Collingwood, ON

I have a very talented and smart client. She recently made a significant life change upon her retirement by leaving Toronto to move to Collingwood to live a quality lifestyle.

This gal purchased a run-down condo that had the right bones, a fabulous location and a good price. Then she set her mind to making it hers and here are the results:

Isn't that amazing? No, she is not a stager or designer but rather, a person with great taste and a good eye. It looks like an entirely different place and rest assured, she has improved the resale value well beyond her investment. Hat's off to her and congratulations on this transformation!

After looking at the basics of selling in the first two posts on marketing luxury homes, it's time to consider some specific actions.

We know that the single most important tool today is the internet. When a property is listed in the Multiple Listing Service, it automatically appears on the public REALTOR.ca site which is one of the most heavily visited websites in Canada. Listings will also usually appear on the Brokerage website and agents personal website if they have one. In most cases, all of these three places will have the same information but, it's just not enough for a luxury home.

One of the very best tools I have used this year is to build a website specifically for the home. It allows me to really tell the story and all of the wonderful things a potential buyer should know. In this example, I've been able to add hundreds of pictures, music, floor plans, a survey, neighbourhood information, the history of the development, details about the builder, a virtual tour and of course, property details such as room sizes, taxes, land size and more. The sky is the limit on what can be included.

Does it work? Well, in the first 60 days, we had over 17,000 hits on the site and 3,500 views. Hundreds of people have forwarded the information, have printed off details and have watched the entire slide show. That data is available through back-end statistics that are useful for both the sellers and myself to know. We can also tell how people came to the site.

Having a single property website allows me to advertise the property in unique ways. For example, I syndicate all of my online listings to popular sites such as Craigslist, Livedeal, Kiijiji and so on. They all link back to the website as do any ads I run in newsprint. The unique website links to the listing data on my own site.

For this same property, I had a professional sign designed and built that sets the home apart with a distinguished visual and on the sign, there is a large rider with the website address. Over 500 of our views in the first two months were direct requests to the website suggesting that most came from the For Sale Sign.

I also had a graphic artist and advertising person design and print a glossy full colour brochure which has great visuals, a bit of information and, you guessed it, the website address for the property. It helps to LOVE the house because this is the time to be poetic, heartfelt and sincere about how a home lives and how it feels. People reading the copy tend to "get it."

So, will I advertise your home in the Globe and Mail? No. But I'll spend a great deal more directing the marketing to agents and to the public with marketing that actually draws attention to your home. In such a narrow market, this is what counts.

Related Posts:

Selling a Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain

Marketing A Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain; Part 1
Marketing A Luxury Home In Collingwood ~ Blue Mountain; Part 2

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!

If you are thinking of looking at property for sale in Collingwood, then you know how important location can be. Living close to a park or near the waterfront will add a big premium to the price tag but for some, it may be well worth it.

One of the nicest parks in Collingwood surely must be Sunset Point located on the waterfront.

In addition to a rocky beach, the park features beautiful trails, lots of parking, a canteen, washrooms, large expanses of grassland, picnic tables and terrific views over Georgian Bay. There is also a marvelous playground called the EnviroPark. It's a miniature Collingwood including play equipment depicting a water treatment plant, water tower, general store, town hall, industry, agriculture land and harbour. The Parks goal is to educate how to use water wisely; how it is converted; how it is used; and where it goes in the house. It also educates on the function of a sewage treatment plant and what it can and cannot do. The Pavilion area, including the volleyball courts, can be rented for reunions and other occasions.

One of the most prominent features of "The Point" is a large Inukshuk that looks out to the Bay. It was built as a tribute to a popular young man named Pete Crompton who was killed at age 27 in a boating accident in 2003. Windsurfing was his passion and this magnificent piece of public art would seem a fitting reminder of a life well lived.

This really is a gem of a place that offers something for everyone.

When it’s time to buy or sell real estate in the Collingwood, Blue Mountain or Georgian Triangle area, contact Marg, an experienced and competent Broker who’s ready whenever you are!

the market the market the market

people seem to really be "in the know" right now as to where the market is ... if they say that real estate is always a good investment is a safe place for your money or anything like that ... they're right!!

Things change that is the only constant and right now there are more listings than ever for a number of reasons.

- rates

- oil

- stock market

- american crash

The bottom line for me - keep on moving forward - our appraisers are not over valueing nor are our banks and lending institutions over lending. Confidence in the future of real estate is what I promote in my business - how about you are you buying or selling? Even if you are not my best advise is that you too adopt a positive future outlook for OUR real estate market!!!

jjk

It may not be a subjective or thorough study however, Relocate- Canada has named Collingwood, Ontario as one of Canada's Top 20 places to live. It's the second time of late that we've been recognized in this fashion so certainly someone is out there spreading our little secret!

Here's what they had to say about our fair town:

"Located on the Nottawasaga Bay, at the southern shore of the beautiful Georgian Bay, and at the base of the Blue Mountain, Collingwood, Ontario is known as an all year destination. Collingwood is easily reached by Highways 24 and 26 and is only a ninety minute drive from Toronto. There are many events throughout the year. Many festivals, including one of the world's largest Elvis festivals, bring visitors to Collingwood in search of a good time. Hiking, golfing, horseback riding, fishing, rock climbing, and dog sledding are just a few of the many outdoor activities that residents and visitors enjoy in Collingwood. The downtown has been nationally recognized as a historic place, and is the first downtown in Ontario to be given this honour.
High tech and auto industries flock to Collingwood contributing greater than 20% to Collingwood's tax base, ensuring jobs and growth for the area. Collingwood has a competitive edge in bringing companies to their area. Because of its close proximity to both Toronto and the US, companies can lower production costs, labour costs, and greater numbers of customers with access to duty free shops."

Congratulations to all the other wonderful communities named in the report. Amid all the doom and gloom in the global economy, it sure is nice to read good news, isn't it?