WesternInvestor.com’s most-viewed B.C. stories made it clear that readers are just as compelled by Vancouver’s sky-high commercial real estate prices and demand as we are. Vancouver office vacancies and lease prices continue to break records, while readers looked to an analysis on stratospheric home prices to elevate fears on prolonged unaffordability. Investors also flocked to our coverage of the most lucrative and opportunistic investment cities.
Here is our first annual countdown of our five most-read British Columbia stories in 2017.
5. Robson Telus tower flipped and sold for double the value
Our first story to make the list is one of two of our top stories to tackle the insane demand of downtown office space. The Robson Street Telus tower made headlines for selling for more than twice its price two years prior. The property sold for $107.5 million, compared to its $46.8 million value.
4. Greater Vancouver home prices to drop 21 per cent by 2019: analysis
Technical charts point to a prolonged house price slide, according to a technical analyst Dane Eitel. Readers flocked to this article, perhaps because it provides some relief and context for perspective homebuyers hoping to snag property for a more affordable price in the next five or so years.
3. Vancouver office tower sells out at $2,000 per square foot
Our third most-read article broke news of record-high office pricing of the Bosa Waterfront Centre development in downtown Vancouver. The building went through a pre-sale blitz, selling out at as much as $2,000 per square foot. The site’s combination of AAA class, prime location and world-class architecture made it sell at a record-setting premium in an already pricey market.
2. Vail Resorts pump $345M into Whistler makeover
Our runner up for the most-viewed article of 2017 is the only story on our list to focus on the recreation market, but speaks to our readers’ interest in destination investment. At the start of the year, Whistler Blackcomb announced it would be investing $345 million in revamping the resort, brought on by faith in the city’s year-round tourism potential.
1. Kelowna, Surrey among 2018's best real estate investment destinations
The most-read article on WesternInvestor.com is our annual pick of the top five top towns to invest in across Western Canada over the next year. Kelowna and Surrey topped the list for their residential investment potential as cities that still remain cheaper than Vancouver but have a continually rising profile.
