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John Zsolt's Vision For Space Database
Space Database was founded on the simple but powerful idea that
something as basic as a CAD file could add value to a building.
John
Zsolt came up with the idea for Space Database during the real estate
recession of the 90's. No one was hiring newly minted architects at
that time so John created his own job. As a self-employed designer,
John worked on basic office interiors. Conventional wisdom dictated
that a designer would measure a space and create a base drawing to work
from - every single time there was a change in the building. John
thought there had to be a better way.
Through
his real estate connections, John observed how landlords struggled with
the task of calculating area for rents. Property managers used
measuring tape, grid paper and calculators. Was this accurate? There
had to be a better way. MORE> |
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Lessons From the Early Nineties
by Chris Gadula
In the early 1990s Canada went through an ugly property bust and
recession. Growth was stagnant in 1990, contracted a full 2.1%
year-over-year in 1991, and was stagnant again in 1992 as the economy
faced a multitude of challenges.
The
Bank of Canada was waging a war on inflation and raising interest
rates, the government had introduced the GST and, faced with a revolt
by international creditors, took an axe to government spending.
The
crucial point in this current economic contraction is whether the U.S.
and Canadian consumer also goes to ground. Many young Canadians who
have grown up in the glory days of the recent resource and real estate
boom don't know how miserable it can be when consumer spending dries
up. MORE> |
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Morguard’s Web Strategy – John Zsolt Interviews Scott Thomas at Morguard
by John Zsolt
How
does an industry leader like Morguard view their web strategy? Scott
Thomas was responsible for developing the parameters of the design and
functionality of Morguard's exceptional web site. Scott was kind enough
to share his thoughts on marketing, corporate branding and new site
development:
[John Zsolt] What were some of the key challenges you faced in developing a web strategy for Morguard?
[Scott Thomas]
There were many challenges in developing our site, however the greatest
challenge was creating a structure that would allow us to present an
integrated view of six Morguard companies, while presenting a common
look and feel. We needed to be able to both present a common brand
promise yet allow each entity to maintain some individuality. Of
particular concern was that within the six groups there were three
public companies, which needed to maintain themselves as unique
entities. MORE> |
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Marketing Technology
by Mikael Sandblom
Commercial
real estate is now a tenants' market. As a landlord, how are you going
to attract and keep the best tenants? How are you going to win lease
deals against increasing competition?
Every leasing manager knows the three things that need to be done to attract new tenants.
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First, when you advertise, prospective tenants need to be able to find
out important information (price/sq.ft., sq.ft. available, location)
about your building.
- Next,
you need to differentiate your offering from other properties. You have
to help the tenant visualize themselves in the space.
- Finally,
you need to ensure that you have all the documentation and information
to prevent any problem that could get in the way of closing the deal.
The good news is that there are several new web based tools that can help leasing managers in all three of these goals. MORE> |
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John Zsolt
On March 1st, 2009. John Zsolt passed away due to injuries sustained in a snowboarding accident.
John
was the original founder of Space Database. He was a great colleague,
mentor and true friend to all of us here and he will be profoundly
missed.
A scholarship has been set up in John's honor to support youth that have gone through the Children's Aid system. Click here to donate to the BOMA Toronto John Zsolt Scholarship. |
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