Tuesday, June 03, 2014

Sotheby’s offers private jet, helicopter service to woo luxury homebuyers to Calgary

CALGARY — A Calgary real estate company is taking to the air to sell luxury homes in the local market.

Sotheby’s International Realty Canada in Calgary will be offering clients new service arrangements with private aviation companies Albatros Aircraft Corporation and Million Air, based out of the Calgary International Airport.

Mark Evernden, senior vice-president of sales for Sothebys, said the real estate company will now have the ability to offer private jet and helicopter services to targeted clientele. Prospective clients can be flown to Calgary by private jet from practically anywhere in the world and when they are here they can then board a helicopter to view luxury properties on the market. Costs for the service vary depending on the clients’ needs.

“When you’re dealing with a lot of these entrepreneurs and business people, executives, time is money to them,” said Evernden. “When they land here, the plane operated from Albatros Aircraft Corporation pulls into the Million Air operation. From there we would then put them on a private helicopter and go look at properties.

“Just to give you an example, I have a $10-million property and a $38-million property out in the Priddis area. We’re four and a half minutes from tarmac to property. That’s how fast we can get them to a property.”

Sotheby’s also announced on Tuesday the expansion of its current operations and services as it forecasts continued strength in the city’s conventional and luxury real estate market segments.

Plans include the doubling of the company’s office space at a new location at 815 – 17th Avenue S.W. this summer.

The luxury home market in Calgary is on pace this year to break the all-time record for sales of properties of more than $1 million — a record that was set last year. In May, there were 94 luxury home sales in the MLS market, setting a new high for transactions in any month.

“Calgary has undergone a massive transformation in recent years. Top-tier real estate in the city and surrounding areas is in high demand not just from local home-buyers, but from those traveling and moving here from other parts of the country and around the world,” said Ross McCredie, president and chief executive of Sotheby’s International Realty Canada. “Our growth here reflects confidence in Calgary’s appeal locally and internationally.”

Mary-Ann Mears, managing broker for Sotheby’s in Calgary, said home sellers now need marketing solutions that showcase their properties beyond Calgary.

“Expanding our operations helps us offer our local and global marketing platform to meet that demand — not only from luxury clientele, but clients with homes at every price point,” she said.

Sotheby’s started in the spring of 2011 with just over a dozen associates and now has 50.


Source:   http://business.financialpost.com

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