How will the next mayor of Toronto affect the housing industry?

23 Sep 2010 2 Comments

by John Amardeil in In The Media Tags: , ,

Election day is fast approaching, and many are wondering how Toronto’s prominent housing industry will be affected.

Last Saturday, Toronto Star ran an article about a recent debate sponsored by the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD). The five mayoral candidates responded to issues concerning new home builders in Toronto such as city-imposed building costs and the approval process.

When it comes to the building industry in Toronto, the land transfer tax is one of the main topics of discussion.

George Smitherman said he will not cut the land transfer tax, but he would freeze property taxes for a year. Smitherman puts emphasis on the environmental and service aspects of the housing industry. According to his website, Smitherman wants to increase water conservation which could mean changes for the Ontario Building Code, for all new home, office and institution construction.

Meanwhile, Rob Ford plans to eliminate the land transfer tax altogether. Here’s a snippet taken from Rob Ford’s website on the land transfer tax:

Eliminate the Land Transfer Tax.

People who buy and sell homes in Toronto must pay a new Land Transfer Tax to City Hall on top of all the other charges associated with buying or selling a home. This punishes people and families who live in Toronto and makes the city less affordable for many people. This tax is driving business, families, and people away from Toronto. Rob Ford will move to abolish the Land Transfer Tax in his first year as Mayor.

On the other hand, Rocco Rossi plans not to eliminate the land transfer tax. He says he will get city spending under control and find a way to phase out the tax by the end of his first term.

Sarah Thomson wants to cut the land transfer tax, because it is a barrier to sales.

Finally, Pantalone believes that land transfer taxes are justified as they are common in large cities and are only paid by those who are buying a home at a time when they are choosing to spend money.

“President’s Special” Grabs Attention

17 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Strategies Tags:

BAM is helping Empire Communities launch a huge fall campaign. Empire wanted to increase their selling momentum so we brainstormed ways to engage more people. We created a loud and exciting “President’s Special” campaign. The ads depict the President being so overwhelmed with great deals that he rushes to write them out on post it notes, burying himself in the process. The hand-written deals in red writing and fluttering post it notes create urgency and excitement about the great deals on offer at Empire.

A cutout board of the President at the sales centre can be updated every week, as new deals are written out on post it notes and stuck to his face. This allows Empire to update their deals constantly, keeping the campaign and offerings fresh, personal, and urgent.

This campaign aims to strike a nerve with today’s buyers, who are recovering from tough economic times and looking for homes with great value. Everyone’s looking for a deal, and this provocative campaign promises them just that.

eBAM’s Latest Campaign: Weaver’s Mill by Eden Oak

10 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Activities, Strategies Tags: , , ,

BAM is proud to be working on Eden Oak’s exciting new community in Georgetown, Weaver’s Mill. This campaign is digitally oriented, with the aim to engage its younger target market. Weaver’s Mill can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Weaver’s Mill community blog.

We went with a fashion theme to showcase the stylish features and finishes that make this community so unique. People will have a choice of four fresh interior themes that reflect  their own style.

Here’s how we’re using social media for this e-marketing campaign:

1)      Updates – users on Facebook and Twitter will always be up to date with the latest news at Weaver’s Mill. We give our potential customers instant updates and all the current news on sites where they’re already spending time, instead of forcing them to open our emails and visit our external website.

2)      Fun – users can participate in contests and games, do a fun survey and tag pictures of themselves. We kicked off the campaign with a free makeover contest for anyone who joins Weaver’s Mill on Facebook or Twitter. We will continue to host a series of more games and contests to engage users, encourage registrants, and heighten excitement about the community.

3)      Interaction and involvement – users can interact with Weaver’s Mill’s community coordinator or with other members on Facebook or Twitter. People can meet new neighbours and have their questions and concerns addressed quickly in this interactive environment.

BAM’s Muskoka Team Building Day

03 Sep 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Activities Tags: ,

This past Monday, team BAM kicked back in their sandals and enjoyed a day of fun under the Muskoka sun.

Check out our pictures from the beautiful day. As you can see, sitting behind a speeding first-time seadooer can be a great way to build trust and teamwork!

Toronto Housing Market is Sky High

31 Aug 2010 Leave a comment

by John Amardeil in Trends Tags: , , ,

The Toronto housing market has never been as strong as it was the first half of 2010. For the first time ever, Toronto stands as number one in North America for new condo sales. In fact, Toronto is the second largest new home market in North America, second only to Houston, Texas.

The Star recently published an article about the impressive feats of our local housing market. There is no shortage of statistics to reveal Toronto as being the condo capital of North America. It is even predicted that by the end of the year, Toronto will be the hottest real estate market in North America. You can read the article here.

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