Modern Home Builders Issue 124 Dec | Page 21

Market Drivers

Prior to March 2020 , developers throughout the country were busy responding to trends that catered to the ways in which people lived , worked and played – large , open floorplans , communal gathering spaces and retail-driven residential were among the hot amenities in single- and multi-family developments . Once the realities of Covid-19 were realized across the industry , these trends were replaced with an emphasis on health , mental and physical wellness and living differently to accomplish a balance between personal and work life .

As a result of these consumer attitude shifts , the pandemic has fundamentally changed what people want from their for-sale and for-rent homes , apartments and communities , and developers should expect these changes to last . Included in this shift is the emergence of the home as an
extension of residents ’ lives , which means it must be developed to enhance working , living and learning . These impacts include different types of workspaces , blurring of leisure and work life , combination of indoor and outdoor living , incorporation of green and sustainable attributes , importance of organic gardening and healthy foods , and designated places for relaxation .
While real estate development often consists of responding to economic and societal trends , wellcrafted research can provide data allowing developers to look further down the pike and predict what buyers and renters will want and need . Recent research by Strategic Solutions Alliance on behalf of The Beach Company , a Charleston , South Carolina-based real estate developer with projects across the southeast US , illustrates some specific home features that resulted from these post-pandemic consumer trends .
modernhb . com 19