Realestock.com - Your Connected Market Space for Real Estate

Originally I was going to write all about the latest developments in green living. I read a number of articles on and offline about how developers are adding green features, how some real estate agents are biking to viewings and open houses (How do they transport clients? Do they sit on the crossbar? In the basket?), and how many buyers are asking about energy efficient appliances and baulk at the idea of marble counter tops.

However, a couple of weeks ago I read an interesting article in Canada’s Globe and Mail (www.globeandmail.com), where writer Terrence Belford illustrated that in Toronto, despite the fact there are more homes being built to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design - the Green Building Rating System) standards, there are very few in the ‘luxury market’ (which the Globe and Mail describe as being anything that sells in Toronto for over $600 a square foot). It appears that while the mid to low-range buyers are interested in energy star appliances and recycled materials, luxury buyers are not. In fact, luxury buyers are going in the exact opposite direction – buying huge energy-zapping fridges, asking for counter tops made from nonrenewable stones, gas-fueled stoves and hardwood floors made from rare woods. The writer of this article suspects that “…environmental concerns are not on their list of priorities”.

This, to me, is rather worrisome. We are at a time in history where how we deal with environmental concerns is critical. Everyone, irrespective of their income, should be doing their part – even if it is just recycling their bottles and using reusable shopping bags to buy groceries. The writer of this article comments that most luxury buyers are in their 40s and 50s, and that it is younger buyers and developers who are interested in saving energy, not those who to whom utility bills are something that you ‘don’t pay much attention to”.

I don’t believe that this generalization is entirely the case. Many luxury condo buyers downsize from larger houses, and so there must be an element of that choice that relates to the fact that condos are easier and cheaper to maintain than houses are. Also, ask anyone on the street about their opinions on the environment, and most people will tell you we need to become more energy efficient in our general lives.

However, someone must still be buying those fridges that are bigger than my bathroom – but can’t energy efficiency and luxury go hand in hand? Can’t you have the counter top you’ve always wanted without decimating a small forest? Some developments have the answer.

The Dockside Green Development in Victoria, British Columbia (www.docksidegreen.com) combines luxury with green living. Prices range from a mid range $289,900 to a luxury $1,233,900 for one to two bedroom (plus den) townhouses and condos. This popular development combines high end products with environmentally friendly additions, including:

- 100% fresh air through central or individual heat recovery ventilators

- Low, or no volatile organic compounds, paints, sealants, adhesives, and avoidance of the use of urea-formaldehyde composite wood products

- High-end energy efficient appliances (they do exist!)

- Sewage Treatment: 100% of the sewage is treated on site – and the treated water will be used for flushing toilets, landscape irrigation and water features

- Alternative transportation, which will be readily available through: A car share program, upgraded bike trails, bike racks in the building, harbor ferry dock, transit, and a mini-transit shuttle bus – the point of this being the elimination of a car, or at least of a second car

- Bamboo flooring and kitchen cabinets (there is also an option for cork flooring)

- Salvaged wood products will be used

- Biomass heating, with a back up natural gas fueled boiler – which will make the building greenhouse gas neutral

One look at the interior and exterior shots of this building will show you that this is definitely geared for the high medium to luxury market, and it is paying off – already many units have been sold, including the commercial spaces for a restaurant/pub, a café and a bakery.

At the end of the Globe and Mail article, a developer is quoted as saying that it doesn’t matter what changes are made now, as the changes that are slowing coming through will eventually become the standard, and possibly even law. Therefore anyone who is resistant to these transformations will be left behind. This is an interesting point, but I feel that legal changes may not be as influential as social ones. By this I mean that being environmentally unaware is almost regarded as a stigma, and those who drive SUVs, don’t recycle, and have a freezer as big as a horse may find themselves being scorned by their peers, which is much more damning than any law could every be.

Whatever the reason – social or legal – environmental building is here to stay. And what to say of those changes that I wanted to mention earlier on? Here are some green changes and events that are happening around the world:

- At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, The Wisconsin School of Business Graaskamp Center for Real Estate will host a conference on Sustainable Real Estate Development

- Ecobroker (the first and largest provider of green real estate training for realtors and other licensed real estate professionals) celebrated its 4,000^th member this August

- In Chicago Agent Magazine, K.K.Snyder Reports that in Chicago, the amount of clients who want environmentally friendly homes dramatically outweighs the number of energy efficient houses and condos. People are taking an interest because these houses are not drafty, don’t have ‘hot’ or ‘cold spots’, and are more comfortable for owners, in addition to helping the environment

- Green building rules are to come into effect in Abu Dhabi, in January, 2009. According to Propertywire.com, Abu Dhabi’s Urban Planning Council aims to set new standards for sustainable development, and hopes that this will encourage similar plans throughout the Middle East region

So whatever your budget, consider going green, particularly when choosing your appliances. Being efficient doesn’t mean being cheap. Yes, you may think that people will love your top-of-the-range stainless steel 20ft fridge, with 6 water dispensers, but secretly they’ll be thinking that you’re as bad as those people who drive their Hummers ten meters to mail a letter. There are a number of stores and designers who specialize in creating high-end, environmentally friendly products, so while you may have to search a little harder, it’ll be well worth it in the end.

The views expressed on the blog portion of this site represent only the opinions of the author and may not necessarily be the opinions of Realestock.com

Do you have a view on green building? Do you think that luxury buyers shouldn’t care about the environment? Let us know by posting below! 

I’m in a cab at 58th & 7th in NYC - broke my bluetooth Jawbone headset. No worries - it’s hanging by wires, still working - sort of, if I hold it just right. Anyway, I bought the extra protection plan from the retailer who sold it to me - Sharper Image. “Drop me off on 51st…” - I figure I’ll stop in at the Rockafeller Center Sharper Image and get a replacement. I walk to the Bank of America Building - I find the Shaper Image sign - and the image in the blacked out windows tells the story - the one time leader, high end brand, is closed for good. What happened? About two years ago, before we narrowed our focus on the Connected Market Space technologies to the Realestock.com for the Luxury Real Estate Sector. we were approached to use our platform by the Sharper Image. The entire CMAEON Team and I were excited. We were one of the “lucky” recipients of the final RFP process. We presented our 1to1Connect - MRM3 Product (the predecessor to our newly released 1to1REAL) to the internet marketing Team at the Sharper Image. When we discussed how to make connections, drive these through to the entire organization and “start the conversation marketing online…” we were surprised to see blank stares. “all we want to do is sent out big e mail blasts…” was the response. Our advice that “spamming your customers with generic information is a bad idea …” fell on deaf ears. We were practically begging the people charged with bringing the brand to customers on the web to listen to what they were saying themselves. “you’re the Sharper Image. You have the edge, you need the edge, you need to be a leader, not a follower using old generic distribution of information - you need to have conversations with your customers on the web”  Nothing. For the retailer, who was once viewed as the innovator of gadgets for “…the people who have everything - but this … Crowd”, we were stunned that they could have so much foresight in the past and fail to see the future. This was all happening while the Facebook Kid was still in his dorm room conjuring up social networking - before Rupert Murdoch had myspace. Granted it was early advice - or was it an early warning. I should have shorted the stock then and there! “Hey pull over ….” I said to the cabbie - I was rushing to JFK to catch my flight, but we passed another Sharper Image with the lights still on. “Final Close Out Sale - only 12 days left “, written in big yellow letters in the window. “Hey Buddy, I can’t stop here - what ya wan me ta do ??##**” HONK! Yep, I’m in NY - “Just go to JFK” I looked at my dangling wires and snapped the Jawbone back together once again to make a call.   Hey there’s Brookstone - they seem fine, I thought. I wondered how many more of these big brands we will see falter - I’ll focus on Realestock.com - our Connected Market Space for the high end global real estate market - where we can make sure our clients and the customers are connecting on fronts “wires in tact” in the Connected Market Space. So much for my extended warranty - I think I’ll buy my replacement bluetooth Jawbone on line - I hear they have a newer model that’s smaller and less ugly anyway. Any suggestions of where to shop?

My Son turned 20 the other day - he’s a great guy - I’m a proud Dad. I was talking to him “man to man” about social networking on the web. “You know what makes you different than me?”, I said. “Other than the fact that I’m 6′1″, and handsome…”, he responded - ok, a little humility is in order. “Yea, other than that - I mean online”, I said. “I’m a guy who’s spent his whole life using the computer to work - it’s been a means to an end for me, for the baby boomers. We don’t see it as entertainment, really, not at the deep levels of our psyche.  Our generation started out with green letters on screens - and we sat there to accomplish something with the computers - take it from me PONG wasn’t that fun! Your generation sees it as fun. You started, at about 5, with a Mac. There you were, a little guy drawing pictures on kidpics. Then you graduated to some fun, interactive video games. Along came the teen years and Napster and Kaza music downloads - then it was Myspace and Facebook. For you, it’s all been social, a blast, fun, a way to connect with friends. When I get on the “puter” I’m always trying to accomplish something and get off - like leaving work. It’s a means to an end. It can be something I want to do - just like I bought my beautiful sailboat online. I searched and searched - then I bought. Now I want to go sail - so I use the computer to find ports, find parts (lots of parts), and spend even more money! And I do love looking for RealEstate on line -on Realestock of course (I’m not too interested in all the MLS based sites, I want a vacation home). I like to search for the next great vacation spot for the family.  But, when I’m done, I want to book it, buy it and go off-line and use it. I want to get on the screen and get off. For me the network is satisifaction that I’ve seen comments, commented, that I’ve searched and asked questions, that I’ve done the job -even if the job was fun - vacations, real estate or buying a luxury item. Your generation, you and your oldest sister (don’t even get me started on your little sisters and “Webkins” - that’s a whole other generation and discussion) will sit there and howl and laugh and use emoticons … LOL. You guys are up and comming - but let’s face it, my generation are the ones inking the checks for the millions to buy these lifestyle items like properties, resort getaways, yachts, cars and jewellery. You’ll post stuff on each others “Wall.” You’d just as soon talk online, or on SMS than on a phone. It’s your social basis.  My generation uses it for our lifestyle now, to find stuff - answers to questions about stuff, talk about stuff, lifestyle stuff.  We  get on and then go do other stuff, off line. Just like when we have done our work use of computers - we’ve been ingrained this way from our careers.” Social networking is for the midlifespace has escaped most sites online so far. Even with sites like “Linked-in.com” - it’s been about linking to other “work related” resources. I think our generation finds the computer interesting,  fun and informative to find stuff on-line. In fact I think we like to work at our job of having a great lifestyle this way, using our computers - it’s our comfort zone. We need better tools to do it, more easily, and it’s not Facebook. We think and network differently, in a more objective oriented way. We are interested and engaged in these big lifestyle decisions we are making - like buying our dream home, second home, third home, our golf/spa vacation. It’s like the jewellery I wanted to buy for my wife. She found it online. She even showed me the picture (strategically around February 10th before my business trip to New York) I couldn’t remember the name of the designer - but I remembered it was Tiffany’s. So I went to the store in New York and told them. They the took me online and we searched together. “That’s it,” I said. I recognized the picture. It worked - I was a hero on Valentines Day this year. So whether it’s your dream sports car or yacht, Jewels or a Penthouse in Manhattan - fun is part of it, for sure. But, I bet you one thing, our generation is online because, in the back of our minds, we want to make a decision based on what we found, what we discover, comments. We want to make the right decision, and when we’re ready, we’ll buy.  Let’s face it, we’ve been doing this a long time - it’s why we can have the lifestyle we want now! I keep this in mind when designing Realestock with my Team. And we see this at work everyday with savvy searchers and buyers around the globe. Find a luxury piece of real estate - become an exclusive  by invitation only member, and get the real scoop. The people on Realestock are there, because they will, eventually, make some very big lifestyle and investment decisions. Like the single largest online generated sale to date on Realestock.com- a $5mm estate.  And the inquires and conversations in our exclusive community reach upwards of $18 million. I’d love to have feedback on this line of thought and some ideas of tools any of you searchers on Realestock would like to see. I’ll make sure to take it very seriously, and take it to our programmers and design team.

• 1987 - the S&L crises, Black Monday October 19th, 1987, Graham Rudman, Crashing Real Estate and Financial Institutions

• 1992 - Desert Storm

• 1994 - Netscape browser is free - the web; what’s that (the first year I bought my first Internet company for $40,000)

• 1999 - 2000 .Com boom/bust

• I skipped over the oil prices in the 1970’s

• Web 1.0

• Web 2.0

• Web x.0

 –Tim Vasko *Tim Vasko is the Founder and CEO of Realestock.com

-Albawaba.com