At a time when B.C.’s real estate market favours buyers, sellers and real estate agents have been looking to revamp how they sell properties. This four-bed, three-bath detached home in Gibsons was listed at $1.97 million and received an offer that sealed the deal in the first week. The key to success? Great marketing.
The property
- Type: Detached house
- Neighbourhood: Gibsons
- Beds: 4
- Baths: 3
- Year built: 1967
- Parking: Carport; Single
- Taxes: $5,421.99
- Maintenance fees: Freehold Non-strata
- Days on market: 14
- Listed price: $1,979,000
- Sold price: $1,967,000
- Listing agents: Katie Burkard and Sue Scott, Engel & Volkers Vancouver
Located in the Sunshine Coast, this detached house is a five-minute stroll away from Secret Beach and offers sweeping views of the Salish Sea and the Pasley Islands. The previous owners moved into the home in 2023 and renovated the 59-year-old property almost immediately, giving it the refresh it needed.
The home features brand new white oak floors, a new heat pump and plumbing to bring the house up to code. More luxurious renovations include a kitchen fitted with Fisher & Paykel appliances with Caesarstone counters, plus spa-inspired bathrooms with heated floors and even a floating tub in the primary. Additionally, the home also features a private second-level guest suite and a timber-frame cottage next door, which also received a refresh.
The sale
According to listing agent Katie Burkard, only 13 out of 98 detached homes sold in March, with most homes selling under $900,000. Since the property was priced at $1.9-million, Burkard knew that selling the home would be a challenge.
“There’s quite a lot of inventory and not a lot of sales in Gibsons,” she states. “So we wanted a fresh approach when marketing this home.”
Burkard explains that she and the other listing agent, Sue Scott, brought in architectural and editorial photographer Jonathan Folk to take pictures of the home. The marketing package also included drone videos of the property’s exterior, interior videos and detailed floorplans of the home. Alongside the images and videos, Burkard and Scott also applied for it to be in Dwell Magazine, where it got picked up right away.
“Marketing, execution and being hands-on—especially in this market—is really going to get you ahead of the game,” Burkard says. “Now that we’re in a bit of a slower sellers’ market, those extra little pieces do matter.”
With extensive marketing, the property received multiple showing requests and even an offer within the first week. The new owners are a couple looking to get out of the city: common for people moving to Gibsons as they get more value for their money. Burkard notes that the home’s higher price point catered to a specific buyer pool, but the property still drew solid exposure because it was so well presented.
“There’s a lot of really beautiful homes in that area but it’s a tougher market that we’re in right now,” she explains. “You have to be realistic with prices and execution is everything—how the home is presented and marketed makes a huge difference.”
