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GATEWAY 737

building a brand from scratch & driving record pre-leasing

Gateway 737 is a brand-new, off-campus student housing development in Columbia, SC, serving students at the University of South Carolina. Developed and managed by Holder Properties, this 940-bed community began pre-leasing in September 2024 and is set to open in August 2025. Located at a prime intersection of Greene Street, Devine Street, and Gadsden Street—key thoroughfares for USC students—Gateway 737 needed a strong brand presence to stand out in a competitive market.

the results speak for themselves:

250+

Leases signed (27.5%) in the first month of leasing

115

Leases signed in a single week

100%

Leased by first week of March, 2025

the problem to solve

Holder Properties approached Threshold with a blank slate. They needed a complete brand identity—from naming to logo design to a full suite of marketing materials—that would establish Gateway 737 as a premier student living option. With no existing content, only early renderings, the challenge was to create an identity compelling enough to drive early leasing momentum and brand recognition in a saturated market.

the dream

The client’s goal was twofold:

  1. Create a bold, recognizable brand that would resonate with USC students and set Gateway 737 apart from competitors.
  2. Generate excitement and demand before the doors even opened, ensuring high pre-leasing numbers and market dominance.

the strategy

Threshold built the Gateway 737 brand from the ground up, crafting an identity that felt fresh, energetic, and seamlessly integrated with the student lifestyle.

Naming & Branding

The name Gateway 737 reflects the property’s location—between an iconic bridge and the USC campus—while also embodying the connection between students’ academic and social lives. The brand’s vibrant color palette and engaging design elements reinforced its youthful, upscale positioning.

Website & Digital Presence

We launched a landing page early in the process to start capturing leads, followed by a dynamic website designed to highlight the Gateway lifestyle and drive conversions.

Leasing Experience & Marketing Collateral

Our team developed a full suite of marketing materials, including brochures, banners, and leasing office designs—transforming a simple trailer into an engaging brand showcase.

Buzz-Driven Leasing Approach

Unlike many student properties that rely heavily on paid digital marketing, Gateway 737’s success was driven by word of mouth, an impactful brand identity, and strategic on-site activations.

THE RESULTS

that proved our strategy worked.

gateway collateral

The combination of a strong brand identity and targeted marketing efforts led to remarkable leasing success:

250+

leases signed

in the first month of leasing

115

leases signed in a

single week

90%

leased

within four months (Sept–Dec 2024)

100%

leased

by first week in March, 2025

RANKS

among the market leaders

in pre-leasing numbers, despite being a brand-new property with no renewals

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“The Threshold team worked tirelessly—so many email chains, so many calls!—to create a brand that would stand apart from the others in Columbia and give the property immediate recognition. The team truly felt like an internal extension of my own, and I knew they cared about this project as much as I did.

We continually pushed outside the box—from the vibrant color palette and unique graphic elements to creating a lounge inside a construction trailer and specialty brochures. The website, with so much dynamic movement, brought it all together—letting potential residents and their parents know that the Gateway experience was the best living experience Columbia has to offer. When a request was made, the answer was always ‘We can do that.’”

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Abby Hawkins, Vice President of Marketing, Holder Properties

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