And suddenly, you know…it’s time to start something new!

Core, Core Plus, Value Add and Opportunistic are terms used to define the risk and return characteristics of a real estate investment. They range from conservative to aggressive and are defined by both the physical attributes of the property and the amount of debt used to capitalize a project. Have a look at the following videos and sections, where I’ve briefly explained the differences between the four strategies.

This week I wanted to jump back into my ‘Hotelie’ roots and highlight trends of the Canadian Hospitality Industry. Though not discussed as frequently, the lodging industry in Canada makes up a large part of the commercial real estate transaction volume in our country. In fact, 2016 and 2017 saw roughly $4.1 Billion and $3.5 Billion, respectively, in total transaction volume, the highest numbers in over ten years!

What could Alberta's Capital City look like in five years? Here's some of the most influential projects being proposed!

It's safe to say that we are finally coming out of the trough of this current market cycle.  However, we have been witnessing something interesting happening within our industrial market, particularly between the multi-tenant and single-tenant product classes.  Click here to find out more.

Are we surprised? Not even a little. 

It was only a matter of time before Amazon found the final piece of the logistics puzzle to allow them to consolidate and manage ALL the steps from the moment an order is placed online, to the the moment the package efficiently arrives in the hands of the consumer.

It's like a flashback in time right now, a City and its prized NHL team at odds over the future of their athletic program and critically, the home that they will play in.  Fortunately for Edmontonians, it's not groundhog day in this Town, but rather, this is occurring in our Sister City of Calgary just three hours south.

When we think of innovation and trends leading us into Edmonton's future regarding our commercial developments, a few words must now come to mind... Simons Londonderry Mall.  Not likely the general public's first thought, but since Londonderry Mall announced their $130 Million renovation and redevelopment plan in 2014, this has come to fruition, notably due to the largest solar system in Edmonton that now swathes the new Simons development.

It's no secret that Amazon released a Request for Proposals last week to determine the location of their new headquarters - HQ2.  Every major City is jumping at the opportunity to have a company of this magnitude enter their market, to say nothing of the billions in capital expenditure and thousands of jobs created.   Take a look at what their top decision drivers are here.

There is a shift happening in the residential and lending markets across Canada.  The combination of declining market values, decreased liquidity, rate increases and a new stress-testing model have created uncertainty in the future of our mortgage market as it stands.

As we near the midway mark of 2017, it's been exciting to see the changes to our Downtown Skyline as existing development projects near completion, while others break ground and continue to mold our core.

Take a look at the quarterly reports and videos that outline the commercial real estate transactions and trends of Q1 2017 in the Greater Edmonton Area.  Have we really hit the bottom? 

Canada's Top 10 Pension Funds collectively manage over $1.1 Trillion and rank as some of the largest in the world.  They have created a model for investment management that has become a template and inspiration to public funds on a global scale.

What is the potential for solar power in Alberta and are we ready to make the transition?  

There is a new bet on Wall Street that is beginning to gain steam.  The bearish short against Commercial Mortgage Backed Securities (CMBS), specifically securities backed by loans taken out by shopping mall operators, is being coined as the next Big Short.

The Alberta Government hosts a website called majorprojects.alberta.ca that outlines the inventory of all private and public sector projects across the province that are valued at $5 Million and greater.  Have a read here to see what's going on in Alberta.

More and more frequently, especially with more technologically apt Tenants and Purchasers, I am being asked the question, "Does this property have fibre?".  I had to look into this to find out what all the fuss was about...

Construction projects are made up of a combination of hard costs and soft costs that must be budgeted with accuracy in order to ensure the success of the project, but what is the difference between these hard and soft costs?

I'm pleased to provide the Annual PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) and Urban Land Institute (ULI) Report on upcoming and emerging trends in the Canadian and American Real Estate markets.

Take a look at the quarterly reports and videos that outline the transactions and trends of Q4 2016 in the Greater Edmonton Area.  What do we expect heading into 2017?