CHANCELLOR Tower Metrotown - Polygon's strategy averts sidewalk mayhem, but what precedents are being set?

I chose not to attend Polygon's sneak preview of the CHANCELLOR tower. The event hosted Vancouver area Realtors, and was held yesterday in the ballroom of the Hilton Hotel in Metrotown, Burnaby. As with the previews of SOVEREIGN and METROPLACE, hundreds of Realtors attended. And as with the Super-tower projects, few of those Realtors will be able to compete with the "In-house" sales force of the developers. But hey, you play the cards you're dealt.

In an earlier Blog article I considered Polygon's problem of how to deal with the place-holders who were squatting on the block in front of the building site. I asked the question "Taping your business card to a plastic kitchen stool, and lining them up in front of a major developer's sales center - ONE WEEK BEFORE SALES DATE. Is that all it takes these days to guarantee the chance of writing a contract with condo sales staff?" I got my answer yesterday from May Kam, Sales Manager at CHANCELLOR.

The answer is YES ! - any licenced Realtor who wants a piece of the action with Polygon, Intracorp, Bosa, et al, better be willing to hire a dozen human traffic cones, and get themselves to the nearest Canadian Tire to invest in a dozen plastic stools. The next tower feeding frenzy is just over the horizon. ... But of course there is far more to flash condo marketing than creating buzz or convincing wealthy Chinese to line up at your sales center. "Inside Sales" is also a thorn in the foot of Jesus. Insider trader is illegal on Wall and Bay Streets, but property developers kiting the value of projects, and then permitting internal sales staff to buy choice units and later flip, is an old Vancouver tradition. I'm not pointing fingers at any particular developer, but I could.

We will witness holes shot in the sky all along Metrotown ridge, as new and higher towers are approved. But there will also come a reckoning. And surely the City of Burnaby must ponder the problem and innovate a solution to a problem the municipality is contributing. Does every highrise tower site have to end up looking like a U.N. Feeding Centre, and every licences realtor have to become a part time labour contractor in order to do their jobs for their clients?

UPDATE April 13, 2011 - Here a bit of good news - the elected government of Burnaby (its Council) has asked city legal staff to "develop a policy" to deal with the current phenomenon of flash marketing, which is creating disruptive lines of place holders in front of developer sales centres in Metrotown. A good start! I'll have a few further suggestions as we get closer to the Municipal election.

METROPLACE 6309 Telford Avenue, Burnaby Metrotown - Intracorp shines with well run Realtor preview

I attended the Realtor Preview for Intracorp's METROPLACE Tower this afternoon, and I must admit that the event went very well. I think Intracorp learned a great deal from BOSA's experience marketing SOVEREIGN Tower one month ago, and they put that knowledge to good use. These two "super-towers" are a new experience for Burnaby, and it is gratifying to see that every attempt is being made to ensure that sales go smoothly and fairly. There is such incredible interest in METROPLACE that the fear exists that a select few Realtors would be given privileged access, and their colleagues shut out. This has happened in the past but we are seeing a much fairer and more manageable environment of late. The smooth marketing of "skyscrapers" like SOVEREIGN and METROPLACE could do much to foster Buyer confidence in all the other proposed developments in the Metrotown corridor. . At the event I addressed my questions to Brett Anderson, an Intracorp sales rep on the floor. I learned that METROPLACE Tower is up for Third Reading at the next meeting of Burnaby City Council - Monday, April 4th. Coincidentally, the CHANCELLOR Tower, being developed by POLYGON, is also on Council's agenda the same night. There is huge interest in the CHANCELLOR development, located next to Bonsor Community Centre. That building will be family oriented, with nothing smaller than two bedroom units. Realtors are shown lined up in front of the METROPLACE presentation centre on McKay Avenue in Metrotown, at 1PM, March 31, 2011. INTRACORP clearly learned a great deal from how BOSA handled the recent marketing of SOVEREIGN Tower. Hired security did a superb job of managing - a business card and a B.C. drivers licence was required of every entrant. Dozens of gatecrashers were turned away with no fuss at all. (R. Jack photo) The scale model for METROPLACE Tower, 6309 Telford Avenue, Metrotown, was unveiled at the special preview for Realtors held on March 31, 2011. At least 250 Realtors attended the opening, which was very well run and tastefully catered. One of the design features of METROPLACE tower which might leave non-Chinese visitors a tad bemused, is the absence of the number "4" which reminds the Chinese of death. None of the apartment units employ the number four, there is no 14th, 24th or 34th floor, and floors 40-49 also do not exist. The three penthouse units are not on the "47th floor" but rather on the 6oth "level". Western superstition is though, totally ignored. There is a 13th floor. I noticed in the METROPLACE discussion thread over at SKYSCRAPERPAGE.COM that there were plenty of comments on the Chinese numbering system for the building. Here is one of a series of photos I took in the Sales Centre, in case anyone doubts that ten floors disappear in METROPLACE numbering. An expatriate reader noted that even in China the towers retain floors 40 thru 49. The only thing avoided is, for example, an "Apt. 40 -04" or an "Apt 41 - 04". Susan Rutledge, who is the Vice President of Sales for METROPLACE Tower, ran the ever popular prize draw for Realtors.

METROPLACE Tower, 6309 Telford Avenue, Burnaby Metrotown - the scale model shows the town houses and parking ramp at the base of the 47 floor structure. The smallest of the one bedroom units will not have an assigned parking space. The developer, Intracorp, will offer a two year transit pass. (R. Jack photo)

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