational shortcomings in the near term in order to get one.

This messaging framework was then developed visually and extended to the full scope of marketing materials and executions — project logo, brochure, unit plans, sales displays, direct mail and advertising (including the tongue-in-cheek description of prices under $200,000 as “Million dollar views, more than 80% off”). PlaceMakers then stayed engaged as the project’s ongoing creative partner, meeting design and production needs weekly for the duration.

The result, in addition to its valuable contribution to the neighborhood’s evolving progress, was a full sell-out well in line with expectations. Vision indeed.