Find out how project manager Shawna Gregory refreshed a 100 unit apartment complex with the help of our account managers and design services.
When CONAM renovated the lobby and offices at Vivere Lofts, a 100-unit apartment community, their interior designer had recently retired, leaving them without a key team member. Portfolio manager Shawna partnered with Wayfair Professional and our Business Solutions Group to get the design expertise she needed to transform the outdated property into an enticing location for potential renters. Acting as an extension of her team, our Business Solutions Group was able to fill the gaps she needed to get the job done.
Shawna Gregory is an experienced portfolio manager at CONAM Property Management, an investment firm and provider of multifamily real estate services. With 384 properties managed worldwide, Shawna manages a portfolio of properties in Orange County, California. She works with the owners at each and every property to bring their building projects from start to finish.
“My name is Shawna Gregory, and I’ve been with CONAM for six years. My title is regional portfolio manager, and I oversee nine apartment buildings. CONAM oversees multifamily apartment buildings, and my clients own everything from new construction properties to renovated, “value-add” properties. My smallest property is about 80 units, and the largest is 400 units.
“One of the challenges of this industry is that building owners may have a vision for what the final property should look like, but you have to give your feedback and expertise on what makes the most sense. That’s why it was so important for me to decide to partner with Wayfair Professional. I work very closely on my building projects and I love design.
“Between my Account Manager Jess and the Business Solutions Group, I was able to give the Wayfair team the colors and vision I was hoping for, and they brought them to life.
“The first project I did with my Account Manager Jess was the lobby and office of a property called Vivere Lofts. It was built 15 years ago as a condo property and had about 100 units. The company was going to sell the units as individual condos, but then the housing market crashed, so they turned them into apartments instead. The property is in Anaheim, California, where there is a lot of new construction right now. We had a lobby in the old building that was super dated. I told the owner that the lobby is a future renters’ first impression – and it was old, dated, and dark. So I talked to them about brightening it up, putting in wood flooring and updating the tile. They gave me the green light, so I got in touch with Jess at Wayfair Professional. She talked me through different colors and ideas, and knowing I needed design support, she passed me along to a designer in the Business Solutions Group, Lauren. Lauren was great – she put a bunch of different furniture, artwork, and desks into a list, and we went through it together to bring the space to life.
“I had a budget for this project and we stuck to it. As soon as the property was approved, the lobby and office were done within three months. The owners were a little nervous because of all of the delays and supply chain issues, but I talked to Jess about that and she assured me we could get the products I needed in time. I utilized the installation services as well, and I am so glad I did. The installers were so professional and willing to make any adjustments we needed. They put together some complex desks that would have been hard for us, but they made it all happen.
“When it was done, I went to see the property with my regional maintenance director, and we were impressed with how it came out. The owners were so impressed that they asked me to do the clubhouse on the property next, which I plan to do again with Wayfair Professional. The new residents looking to rent now won’t be greeted in a dated lobby space. Before the renovation, they might have thought the building wasn’t taken care of, but now it gives the residents a vision for how they can live. I had no idea the Business Solutions Group was an offering, but it made my life so much easier. To get the support I needed to make this project happen was wonderful.
“Working with Wayfair Professional is such a simple process, and it takes the ball out of my court. I know what I like but I’m not a designer, and the Business Solutions Group service is free – so why wouldn’t you use it? Two years ago I ordered a bunch of Wayfair products for my own house, so I knew that the products would arrive on time and be of good quality. But I was amazed at how simple the Wayfair Professional program was, and how great the people that I came into contact with were. I would recommend it to anybody who is doing any type of space in any apartment or home community.”
