Peter Forai

There's a great outdoor pool located at W. 15th and Ontario in the Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, that has a very interesting past. Since 2002 it has been slated for demolition, but through the efforts of some very persistent neighbours it has stayed put. The latest development has the parks board scheduling a public consultation into the fate of the pool, brought about by the efforts of local residents through a letter writing/email campaign.

I just wanted to applaud the residents of Mt. Pleasant involved in the latest camaign, for their efforts in relentlessly pursuing this cause, and I think it's a great example of neighbours coming together to maintain the fabric of their community. Well done and Good Luck!

For more information and updates on this story, visit the blocktalk.ca site and go to the Mount Pleasant Lifestyles page.

After a few redesigns, I can honestly say we got the blocktalk.ca site right. Right now it is exactly the way I envisioned it to be when I first came up with the concept a few years ago. The funny thing is, the site was featured in the Vancouver Sun's business section, 3 days before we launched the new redesigned version. The Sun article featured a screen shot of a page that bothered me the most, due to it's lack of design, but the exposure was great nonetheless. Now that everything is perfect I'm very proud of it all!! As one of the web sites that Vancouver home buyers are using to do their research, I take great pride in our ease of use, content, and design. If your unfamiliar with the area, come visit us to find out neighbourhood news and information regarding Lifestyles and Demographics, Schools and New Developments. Our neighbourhood sponsors are also doing a fine job of giving their opinions on the neighbourhood, their listings, and a few other interesting facts with the use of informative video and blogs.

Your web site is designed for one reason and one reason only . . . . to make you money! To make money you need clients, to get clients you need to offer a service they need. As a real estate agent it is important to recognize the needs and wants of your clients. The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver recently commissioned a survey of Buyers and Sellers and it is full of important stats that Real Estate agents need to know to make their marketing efforts effective. Now, I refer to this study because I operate in this market, but I also believe that it is indicitave of the North American real estate market as well. The biggest thing that jumped out at me was that survey respondents outlined the most valuable service provided by their Realtor as "Helped to determine neighborhoods and communities best suited to needs". Now that isn't a big surprise to all of you working as Realtors, but the biggest question is, "Why doesn't your web site reflect this knowledge?" I think that this is an area where most Realtors can improve their marketing efforts. I realize that many of your websites are built by designers offering template Real Estate sites, and many of them do look great, and let your clients and potential clients know a little about you, but how does it address the most valuable service you provide, "Help clients find the most suitable neighborhood"?