The tricked-out gym. A private dog park. Service personnel going above and beyond. Buildings with unique amenity offerings enhance condo life, making it more comfortable, convenient and enticing. And when it comes time to sell, those extras will make the unit stand out from the rest.

Looking for a condo that will be a wonderful home right now — and also position you down the road for a good potential return on your investment? Consider this smart piece of advice from Sotheby’s International Realty Canada Realtors in major Canadian cities: Pay attention to the amenities.

This is sound and timely advice, given the current condo scenario, as the slower market of the past year provides exciting opportunities for strategic plays in the luxury sector. “It’s a great moment for domestic buyers to take advantage of this lull and buy some incredible assets that are available in some of the top buildings [in cities],” says Andy Taylor, Broker and Senior Vice-President of Sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Toronto.

MONTRÉAL

While any pool is a nice perk, larger ones have more appeal, notes Cyrille Girard, a Sotheby’s International Realty Québec Real Estate Broker. “I have a property in one building with a 25-metre pool, which is semi-Olympic and allows you to not just swim but [also] to really train.”
That said, Girard believes that the best amenity in the luxury condo sector is exclusivity which is delivered by only a select few of the properties in Montréal. “At the Four Seasons, there are only 18 residences,” he points out. “People paying luxury prices don’t want 550 other units in their building with residents in studios and one-bedrooms.” The condos in Montréal’s Four Seasons Private Residences offer the privilege of sharing a building with Four Seasons Hotel, granting them integrated access to Marcus, a gourmet restaurant helmed by acclaimed chef Marcus Samuelsson, along with premium housekeeping services.

VANCOUVER

Many luxury condo buyers are not looking for just a home for themselves; they also want a home for their cars, says Will McKitka, a Senior Vice-President of Sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Vancouver. “High-net-worth individuals tend to purchase nice vehicles, so a private garage is something [they would] expect north of $10 million.” Wine storage is another typical request. “Climate-controlled wine lockers are one example of that. At the Alberni, there’s a wine tasting room with a 20-seat table that’s fun and prestigious to walk your friends through.”

Design is another major draw that differentiates a high-end property, notes Kevin Hardy, Senior Vice-President of Sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Vancouver. “If we’re talking architectural hyper-luxury buildings, there are really just a few of them — the Alberni, the Butterfly and the Erickson.” Led, respectively, by “starchitects” Kengo Kuma, Bing Thom and Arthur Erickson, these three condo towers deliver a strong design statement with their sculptural façades. They all take advantage of Vancouver’s ultimate amenity: the natural landscape. The Alberni features an expansive private moss garden, the Butterfly integrates open-air “sky garden” breezeways in between units, and the Erickson boasts top-notch waterfront views. “Vancouver is the most beautiful place in Canada in the fall, moving into summer,” says Hardy, “so people want to enjoy that.”

VICTORIA

Also defined by spectacular surroundings is the city of Victoria, where the bountiful amenities at high-end condos maximize the natural setting. While many units feature large patios and communal garden areas that open right up to the waterfront, Pier One on Montreal Street takes it up a notch with its own private marina. “They rent out the slips, and if not everybody in the building has a boat, they offer what’s left to a waiting list,” says Robyn Wildman, Senior Vice-President of Sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Victoria.

But it’s not just the residents who benefit from the condo’s amenities; their extended families also enjoy them. “A lot of our buildings have great guest suites,” Wildman says, noting that this extra feature makes it easy for out-of-town family members to visit. “We’re a very touristy town with a lot of good restaurants and fun activities through out the seasons. Everyone likes to get in on those.”

And still on the subject of seasons, there’s a condo amenity that Wildman points out as particularly useful (and invaluable) on muddy spring days — a pet wash station, “It’s one of the things that really gets [condo dwellers] excited!”

CALGARY

“Calgary remains relatively undervalued compared to other key Canadian markets,” says Corinne Poffenroth, Senior Vice President of Sales at Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Calgary. With the majority of the city’s luxury condo sales currently in the range of $1 million to $1.5 million, Poffenroth notes that buyers can enjoy access to the high life for less than what they would need to spend in other markets. “One of our key sales this year is a penthouse in Le Germain Residences,” she reports. Locatewd above Le Germain Hotel Calgary, that penthouse has access to the same services offered by the downtown hotel — valet parking, housekeeping and drycleaning — plus convenient access to the Charcut Roast House fine-dining restaurant on the ground floor. “Especially for a buyer working in multiple markets, those hotel-level services really fit their lifestyle needs,” says Poffenroth.

Boardrooms too are another major draw, which cater to the business crowd, Poffenroth adds. Which is not to say that luxury condos in Calgary are neglecting the kick-back factor. For example, the Princeton Grand, along the Bow River in Eau Claire, features a Tuscan-style temperature controlled wine cellar and tasting room.

TORONTO

Luxury condo buildings are best evaluated, not on any one amenity space but, rather, on their overall standard of service, says Taylor. “It’s always nice to have a good gym,” Taylor concedes. “But at the end of the day, people want that [high-end] experience — from when they pull up their car to when the valet opens the door to [when] the concierge [welcomes them in.] And the Ritz-Carlton Residences, in my opinion, has the best level of service of any place in Toronto. It’s that training they get from the Ritz — that culture where ‘no’ is not in their vocabulary.” Another bonus is the building’s connection to the PATH, which allows residents who work downtown to be able to walk to their office in wintertime without having to go outside. “You’re getting much more bang for your buck [at Ritz condos],” says Taylor, “and I believe it’s the most undervalued building in the city.”

But perhaps not for much longer. “Right now, there’s potential for buys at levels that haven’t been [available] since before Covid,” he predicts. “But the new condos that are going to be delivered in the next two to five years are a lot of standard products, so luxury inventory is going to remain low. And if there are changes to the non-resident buyers ban and the buying pool increases — hopefully sooner rather than later — we’ll see prices increase, too.”

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By Eric Mutrie — *This article originally appeared in Insight: The Art Of Living Magazine – The Connection Issue.