Boston Agent (BA): As a specialist in Boston lofts, what are some of the best neighborhoods to find a loft, and why are those areas best?

Paul Santucci (PS): The Leather District, SOWA neighborhood of the South End and the Seaport District will have the most “true” loft-style homes in a concentrated area. These will offer former factories, warehouses and other existing commercial structures that were converted into amazing residential spaces with the unique qualities and character that loft buyers want: exposed brick-and-beam, factory-sized windows and historic details.

South Boston – specifically between West 1st Street and West Broadway – is seeing a tremendous amount of new construction, where developers are building (or renovating existing structures) condos with loft-like qualities such as very high ceilings/open floor-plans/oversized windows that current buyers in the marketplace are hunting for.

BA: Your business is built on strong client relationships. How do you build and later maintain those relationships?

PS: The key is adding value and a solid foundation of service at that first transaction. I had a conversation this week with a new client looking at a building where I’ve done several sales over the past 10 years – some were clients I originally sold a loft to and then they listed that loft with me – and I expressed that my maintained success was all built on how I’ve added value to that client from the first meeting on. A “client for life” type of relationship is built on guiding that client to make the best decisions for that particular time in their life and the market, and understanding their needs at each stage along the way.

BA: Why have you chosen to specialize in lofts, and how do you see their popularity fairing in years to come?

PS: Boston is a historic city, and lofts are a part of that amazing history. People live in the oldest schoolhouse in South Boston, which was renovated into fantastic lofts a few years ago. The Leather District has a building with a former steel fur vault, even previous churches and firehouses now house incredible homes. It’s fascinating when these type of structures are transformed and a new chapter is written into that history. Boston is proud of that history, and buyers here appreciate that history; as do I, which is why I love the specialty I’ve chosen. The clientele that chooses to live in these types of spaces is unique, too, and I truly enjoy working with that type of client.

The desire to live in a piece of history and a unique home won’t go away, and in fact, I see that desire strengthening as more “cookie cutter” homes are being built to keep up with the current market boom. However, as I mentioned above, keen developers are creating more modern “lofts” when presented with the opportunity to do so, which is great to see. Lofts are about multifunctional and open spaces, I don’t see the desire for that diminishing anytime soon!