As seen on Urban Toronto

Real estate has been a driving force in the Greater Toronto Area economy for several years, though the COVID-19 crisis has hit the housing market hard in the last several weeks. The still-emerging economic impacts of the situation are causing many home builders to take a step back and reassess how they conduct sales. Collecdev is one developer moving forward with digital solutions to the problems brought on by the temporary inability to continue regular in-person sales and marketing activity.

Collecdev is using a few different platforms to keep the home buying experience accessible and efficient for purchasers and realtors, including a digital marketing software known as Blackline 2.0. This platform acts as an online replacement for presentation centres, offering a range of similar features for prospective home buyers that include interactive 3D architectural models, suite selections and views, and side-by-side floorplan comparisons. Taking cues from social media, the platform allows agents and purchasers to “share” brochures, floorplans and pricing with each other via the mobile app. “We had a forward-thinking vision and were the early adopters of these softwares, which proved essential during these times,” said Natascha Pieper, VP of Sales and Marketing at Collecdev.

While extremely useful in weathering the storm we’re all currently navigating, the platform has actually been in use by Collecdev for some time now, with use naturally ramping up in the wake of COVID-19 related closures. “Collecdev was an early adopter of Blackline,” reads a statement from Tim Ng, Principal at AdHoc Studio and Blackline. “Collecdev’s team saw the opportunity and advantages of having an online sales centre platform that allowed their team to sell real estate from anywhere.”

The decor programs for recently-marketed projects Tretti and Westwood Gardens utilized interactive 3D visualization software, known as Interactive Abode, which allows buyers to digitally select finishes and decor which are then rendered into an interactive screen on their mobile devices, desktop, or laptop. This approach, already in use well before COVID-19, has been especially useful with physical distancing protocols in place nationwide.

For actual sales of units, Collecdev has been leveraging interactive software called Avesdo, which offers more benefits than just keeping people at a safe distance. One major benefit is the platform’s automation of what would otherwise be tedious and time-consuming processes like signing every page of an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Integrated online sales tools accommodate for dynamic changes to inventory and pricing, giving agents immediate accessibility.

Looking to the future, technologies like these will surely remain popular after the pandemic loosens its grip on society. Presentation centres may return to the equation in full force, though the attractiveness of making such important life decisions from the comfort of home can only grow in the years to come. These innovations are especially useful to those with accessibility or sensory issues looking to avoid the crowd-based sales events that were a big factor in pre-COVID marketing campaigns, as well as buyers looking to relocate from out of town with no means to visit a sales centre.

Design. It’s quite the buzzword in marketing. Design-forward. Design-savvy. Intelligent design.

Good or bad, design is built into every single object we touch, every online site we use, every space we interact with. But what exactly is good design?

Celebrated industrial designer Dieter Rams once laid out ten guiding principles for good design. To no one’s surprise, aesthetic made the list, but so did innovative, unobtrusive, long-lasting, and environmentally-friendly, things we’ve always known at Collecdev.

You see, good design isn’t just about form. It’s not just about making something beautiful or aesthetically pleasing (although we certainly strive for beauty when building our communities).

At Collecdev we believe that good design…

… is about creating something that performs well and responds intuitively to the people who use it.

… is about staying ahead of the curve to find innovative new technologies like the geothermal energy systems we’ve incorporated into all our new builds, helping to save water, reduce CO2 emissions, and minimize operating costs.

… is about conserving resources, minimizing impact, and contributing to the preservation of the environment – the principles behind our pillar of Environmental Stewardship that drive us to create communities with a smaller carbon footprint, better for our residents and the earth.

… is about leaving nothing to chance and ensuring that the care and accuracy we use for site planning and building design get translated to the final product thanks to Collecdev Construction, our in-house construction company that guarantees quality and thorough attention down to the last detail.

… is about building developments that reject fast fashion and disposable design, and instead, produce communities that will last for generations to come.

… is about being timeless, never antiquated.

… is about delivering substance, standing behind our product, and keeping our promises.

… is about going above and beyond the standard with design features like high window-to-wall ratios, that outperform the existing building code and make everyday life more inspiring.

… is about concentrating on the essentials and delivering a better way to live, pure and simple.

These are the ideas that drive us, the beliefs that guide us, and the principles we strive to bring to life in our communities every day. See for yourself at collecdev.com.

You know that feeling of inspiration and bliss you get when you’re swiping through Instagram, scrolling through Pinterest, or flipping through the pages of your favourite décor magazine, and you pass an image of an amazing interior, so bright and so beautiful that you absolutely must save it somewhere, thinking, “one day I will pull this up when it’s time to design my perfect home”? Well break out your vision board because all those moments have been leading up to this.

The Collecdev Décor Studio has gone digital, with an amazing new interactive design portal that lets purchasers select suite finishes from the comfort of their couch. Using a Mac/PC or tablet, users can view, decorate, and change materials and palettes to their heart’s content, visualizing the finished spaces via interactive 3D technology.

Create the kitchen and bathroom of your dreams, mixing and matching flooring, cabinets, countertops, and accessories until you complete the perfect look. Find the formula that’s right for you.

Vinyl Floors + Wood Grain Cabinets + Integrated Appliances + Quartz Countertops and Backsplash

High Gloss Vanity + White Carrara Polished Floors + Matte Black Accessories + Shower with Frameless Glass Door

With more than 50 colour, material, and finish options to choose from, the possibilities are endless, creating a home that’s as unique as you are.

Of course, for those who prefer a one-click approach, each space can also be outfitted with one of two pre-selected packages, expertly detailed by the interior design team at Esqape Design. And no matter what you choose, the Décor Team will follow up to book an in-person appointment, where you can see physical samples of all the finishes you’ve selected, confirming the details before your home is built.

Now that construction at Tretti Condos is underway, purchasers are already taking advantage of the design portal, selecting from an array of quality materials and finishes meticulously curated by the team at Esqape, to recreate the bright and airy Scandinavian-inspired interiors seen throughout the campaign. It’s a new and innovative approach to selecting suite finishes, delivering convenience and connectivity, and responding to the reality of today’s modern lifestyle. It’s an experience like no other and it’s just one more reason to purchase a Collecdev home.

The Collecdev interactive design portal is available in three languages. Share your unique design combinations with us on social using #CollecdevExperientialDesign