Missing middle housing is something the Greater Toronto Area desperately needs more of.

Enter Brightstone, a boutique infill development firm that professes fearless vision and uncompromising quality standards, aiming to earn the trust of Toronto’s most discerning homebuyers.

We sat down with Yoav Bohbot, vice-president and director of acquisitions, to learn more about this builder, its strategy and plans to cater to this important segment.

Let’s start with a general question… What is your view of the market these days?

I am optimistic about the market, even though we currently are going through big bumps in the road. With the interest rate reduction this month and spring upon us, the indications are that the market will begin to recover over the next few months.

How is 2025 shaping up for Brightstone?

This will be a very busy year for Brightstone. We are in the process of developing sales and marketing programs for a number of projects, which translates into an exciting year of growth.

As a company, Brightstone touts its forward-thinking vision. What does that entail?

Brightstone’s vision is to create living environments that people want to be a part of, and more importantly, to build homes that appeal to a broad spectrum of the population. This is the Brightstone mantra.

Brighstone identifies sought-after infill locations across the GTA from Oakville to Oshawa, and creates a new standard for communities building high quality townhomes in select locations that are close to parks and schools – ideal for families, young professionals and empty nesters seeking to downsize.

Brightstone communities meet the requirements of the “missing middle” housing so needed in the GTA.

Who is your target demographic?

End users (singles, professionals, young families, maturing families, and downsizers) and investors (who provide homes for under-served families in the rental market).

What differentiates Brightstone homes?

The keen attention to detail in the space planning of the homes is a key contributor to the quality of lifestyle the residents experience. As well, the interior colours and features in Brightstone homes are carefully selected to exceed the daily needs of families living there, while also having outstanding design creating a calming environment in which to live.

Our interiors are carefully curated to provide a lot of natural light and to be timeless.

What do you look for when you choose locations to build your homes?

Brightstone’s boutique communities are conveniently close to urban amenities, allowing for easy access to shops and services as well as schools, parks and transportation.

What projects are you currently selling?

The Briar on Avenue, at the corner of Briar Hill Avenue and Avenue Road, is an exclusive seven-unit enclave of townhomes designed by the esteemed architect, Richard Wengle. The homes fit beautifully into the Lytton Park neighbourhood with their classic yet elegant design and luxurious interior features.

What are some of the key benefits of living at The Briar?

Residents will enjoy the expansive windows and skylights, inviting in a lot of natural light, the 11-ft. ceilings, elevator, top-of-the-line appliances, in-floor heating and built-in speakers.

In addition, the location in a beautiful, tree-lined residential area in midtown Toronto, Lytton Park, is close to transportation options, shops and services, excellent schools, parks and trails.

How does Brightstone strike the balance of delivering a unique product in an established neighbourhood without being intrusive?

We try to immerse ourselves into the neighbourhood with exteriors that meld into the neighbourhood’s existing motif, but they’re sleek and modern. Where we differentiate ourselves from existing homes in the neighbourhood is our interiors use high-quality finishes and well-designed floorplans that optimize living space. By enhancing functionality, it appeals to more homebuyers, whether young single professionals, young families or maturing families.

Brightstone appears to have carved out a niche in building missing middle homes. Why have you chosen to build only gentle-density homes?

There’s a gap in the market for this much-needed housing across the GTA, from Oakville to Oshawa. We’re trying to fulfil the needs of our growing region

What is the background of the Brightstone team?

Diverse professional backgrounds; all hail from across the GTA and therefore, have intimate knowledge of each sub-market.

What else about Brightstone would you like prospective homebuyers to know?

We tend to shy away from the limelight and take pride in the product and communities that we create. Our projects speak for themselves. We concentrate on developing infill projects within an established infrastructure close to existing schools, services, recreation and transportation.

Key to these projects is the design of the homes as each project is reflective of the neighbourhood in which it is being built. We do not design cookie cutter communities. Each one of them has its own design and personality and speaks to the community in which it is built.

We believe in building product that fits people’s lifestyles in the locations that we select.

What’s next for Brightstone?

We are focussed on building infill sites that are comprised of about 40 to 180 homes in each. We are not looking for exponential growth, just seeking opportunities to create developments of this size.

brightstone.ca

AND ON A PERSONAL NOTE...

How do you spend your time away from the office?

Personally, I enjoy going to work and enjoy spending time with my family. I appreciate coming home where I can share my experiences with family and friends and bring some of my expertise to our community. I am very fortunate. My wife and I have five children and three grandchildren with one on the way. Four of the five children are out of town, so sharing time with family and friends is extremely important to me. We have a videocall every night with our grandchildren. As well, my wife is a fabulous chef and we love entertaining. We frequently have anywhere from three to twenty for dinner.

What is your greatest inspiration, personal or professional?

Much of my inspiration stems from the joy I get coming to work each day. Having spent several years in the corporate sector has shown me the true value of the positive working environment at Brightstone. A large part of that feeling is a result of our president and CEO, Steven Heller. He is a true leader and motivator for all of us at Brightstone and puts true value on free thinking within the team which allows us to constantly innovate and perfect our product.

We plan each community together as a team with each one of us bringing his own expertise to the table.

What’s on your reading, podcast or binge-watch lists these days?

Four years ago, I put a filter on my cell phone which eliminated my browser capability. In other words, I dumbed down my phone with the objective of reducing my time commitment to reading constant news reports. Instead, in my free time I enjoy reading non-fiction books about history, personalities or self-improvement.