Courtesy CBC

Ian Gragtmans of Colliers Toronto joins Kevin O’Leary and Amanda Lang on CBC to discuss REITs.

View the discussion HERE.

Courtesy The National Post

“While the housing market languishes, investment activity in commercial property continues to be red hot, with a $500-million deal for Standard Life’s real estate portfolio the latest on the horizon.

By some definitions, this could make 2012 the best year ever for commercial property sales — a year in which the Bank of Nova Scotia sold its head office for a record-breaking $1.27-billion.

Postmedia News has learned that Montreal-based Standard Life is selling a major Toronto office along with three other properties in Montreal, Calgary and Edmonton in what would be the third-largest deal of the year.

Standard Life spokeswoman Ann-Marie Gagné confirmed the sale of the two buildings in Alberta, but would not disclose the purchase price. The two had been part of a deal for a four-piece portfolio but it has since been broken up into two transactions.”

View the full article HERE.

New Westminster News Leader – Restaurant eyed for new building.

An open house will be held next Thursday for a proposed restaurant patio at the Queen’s Park West office complex under construction in New Westminster’s Uptown district.

It will be held Nov. 29 from 5 to 8 p.m., at 300-601 Sixth St.

Uptown Property Group are the owners of the building, which is on Sixth Avenue at Fifth Street.

Read more: http://www.newwestnewsleader.com/news/180187751.html

Peace Arch News – Morgan plan moves ahead.

A proposed commercial and office space development on a 25-acre parcel of property at 20 Avenue, just east of Highway 99 cleared an important hurdle last week, winning approval in the form of a unanimous third reading at a city public hearing (Couns. Mary Martin and Judy Villeneuve were absent, according to the city clerk’s record).

The $100 million Morgan Place Developments Ltd. project will include 25,953 sq. m (279,000 sq. ft.) of retail and restaurant uses and 9,662 sq. m (104,000 sq. ft.) of office space.

It will have 1,330 parking stalls, 676 of which will be underground.

Read more: http://www.peacearchnews.com/business/173751331.html

Colliers International has acted on behalf of the Vendor in the sale of 1445 West Georgia Street, a six storey 32,490 SF office building on a 10,800 SF site located in Coal Harbour in Downtown Vancouver. This site is a redevelopment property under the existing DD zoning, which allows residential up to 6.0 FSR. The purchase price was $15,250,000, representing $469 per SF for the building, or $235 per SF of buildable area.