The latest episode of the Livabl Launch Podcast features an exclusive interview with Harley Nakelsky, President and Partner of Baker. From heading operations of Sales and Marketing for developments managing sales offices to selling out condominium projects, Harley is a powerhouse who is constantly driving Baker to remain at the forefront of real estate innovation.
Here are some highlights from the episode.
On the rise of condo amenities in Toronto:
Harley: “[Amenities] is a big conversation we now have because people are living in smaller and smaller spaces in this city. And if they’re going to live in smaller spaces, they need amenities. And they need the ability to work somewhere. A lot of people are working from home, they need the ability to entertain their friends and they may not be able to do it in their unit. So, we are seeing more and more very interesting amenities in the city.”
On designing functional floorplans:
Harley: “I was speaking to a really one of my closest friends lives in Boston, […] we were talking about unit pricing and livability, and he made some comment about his 950 square foot, one-bedroom and den not being big enough to live in. And I was kind of laughing, it’s like you would die if you saw what I’m designing because I have three bedrooms in less space than that.”
“But it’s interesting because when all you put is a bedroom and just a huge living room, that’s how people live. But if you programmed it up and you put in some bedrooms and you put in some dens and this kitchen was a little bit smaller and more manageable and this family room was a little bit smaller, manageable. He he’d be able to live there. It’s just that sounds small until you actually walk into these places with furniture and see what they look like.”
On the real estate explosion in Scarborough:
“I think it’s value and transit. […] With pre-construction condos, you do get a high percentage of investors looking for somewhere to park their money, even if they may move there, the kids move there. But looking at transit locations, because people need to get around the city, we know that traffic gets pretty high. And we know that we don’t have the transit system with some other major cities. So, people are looking to buy up and down transit lines.”
To learn more about Livabl Launch with Matthew Slutsky, visit the full podcast webpage.
