What used to be an industry made up of mostly landlords and property management companies has evolved into a burgeoning business for licensed real estate brokers, and Iconique Real Estate is at the forefront.

“I felt the market shifting when people were moving away from downtown during COVID,” said Iconique’s founder Susan Chong. “Then interest rates increased and the market slowed; I knew we had to pivot”. That’s when a new concept grew into a flourishing business model: offer new construction sales teams to lease and market new apartment communities in the Denver area.

“Our team of licensed brokers are traditionally known for new construction sales, but we saw changes being made by developers during the pandemic with several communities transitioning from condominiums for sale to apartments for lease. We began brainstorming what it could look like to re-create the concept of an onsite sales team for the initial lease-up of the new product and it’s been a huge win,” Chong said.

After completing a lease-up service for a new townhome community in southeast Denver, Iconique took on the leasing and marketing for one of Denver’s newest apartment buildings in RiNo called Flora. As a high-end, boutique community with just 92 residences, Flora sits across from the recently renovated RiNo Art Park and next to the South Platte River, creating a ‘waterfront’ experience that few communities in Colorado experience.

“There was an over-supply of homes that hit the RiNo neighborhood all at once last year,” said Iconique broker and head leasing agent at Flora, Stacey Zynen. “This created a need for developers to get serious about their leasing and marketing strategies so they could distinguish themselves from other communities.”

Besides bringing in an experienced team like Iconique, one of those ways was to begin offering a commission for brokers that incentivized them to bring clients to their communities; would-be buyers who may choose to wait until interest rates decline or who want flexibility and freedom to move about the country or world. “We offer up to 125% of one month’s rent for commission” said Zynen. “That could mean anywhere from $1,700 to $18,000 when your client leases at Flora.”

One of the best parts? You don’t have to assist clients to showings.

“Brokers aren’t historically used to seeing that kind of ease or sales-level money when it comes to leasing. Most agents do a lot of work to find temporary housing for their clients for a small flat fee, or maybe nothing at all. With our process, it’s easy to set up tours and make good commissions when the clients move forward,” she added.

A lot about Flora’s character speaks for itself when it comes to distinction. Surrounded by apartment buildings of 300+ units, the size of Flora creates a small-but-mighty concept. Designed in 2018 to be built as condos, the developers of Flora transitioned the community to apartments following the obstacles of Covid that have affected many projects throughout Metro Denver.

"The pandemic caused us to take a step back and reevaluate where the world was headed. We were originally set to move forward with condos, but as a development team, we realized there was so much untapped potential in shaping this part of RiNo. We're deeply invested in this neighborhood. It's where we work, eat, drink, and play, and our passion for this community runs deep. We didn’t want to lose that connection by selling off the condos, so we made the decision to stay involved and help RiNo continue to evolve in the ways we know it can," shared Edee Anesi, one of the lead developers of Flora. Anesi has worked on other developments throughout Denver including Lumina, a boutique apartment building in LoHi. “As a condo-grade building for lease, we know we have a unique product that’s different from others in the area.” 

But what exactly is condo-grade? The term seems to get thrown around and most consumers might not know what it means. "Condo-grade construction stands out for its superior quality, featuring higher-end finishes, premium materials, and more attention to detail throughout both the design and construction phases, ensuring a more refined living experience that is thoughtfully crafted with homeowners in mind, compared to your average apartment building. And at Flora, you can truly notice the difference,” says Anesi."

The finishes at Flora boast Grohe fixtures in a brass color giving a modern homage to a vintage style. Its two different finish packages feature light and dark color schemes, but perhaps one of the best parts of selecting your favorite home: the choice of emerald or light-rose colored tile in the bathrooms; a theme that strikes a relevant chord with the Wicked movement, following the recent release of the movie starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Flora’s amenity spaces feature all things you dream of with luxury living: a grand lounge and kitchen, year-round heated pool and hot tub, outdoor firepit with stunning views, a high-end fitness center and so much more.

“The concepts throughout Flora are stunning and leave an impression on people who appreciate art and architecture,” says Zynen, “but the bathrooms and kitchens are some of the community’s highlights. You won’t see a style like Flora anywhere else.”