Another kick butt video put together by my friends at Crucial Pictures – same group that did the video for Trend Hunter.

What do you think about creating video testimonials like these for your clients as a commercial real estate agent?  In today’s world it’s more than just about the “real estate transaction” – its about accelerating everyone’s success!

Other videos :
Pixel Carve Inc.
Solutia SDO

The static nature of real estate combined with the dynamic nature of technology evolution is that dichotomy that we need to deal with in office design.

Technology is changing how we work. With profiles of new “Workplace of the Future” offices designed for the Burgess Group, United Way for Southeastern Michigan and its own location in Washington, DC, SmithGroupJJR explains that it’s open and team-based, giving a new balance between “I” spaces and “We” spaces. Importantly, organizations that adopt are finding it is fundamental to their future, allowing happier employees, reduced real estate costs and competitive advantage.

To search for your new office space in Toronto try OfficeZilla!

Another great deal done with http://solutia.ca/ – Get more out of your agent and your space!

Solutia SDO is an independent management consulting firm, owned and operated by seasoned professionals. We provide our clients with the skills, expertise and services offered by large consulting firms, but with one major difference — you can expect a better return on your investment.

What’s your commercial real estate agent ever done for you?

If you haven’t seen The BizMedia’s office space at 119 Spadina Avenue you should check it out.  They’ve been doing some really creative things.  Check out this video of how they decided to decorate their office space.

Full article – Robyn Urback – Blog TO

Plans to update and improve Market Street — the thoroughfare that connects Front and The Esplanade on the south side of the St. Lawrence Market — continue to trudge on, though it sounds like a year-round pedestrian-only space isn’t in the cards.

When plans were first announced in 2010, it seemed as though private developer Woodcliffe Properties was working towards creating a space that would be free from vehicular traffic. Paul Oberman was the president of Woodcliffe at the time, a man well-known for his revitalization projects throughout Toronto, including the old North Toronto CPR Station / LCBO flagship store. Oberman died tragically in a plane crash in March 2011, and a movement later spawned to rename Market Street in his honour.

http://pixelcarve.com

“My purpose in life is to change the face of the Internet. Make it easier to use, more interactive and dramatically more beautiful.”
Ryan Priest – CCO, Pixelcarve Inc.

Our passion is to create engaging and complete interactive experiences that intimately connect people with brands in unique and memorable ways. Our commitment is to grow your business through innovation, relevance and beauty, because we believe these are the cornerstones of unforgettable experiences that attract and retain clients.

If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve no doubt seen offices designed on the cheap as well as ones that cost a pretty penny. Because of this wide range in price, I find myself wondering: At what point does the cost of a project outweigh the benefit of the proposed results?

Broad Reasons for Great Office Design

Without getting into the specifics of each, there are fairly clear reasons that a well-designed workplace can be an important asset for any company.

• Improve efficiency of employees
• Improve workplace atmosphere
• Improve employee wellbeing
• Improved means of enticing prospective talent
• Improved means of impressing potential customers

The Costs of Great Office Design

Let’s take a peek at some reasons you might find a well-designed office to be expensive:

• Construction/Designer Costs
• Furniture
• Larger Space
• Time Intensive

Analyzing the Costs and Benefits Together

Without putting dollar signs on each of your employees, it is important to think through your reasons for improving your space and whether or not those are worthwhile investments. That’s not to say that you either make the improvements or don’t make them, but rather a call to make intelligent decisions about what is most important for your organization.

• Google obviously feels comfortable designing posh, fun, and photogenic workspaces in an effort to entice employees, but is it really necessary for the average employer to spend incredible sums of money on an office as a means of recruiting? Probably not. Instead, focus on building a great company that your employees love working for.
• That said, many companies do see the importance of using their space as an advertisement for their company, their creativity, and their product. But please know that just spending money on an office to make it seem like your are an amazingly creative company is not enough to actually make you an amazingly creative company.
• If you’re really keen on spending $2000 on each employee’s workstation, but can achieve the same efficiency or wellbeing gains for $1500, why not go for the less expensive option?
• Construction costs are the bulk of any major office redesign, while furniture is the least expensive. Facebook’s Palo Alto office was completed with a low cost/sqft because they were able to chose a space without needing major construction work.
• Sometimes, beyond money, redesigning an office can be a real pain and used up more time than you would actually save by having a redesign.

All of this said, envying over photos of offices is one thing, but when it comes to actually designing an office, please make sure that the goal of your design isn’t to win the prettiest office award, but rather to win the best functioning space to work in.

Original Post by Office Snapshots – By: Stephen Searer

I recently went on tour with a tenant looking for approximately 2,000 sf of office space in the financial core.  They were hoping to find something fully furnished that required less than a 1 or 2 year lease commitment.  Finding landlord’s that will lease space for less than 3 years has become difficult it what has become a landlord’s market in Toronto. After 30 or so phone calls we did, however, come up with a few sublease and fully furnished alternatives.  I took my new camera on tour to test out the fish eye  lens and I’m happy with the results.

If you are looking for office space or commercial real estate in Toronto give my team a call at 416-643-3713 or E-mail us!!

What do you think of the video tour – comments welcome!!

Colliers has just launched a new integrated map search for properties. This new functionality will makes it easier for users to search and find the right property options for them.

What do you think? Check out the link here.