Through its participation in international conferences and industry forums all over the world, The One Atelier engages directly with the developers, investors and brands shaping the future of branded real estate.
Drawing on recent exchanges across Asia-Pacific, Gianfranco Bianchi, General Manager Asia-Pacific at TOA, shares the firm’s perspective on a market in transformation.
In recent months, The One Atelier has been actively involved in a series of international discussions on the evolution of branded real estate, taking part in industry forums and conferences across Asia and the Indian Ocean.
These occasions represent more than opportunities for visibility. In a sector built on relationships, trust and a deep understanding of different markets, being present where developers, investors, brands and industry leaders meet is essential.
Travelling, exchanging perspectives and engaging directly with the people shaping the sector allow TOA to stay close to market developments, identify emerging opportunities and contribute its own experience to the conversation.
It is also an opportunity to bring a perspective shaped by the firm’s work across international projects: one that looks beyond the traditional boundaries of hospitality and explores the broader potential of lifestyle brands in residential development.
Beyond hospitality: the role of lifestyle brands
While hospitality brands have traditionally played a leading role in branded residences, lifestyle brands are opening up new opportunities. Their contribution goes beyond service and operational standards, bringing design identity, cultural relevance and the ability to create an emotional connection with a place.
This opens up a broader interpretation of the branded residence: not simply a property associated with a recognised name, but an environment built around a shared identity, where residents can experience a sense of belonging and connection to a wider community.
For developers, this proposition has an increasingly strategic dimension. In a global market facing rising construction costs and growing pressure on margins, brand association can help differentiate a project, strengthen its positioning and support a higher-value residential offering.
From brand appeal to tangible value
For developers, this proposition has an increasingly strategic dimension. In a global market facing rising construction costs and growing pressure on profit margins, brand association can help differentiate a project, strengthen its positioning and support a higher-value residential offering.
The potential is reflected in projects such as Phuket, where a development initially targeted at approximately €11,000 per square metre recorded a first sale at €26,000 per square metre, and Marbella, where prices in a branded development evolved from around €9,000 to €25,000 per square metre across different phases.
Yet the value generated by a branded development extends beyond the immediate commercial performance of the project itself. Working alongside an internationally recognised brand can also strengthen the developer’s own reputation, credibility and positioning within the market. This reputational value can have a lasting impact, extending to the developer’s wider portfolio and supporting the perception of quality and reliability across other developments, including those without a brand association.
The benefits are therefore mutual: the brand gains a new expression of its identity, while the developer builds not only a stronger individual project, but also a more authoritative market presence. In this sense, a successful branded residence can become a strategic asset whose value reaches well beyond its own sales performance.
Staying connected to a changing market
The dynamics of branded real estate vary across regions. In Asia-Pacific, for example, Japan and China remain strongly oriented towards domestic buyers, while other destinations have seen international purchasers and expatriate communities contribute significantly to market growth. Yet, across different contexts, the appeal of a recognisable lifestyle proposition and a sense of belonging appears to resonate widely.
This is why direct engagement with the market remains so important. In an increasingly digital and interconnected world, conferences and face-to-face encounters offer something that online communication alone cannot fully replicate: the opportunity to build relationships, exchange ideas in real time and understand the priorities and ambitions of different market players.
For The One Atelier, these encounters are also a platform to share its approach, bring its expertise into the discussion and contribute to shaping the industry’s understanding of what branded residences can become.
Being part of the global conversation is not simply about following the market. It is about helping move that conversation forward.
