MCM & Williams = Matrix Press Release

It was very interesting on how this news got around the other day as we pointed out the other day in a previous post.  Today the official press release was…released.  Here it is.

Condo Powerhouses Williams Marketing, Inc and MCM Group Collaborate to Create Matrix Real Estate—the Largest Condominium and Townhome Sales and Marketing Firm in Washington

SEATTLE, WASH. — December 3, 2009 — Today, Seattle-based residential real estate marketing and sales firms MCM Group and Williams Marketing, Inc announced the joint creation of a new company, Matrix Real Estate. With the most experienced professional sales staff in the region and listings valued at more than $300 million, Matrix will become the largest real estate firm dedicated to condominium and townhome sales and marketing in Washington.

The Matrix team will be spearheaded by partners Leslie Williams, founder of Williams Marketing, Inc, and Mike Miller and Chaun Mackey, co-founders of MCM Group.  Mackey will also serve as the president of Matrix and will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company. MCM Group and Williams Marketing, Inc will merge both companies’ talent, resources and employees into Matrix.

“This exciting collaboration means we will be able to provide our clients with the combined strength, broad knowledge and long-term experience necessary to excel in the current market and be well-positioned to capitalize on future opportunities,” Williams said. “We see Matrix Real Estate as a pace setter in this new chapter of the Seattle real estate market.”

Since 2005, Williams Marketing, Inc and MCM Group have each closed more than $1 billion in sales.  Williams and Miller continue to provide developer and lender clients with unparalleled experience—offering services from site selection and product design consultation through construction, strategic pricing and marketing strategies. As Matrix, the firm will specialize in sales and marketing for condominiums, townhomes and high-rise communities in urban and suburban locations throughout the greater Puget Sound region and beyond.

In addition, the company will offer a rare combination of consumer-targeted capabilities with services for private resale clients and buyers as well as sellers of new construction and conversion condominium properties and townhome communities—a mix unique to the Seattle market.  This consumer-focused approach will position Matrix as a one-stop-shop for homebuyers and sellers—whether they are looking to buy or sell an individual property or addressing the strategic marketing and sales needs of a larger project or community.

“This new relationship may come as a surprise to some because as staunch competitors for more than a decade, we were also each other’s most admired competitors; Williams Marketing, Inc and MCM Group have each had a formidable presence in the marketplace,” Miller said. “But as Matrix, we can now offer our sellers the strength of our collaborative partnership. When a seller hires Matrix, they’ll have me, Leslie, Chaun along with an entire team of seasoned professionals working collaboratively on the sales and marketing strategy.”

As leaders in the condominium and townhome sales and marketing industry, Matrix will represent some of the largest sellers and projects in the region including Vulcan Real Estate’s Enso and Veer Lofts communities in South Lake Union and Pryde + Johnson’s Hjarta project in Ballard, as well as its Florera project in Green Lake.

“The combination of MCM Group and Williams Marketing, Inc will give an unprecedented market share to Matrix,” said local real estate economist Matthew Gardner, principal at Gardner Economics, LLC. “No other real estate company in the Puget Sound region has the breadth of experience that Matrix will be able to offer to its clients.”

Suzie Langford, will be the vice president and broker of Matrix Real Estate while Kim Sharpe Jones will serve as vice president of marketing and Sera Venis will serve as the controller. For more information about Matrix, visit www.matrixrealestate.com.

Olive 8 – Unit and Amenity Photos: Blue = the New Green

We popped into Olive 8 on Friday after their buyer event the day before.  It was nice to finally see the finished product after going through and taking construction photos late last year.

Units seem to look much bigger when staged/vacant as opposed to having ladders, boxes, and saws everywhere.  Probably one of the most noticeable differences was the high ceilings.  Leslie Williams of Williams Marketing pointed out several other small details that she said many buyers really liked, such as the tiling around the tub plus the lights above the tubs and under the cabinets.

Leslie also made sure to point out the size of the private decks, which are very comfortable in size–plenty of room for creating an outdoor sanctuary to enjoy sunsets & wine.

Another unit that turned out really well is the open 1 bedroom.  

There are of course more resident amenities that are shared with the hotel.  The spa seemed somewhat busy, so we didn’t get more than just a cool picture of the sign…

The fitness room is actually more than three times bigger than what’s shown in the photo below.  To the left is a wall where there’s another large area for aerobics/yoga/stretch area.

…and now for the best part– the pool!  No, we didn’t stick our heads in to see what the underwater stereo system sounded like, but the actual came pretty close to the rendering.

Overall, the newly completed project looks very good!

Win an Overnight Stay at the Hyatt at Olive 8

I think we’re all confused as to why buyers aren’t making any moves, however this weeks sales ratios have shown some favor for low-end sellers–a positive stat for any market.  At any rate, Williams Marketing is offering a free stay at their new Hyatt at Olive 8, and dinner at their new Urbane restaurant to get the skinny.

By taking their survey, you will be entered into a drawing to win.  But, for some, the best part of this will be that they plan to share their survey results in the Seattle Times on 11/08 and in the Puget Sound Business Journal on 11/07.

As of the time we posted this, Williams Marketing reported over 800 entries so far, but are interested in getting over 1,000.  So, please pass this to a friend you know who’s been considering a play in local real estate.

Click here to share your opinion in our brief Real Estate survey.

Making Space for Stadium Lofts

We’ve yet to post anything on Stadium Lofts because the other local bloggers have done such a great job providing updates. We don’t typically put together a full profile for a project unless active listings can be searched for, but we wanted to make sure that you can get all the information you need if you’re here looking.

• Architect: Weinstein A|U
• Developer: barrientos
• Marketing/Sales: Williams Marketing

Until we’re able to post more on Stadium Lofts, here are a few links to postings from Seattle’s best:

Ben Kakimoto has reported the most information on the project.

• Stadium Lofts’ New Look (recommended)
  
• Stadium Lofts Delays Presales
• Stadium Lofts
• Stadium Lofts Update (recommended)
  
• Stadium Lofts Update 2
• Stadium Lofts Update 3

Wendy Lueng posted a few interesting articles that describe the Pioneer Square neighborhood, and the projects “pros and cons.”

• Stadium Lofts – Coming Soon (recommended)
  
• Stadium Lofts Update
• Stadium Lofts
• Pioneer Square Condos

Matt Goyer hasn’t seemed to of payed much attention to this project, but has a couple of posts.

• Stadium Lofts floor plans
• What’s Up With Stadium Lofts?

www.LiveAtStadiumLofts.com

New Construction Update: Leona in Queen Anne

Erica Clibborn from Williams Marketing invited us to get a sneak peak of a new project on Queen Anne Avenue yesterday. The building consists of 13 updated historic homes, 3 new townhomes, and 2 new penthouses. The developer, Maria Barrientos, has an impressive portfolio of historic preservation projects including the 5th Avenue Theater, Eagle Auditorium, Union Station, Paramount Theater, Stadium Lofts, and more. Homes in the historic structure will receive a tax break, but the exact amount is not yet known. Overall, the homes are incredibly spacious, and very few units are the same.

Although these homes are currently under construction, Erica has allowed us to give private showings to anyone interested in seeing these before they hit the market. Click here to arrange a time and day that works best for you.

1B Ward Street

2,817 sq. ft.
2 bed, den, 2.5 bath,
3rd floor family room

View Floorplan (pdf)

1A Ward St. | 1B Ward St. | 1C Ward St.

Artist Rendering for Townhomes

Leona 4

918 sq. ft.
1 Bed, 1 Bath

View Floorplan (pdf)

Leona 6

786 sq. ft.
1 Bed, 1 Bath, den

View Floorplan (pdf)

Leona 13

1,425 sq. ft.
2 Bed, 2 Bath

View Floorplan (pdf)

Artist Rendering for Residence 13

Olive 8 Hard Hat Tour Photos

Leslie Williams with Williams Marketing provided a fun and informative look at what’s to come by hosting hard hat tours which proved Olive 8’s lake views are even more impressive than the Cosmopolitan’s rooftop. Western views not only offer pink, purple, and blue sunsets, but also a foreground of city lights which will include other architectural masterpieces such as the Cristalla, Escala, and 1521 Second. Another unique detail that Leslie pointed out was the internal decks. Although this takes away from interior square footage, Leslie pointed out that the large patios will allow you to enjoy newly desired views without the gusts of wind you can expect from such heights.

From there, we got back on the orange construction elevator and traveled down to the 17th floor where the homeowner amenities were located. The massive exterior deck was impressive from looking down at the Paramount, Olivian apartments, and future site of AVA, to looking up trying to discover where the top of Olive 8 really ends. The rest of the tour included the structure of the grand lobby, porte-cochere, restaurant kitchen with a view for the cooking staff, pool wired for listening to music underwater, yoga and pilates gym, and homeowner’s lobby entrance.

Additional comments:

Matt

As it turns out I know a shocking number of people who bought at Olive 8. Only one of them is not an agent. Probably half these purchases are doing it as an investment.

Wendy

Some readers commented about the exterior a while ago. They are using ceramic fritted glass (ceramic based paint permanently bonded into glass) which also helps hide the columns from the exterior.

View of Lake Union from the 27^th Floor

View of Elliott Bay from the 27^th Floor

View of the Paramount and AVA Site from 27th Floor

Olive 8 Lap Pool in the 2^nd Floor Spa

Olive 8 Sun Deck on the 17^th Floor

Olive 8’s Crane in the South-Facing Glass Above the Sun Deck

We took several other pictures and made a slideshow below which includes some of Olive 8’s best features including:

• Views from 05 and 00 floorplate.
• 17th floor which is dedicated to homeowner amenities.
• Porte-cochere
• Ballroom(s)
• Olive 8 Green Features (.pdf)

[youtube=http://youtube.com/v/j060O-ai2YE]

Olive 8 – 737 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101

Address: 737 Olive Way, Seattle, WA 98101
Neighborhood: Downtown

CONDOS FOR SALE

Here you can find all active listings atOlive 8. If your dream condo is not listed, sign-up to be instantly notified by email.

Sign-Up to receive an instant email notification of new Olive 8 condos for sale as soon as they hit the market. Membership also includes a monthly review of all activity for this building.

DESCRIPTION

Located in a central downtown location near Seattle’s retail core, Olive 8 is a 39-story, 231 unit, clear, translucent and blue glass tower designed by Gluckman Mayner Architects and MulvannyG2. The mixed-use tower built by R.C. Hedreen will include a full-service luxury Hyatt hotel within the lower 17 floors. Residents will be able to take advantage of 24-hour room service, 20,000 square foot full-service luxury spa, maid service, dry cleaning and valet. Homes range from 665 square feet to 1,586 square feet. Penthouses range from 1,833 square feet to 2,552 square feet. Originally pricing was around $400,000 to $2.5 million. Interiors are designed in rich colors with Italian Pedini Kitchen systems, Bosch appliances, Kohler sinks and Italian fixtures.

PICTURES

VIDEO

BUILDING DATA

• Year Built: 2009
• Number of Units: 231
• Number of Stories: 39
• Exterior: Cement/Concrete
• Parking: Common Garage
• Pets: Subj to Restrictions
• H/O Dues Included: Cable TV, Central Hot Water, Earthquake Ins., Garbage, Water/Sewer
• Common Property Features & Amenities: Elevator, Exercise Room, Fire Sprinklers, Game/Rec Room, Hot Tub, Lobby Entrance, Sauna

NEIGHBORHOOD BUSINESS

• Advantage Rent A Car
• Barney’s New York
• Casimir Cleaners
• Dragonfish Asian Cafe
• Gene Juarez Salon Pine St
• Greyhound Concourse
• Kelley-Ross Pharmacy
• Kindercare
• Pacific Place
• Pamela’s Fine Foods
• Paramount Hotel
• Ramuta’s Shoe Repair
• Red Balloon Co.
• Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse
• The Oceanaire Seafood Room
• The See Center
• Wells Fargo Bank
• Westin Hotel

VIEW NEIGHBORHOOD MAP

ADDITIONAL OPINIONS & REVIEWS

*Data is deemed to be reliable, but not guaranteed. In some cases, number of units may include commercial and residential spaces and/or height may or may not include a 13th floor.