The most memorable industry events of 2017

Every year, the Newinhomes.com team has the pleasure of attending numerous industry events. While we enjoy them all, there are a few that stand out either because we had a great time or because it celebrated a certain milestone and impacted the industry significantly.

It was tough, but we narrowed it down to five of our most memorable industry events (listed in chronological order).

The Richlands preview opening

In June, Arista Homes, DECO Homes, Fieldgate Homes, and OPUS Homes previewed Richlands in Richmond Hill to appointment holders. This was at a time when the media was flooding the Twittersphere with headlines about a bubble burst or impending crash.

The builders invited registrants to book their appointments online ahead of the preview opening. All the slots filled up in minutes. Even on opening day despite there being appointment times, there was a huge line!

This was the first opening we went to this year where the energy was so high you could feel it in the air.

Daniels’ home dedication ceremony

We drove out to Daniels FirstHome™ Sunny Meadow in Brampton to celebrate a double home dedication with Daniels and Habitat for Humanity Greater Toronto Area (GTA). Two working, low-income families received their completed homes that day.

The event also marked Daniels’ 20th anniversary of their partnership with Habitat GTA. Over the last two decades, Daniels has provided 35 homes for Habitat GTA partner families.

With home prices hitting record highs this year, affordability has been on everyone’s mind, especially low-income families and first-time buyers. This partnership is the perfect example of how builders can be doing more in order to provide for families in need of assistance. Daniels is leading by example and we hope other builders follow suit in 2018!

Accessibility Designed Program

Daniels makes the list again with their Accessibility Designed Program announcement. We joined other media and the Daniels team at the Regent Park presentation centre to learn more about the major commitment Daniels was making.

Starting at the time of announcement, Daniels will be exceeding Ontario Building Code requirements for accessible housing. Daniels DuEast in Toronto and Wesley Tower in Mississauga are the first condos to offer the accessibility features. Again, we hope other builders make the same commitment in the new year!

The Whitby Meadows preview opening

This exciting preview opening went down in October. There were five builders involved and it was Whitby’s largest new home selection ever launched! The builders included Arista, DECO, Fieldgate, OPUS, and Paradise Developments. Great Gulf will also be building in Whitby Meadows in the future.

This opening was structured just like the Richlands one; everyone had appointments, but there was still a lot of crowding and people arriving early. We popped into a few of the sales offices to check out the action and we noticed people writing deals after about 10 minutes of browsing.

In the first weekend, approximately 200 homes were sold!

Winners of the 2017 NXT City Prize

This isn’t really an industry event, but we were in attendance and it was a great time! Plus, three public space ideas for Toronto were awarded, so it could be a glimpse of what the City of Toronto might have in store for future projects.

The way public space is used and designed definitely affects the residential market because it’s these spaces in between our homes and work that tie the city together. We’re hoping these cool ideas are implemented next year!

We can’t wait to see what kinds of events builders and developers throw in 2018!