HOMES BY AVI AT THE MALL
Chinook Centre store opens
While people walking through a mall may be there to pick up a new outfit or pair of shoes, they may also be in the market for a new home.
Now, house hunters can be running errands at Cadillac Fairview ’s Chinook Centre and receive information on home options and communities in the Calgary area in which Homes by Avi builds.
The award-winning builder launched the Homes by Avi Home Store at the major mall located on Macleod Trail in southwest Calgary earlier this month.
“We have so many show homes, they’re spread out all over the city,” says Charron Ungar, CEO of Homes by Avi Group of Companies. “And I was thinking one day, wouldn’t it be great if we could have one central location where people could learn about what it is that Homes by Avi does?
“Then I broke it down to where, regardless of where you live (in Calgary), you end up going there,” he says, adding, based on fit, there was “no better place” than Chinook Centre.
“So then I thought, has it ever been done? Are there an examples? There wasn’t. There was the odd kiosk, but nobody had actually done a home store.”
The space, which measures about 500 square feet and features multiple touch screens, is located near the entrance to the mall’s anchor tenant, Nordstrom.
“We put together a beautiful store,” says Ungar, adding the purpose of it will be referrals.
“We want people to come in, learn about Homes by Avi, and if they’re interested and want to get more information than what we have here, we want to direct them to the sales centre that makes the most sense,” he adds.
With that said, home store staff will have the ability to write a sale on a home.
“But the main purpose, and our focus, is going to be to really give people information about our brand, the homes we build, the communities we build them in, our partners,” Ungar says.
“We want to be here and we’re proud that (Chinook Centre) gave us the opportunity to do this,” he adds.
Homes by Avi — which won the top honour for home design in a national competition earlier this year — builds single-family homes, duplexes and street towns; Avi Urban, its multi-family arm, builds townhomes and apartment-style condos. The Homes by Avi Home Store will be open during regular mall hours.