Enjoying life, virtually, in Arbours of Keswick

In these days of sheltering in place, virtual reality may be the only reality that matters. Rohit Land Development quickly seized on the opportunity to reach out to its clients by launching virtual reality portals for their newest communities in Edmonton, and the results have far surpassed expectations.
Marty Pawlina, marketing manager for Rohit Land Development, says they have enjoyed the highest traffic to their websites since the launch of their virtual show home tours content. “Buyers are shopping from home, we’ve made a handful of sales already,” Pawlina tells Edmonton New Home + Condo Guide.
He credits the success of the campaign to Rohit marketing coordinator, land development, Kelsey Siemens, who was able to get the project going in just two weeks. “We knew we had the technology to make this happen, and we knew how important this tool would be as the lockdown limited our show home operations,” she says.
With a simple click and drag of the mouse, visitors can virtually walk through show homes in Rohit’s newest communities of Ridgecrest in Glenridding, Woodhaven Edgemont, and Arbours of Keswick.

“It’s almost as if you’re there, you can see all the features of the show home and get an idea of what it’s like,” Siemens says. “We integrated the virtual tour to Google Maps so if anyone is interested enough to set an appointment to visit them in person, it’s easy enough to find where to go,” Pawlina says.

The virtual show home tours become even more important now, as Rohit introduces the latest show homes in their hit Arbours of Keswick community in the southwest. The arboursofkeswick.com website provide portals to their show homes, including the two that have just opened in May.

Kanvi Homes’ Bespoke Onyx and Dolce Vita Homes’ Casoria 30 estate show homes are now open and ready for viewings by appointment, and they are both already available online to visit virtually. Art Homes – whose new streetscape show home in Arbours of Keswick is still under construction – will be joining the lineup this summer.

The virtual tour experience allows Rohit to stay in touch with their customers, and also gives those interested in buying a home a chance to check out what there is out there in the comfort and safety of their own homes. And Arbours of Keswick certainly has a lot to offer.

This 160-acre community is right in the heart of Edmonton’s fastest growing sector and already has some 250 homes built.

Growth will certainly continue after the Alberta government announced that Keswick will be getting a brand new $31-million Catholic K-9 school, and a $33-million public K-9 school, slated to open by 2022! “Many of our homes are within walking distance,” Pawlina says.

The 25,000-square-foot Royal Centre Keswick commercial area has already broken ground, adding to the neighbourhood’s bountiful amenities.

The seven-acre Gordon King Pond is the centrepiece of the community and the carefully planned green space, including parks and walking trails, are all centred around this aerated natural water amenity. All this certainly adds to its appeal to the young families, and couples who find in Arbours of Keswick a community they can grow with and set roots in.

Arbours of Keswick’s wide range of upscale, trendy homes has also been key. Rohit has assembled a strong builder group comprised of some of Edmonton’s most recognizable homebuilders to provide their line of estate, single-family front-drive and streetscape homes, and duplexes. Townhomes will also be available in the future.

Asides from Kanvi Homes and Dolce Vita Homes, Kimberley Homes are also offering estate homes here. Duplexes – including the popular front-back style – are from Rohit Communities and Victory Homes.

Single-family homes – including traditional front-drive homes and the new streetscape models – are from Excel Homes, Kanvi Homes, Rohit Communities and Art Homes.

Siemens says the streetscape home is an innovative approach to the traditional family home that presents a friendlier curb appeal with a more prominent façade that provides both the convenience of a front attached double garage, and a good-sized veranda for a welcoming feel.

“Your home will be the highlight, not the garage. The curb appeal of these homes is one above the rest,” she says.

Virtual tours of Rohit Communities Lozano, Kanvi Homes’ Element, and Excel Homes’ Newcastle streetscape models are already available to view in the Arbours of Keswick website to give viewers an idea of what they offer.

“Rohit is renowned for crafting unique neighbourhoods in Edmonton, Calgary, Regina and Fort McMurray,” says Pawlina. And in Edmonton, buyers can get the chance to view show homes virtually in three of their newest communities: Ridgecrest at Glenridding (liveinridgecrest.com) and Arbours of Keswick (arboursofkeswick.com) and Woodhaven Edgemont (woodhavenedgemont.com).