BERMAN BROTHERS GROUP: Legacy Building in Sea Point
Berman Brothers Group continues to build a legacy of quality and excellence as it embarks on the build of Dolce Vita in Sea Point. Sold out in minutes after launch, the building will bring a new standard of luxury to the area, opening up opportunities for residential buyers and investors.
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In Sea Point, from Rocklands Beach in the north down Beach Road to Saunders Rock Tidal Pool in the south, and all the way back to the lush slopes of Signal Hill, the Mediterranean spirit is strong. The Atlantic Ocean laps the coast, and the sun beams onto white and bright apartment blocks that stand tall over palm tree-lined streets. This is one of Cape Town’s jewels, where it’s easy to live a good life; sweet life; ‘Dolce Vita’.
Along the Sea Point Promenade, parks, beaches and swimming pools allow for relaxation, and the café, bar, restaurant, and boutique hotel-lined streets allow for vibrancy and rest. From here, access across the Mother City is direct and easy.
Sea Point’s fresh ocean air is a real attraction for people and this buoys the local property market which has shown remarkable resilience and growth through a challenging period in the property market.
Right in the heart of the suburb, on the corner of Church and Regent Roads, expert property developers, the Berman Brothers Group (BBG), is using all of its skill to bring Dolce Vita to life. Dolce Vita is a mixed-use development with residential, hotel and retail components. 65 residential apartments across seven storeys will sit alongside a modern hotel with state-of-the-art amenities such as a restaurant, cocktail bar, spa and gym for its guests, and both components have access to basement parking. To the west, ocean views; to the east, mountain vistas.
“It is situated in an iconic location and will be another icon in the Sea Point fabric,” smiles BBG Projects Director, Marika Abrahams.
SOLD OUT
The company took a digital approach to marketing the apartment units, which went live for sale in May 2024. A campaign that focused on the sunny location and the luxurious feel of what will be one of the most prominent corner blocks in the area resulted in immediate success.
“The development sold out in minutes. Everything was gone in under 10 minutes. It was incredible,” says Abrahams who has been with the company for eight years and has experience in architecture and town planning.
She explains that the new process is part of a shift in the industry and allows developers to rely less on external agents, preparing inhouse campaigns alongside people who fully understand the development and have been integral in bringing the projects to life.
“The sales went live at a certain time on a certain date, and everyone was waiting online to secure their units,” she says.
“The online sales process has encouraged the team in the office to run the lead campaign. We know the product best so that is the optimal way to sell it. We can deal with the clients and let them know exactly what they will get.”
What they will get is unlike anything else in the market. BBG has two arms to the business, construction, and legal and sales. The construction arm is managed by founder Saul Berman, and the legal and sales arm is run by his brother Paul Berman. There is a harmony between the two, and an agile approach that comes naturally with a family business that can communicate seamlessly and make decisions without the need to navigate corporate red tape. The pair are Sea Point natives and know the locale like few others. Founded in 1989, the experience behind this team is unrivalled in the region. Relationships with the very best partners helps to deliver projects of note, and this is the case for the Dolce Vita. Designed by Robert Silke & Partners Architects, built by R+N Master Builders, and brought to life by The Editors Interior Designers and Propr, rental and letting experts, there is a guarantee of luxury and quality in execution and management.
“Dolce Vita is a romantic and deliberate reference to the Mediterranean Riviera – evoking the golden age of European cinema. Sweetly coloured in tiramisu créme shades (and contoured in vanilla-black eyeliner) the building is svelte, muscular and luxuriously sculpted,” said Silke of the building’s striking appearance.
A GREAT INVESTMENT
Sea Point has seen a number of developments over the years, but Dolce Vita is central in the community and Abrahams is excited that BBG continues to build legacies, enhancing the built environment.
“The building was two properties across; Mimosa Arcade and Tretal previously,” says Abrahams, “and the group held both for some time before obtaining full ownership. That happened last year and that unlocked the process. From there, we formally consolidated the properties which maximised the building parameters required to produce the building as designed in its current form. It’s all about access to lifestyle. Within walking distance you’ll find all the amenities that you could need. Inside the building we didn’t include too many public amenities because we feel it is so well located. The Sea Point Pavilion public swimming pools are directly opposite, and the building is situated on a public bus route which connects with Clifton and the V&A Waterfront – it’s a great investment.”
The commercial hospitality component in the project, although developed by BBG, will be managed by industry experts, Kove Collection. The company, which already manages other assets in the area, will look after the 5-star hotel and rooftop restaurant as well as the streetside lifestyle and cocktail lounge. By partnering with Kove Collection, BBG has again put Dolce Vita in the spotlight for all the right reasons, consistently employing messaging of quality and exclusivity.
“All of the hotel rooms are angled to offer sea views from every single room, and that is an amazing offering. The entrances to the residential units and the entrance for the hotel will remain completely separate. The residential space, from the third to fourth floor will offer amazing views of Lion’s Head,” confirms Abrahams.
BEST PRACTICE
BBG is including a number of unique features to ensure Dolce Vita is everything expected and more. 24/7 onsite security is backed by CCTV and armed response links, and all doors will utilise smart technology and biometric access control systems. The building will have full back up power systems and high-speed fibre connectivity. Air conditioning and other extras can be installed on request, and residents will benefit from secure underground parking. Investors will also have the option for rental management solutions, and rental returns are expected to be significant.
“We follow best practice in the industry,” says Abrahams of the building’s sustainability agenda. “We have UV performance glass on all of the windows, the building’s massing and balustrading is solid helping to mitigate against noise, every unit has a balcony to help improve airflow and manage temperature. There is a central atrium in the building which helps with passive energy utilisation. We are also going to implement a PV thermal solar system on the roof to optimise efficiency. We have domestic water storage in the basement and the building is set to be completely keyless with smart lock technology on all doors. It helps investors if they want to short-term let their space and they don’t have to worry about key management. Everything has durable finishes, and WOMAG is delivering the upgraded finishes to bring a luxurious, post-modern feel. We have also ensured that the units feel quite spacious despite the footprints starting at 42 m2. The gross construction area is around 14,000 m2 with 70 parking bays.”
This base of quality has allowed BBG and its partners to go the extra mile when it comes to the marketing campaign around the building, showcasing Dolce Vita as superior for both investors and potential residents. Videos and other digital material have highlighted the lifestyle opportunities that come with a purchase in Sea Point. This, says Abrahams, is appealing beyond the Western Cape.
“The BBG brand has become synonymous with quality and that has spread beyond Sea Point. When people are looking to buy, they trust that BBG can deliver quality over and above others. Time and time again, people who have engaged with our buildings and investors who have bought before will come back to us. The mechanics of our campaign are also really strong as there is a big online presence in the month leading up to the launch. That certainly plays a role when there is hype around the launch,” she says, adding that prices range from R3 million up to R9 million.
Marketing Dolce Vita in the right way, for the right buyers, at the right time was essential, but the market also played a part. The individual brands of each of the partners of course play a role, and thankfully quality is the main flavour across the board.
“We have seen a high demand for new stock and there is very little new stock,” highlights Abrahams. “It is very investor friendly, and you can use it or put it into letting. The location is fantastic, and people are associating the product we deliver with a certain standard and that helps when selling – people trust what we offer.”
This is evidenced in the ongoing support the company provides for the buildings and communities it creates. A new group-level marketing campaign ensures that stakeholders know what BBG is all about: ‘We Are Building’.
“Our projects become personal for us,” says Abrahams. “We don’t always step away from the management of the buildings we complete. We hand over the apartments to our buyers and we stay personally involved with the building after handover. We feel that everything we deliver is part of our legacy, and ultimately that is what we are building.”
If the legacy in Sea Point is an opportunity for residents in this latest development to live a bit of the sweetest life that Cape Town has to offer, then expect legacy fulfilled when the Dolce Vita is complete at the end of 2025.