The Home Front: Exploring Vancouver neighbourhoods online

Article content

Interested in poking around a Vancouver or Lower Mainland neighbourhood from the comfort of your laptop or phone? RealTours is a series of episodes hosted by Stephen Tadgh on the Canadian real estate platform REW, exploring areas like Vancouver, Port Moody, Coquitlam, Cultus Lake and Langley.

Tadgh does the research and legwork to give home seekers — or those simply curious about an area — insight into what it costs to buy in these areas and more.

Article content

“We wanted to capture the essence of what living in a place truly feels like from the perspectives of the people already rooted there. Each community is chosen based on a blend of current real estate interest, unique local character, and, of course, the demand from our audience who want to explore beyond the standard market metrics like price per square foot or available listings,” says Tadgh.

Behind the scenes with Stephen Tadgh

Tadgh created the first episodes of RealTours in 2022, mere months after moving to Vancouver from Ireland. As a new immigrant, he was naturally curious about Vancouver and surrounding areas. He wanted to look around.

“Coming from Ireland, where community identity and storytelling are deeply embedded in culture, I connect to people through shared stories, not just places. That background has been instrumental in RealTours,” he says.

The team researches each area’s local history, demographic trends and real estate data and then hits the ground to meet people who live there and find out about the local community and favourite spots, says Tadgh. They look at what real estate exists in the community if someone wants to buy today, and they don’t shy away from the potential ‘cons’ of living there.

Article content

Article content

“I am acutely aware of the optics of being an Irish immigrant who’s lived here for less than three years dictating how these neighbourhoods are immortalized on our screen. To present a sugar-coated version of these communities would be, in my opinion, a grave injustice,” he says.

Pride and prices

One of the biggest surprises for Tadgh is the sense of identity and pride people who live in these different communities have, he says.

“It was very easy as a newcomer to group certain neighbourhoods together indiscriminately. Like Burnaby, for so long, it has been that area outside of Vancouver with the towers. But then you spend some time in Burnaby Heights and realize that there is a whole other vibe and history that exists there versus southern Burnaby or Metrotown.”

Real Estate ownership in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland is, to put it politely, disheartening at the moment, says Tadgh. Something they’re trying to do with RealTours is show the diversity of homes available for home seekers interested in specific communities.

“Want to live in Kitsilano but can’t afford the multi-million dollar listings by the beach? Why not take a look at the new stratified units made possible through zoning regulation changes?” he says.

Article content

How to use RealTours

People can learn about an area’s past, present and future by referring back to these episodes, says Tadgh.

“While we may not go back and visit an area for a number of years, the Guide on REW.ca can keep you informed about the changes in the community.”

What’s next?

“I’ve been told I’m not allowed to speak too much right now; however, all I’ll say is if you are in Alberta, Northern B.C. or the Okanagan, then I’d love to hear from you,” he says.

Article content