Get ready for an exciting new season of RealTours! The breakthrough series, hosted by Stephen Tadgh, returns for Season Two, continuing to showcase the vibrant communities of the Lower Mainland. Each episode takes a deep dive into local businesses, residents, and developers, offering viewers an authentic look at where these neighbourhoods stand today and their future potential. From Port Moody to East Vancouver, home-seekers and locals alike will get an insider’s guide to what makes these communities special. We had the chance to sit down with Stephen to talk about what’s new this season, and what viewers can expect. —Noa Nichol
What inspired the creation of RealTours originally, and how has the series evolved as you’ve entered Season Two?
The team at REW believes that real estate is much more than just houses – it’s about neighbourhoods and the people who make a community. We wanted to create the ultimate guide to these places – a one-stop shop for people considering a move to a new location. That’s where the idea of RealTours came from, a ‘real tour’ with people who know a neighbourhood best and are willing to speak about the good, the bad and the ugly. I think the biggest impetus was to create something that was in contrast to the likes of ‘Selling Sunset’ or ‘Million Dollar Listing’, the atypical ‘real estate shows’ that have become popular over the years but offer little value to a homeseeker.
In Season 1, we covered a lot of real estate, from Squamish to South Surrey and West Van to Chilliwack. I knew if we were going to come back for a Season Two we had to go bigger, introduce more voices from people who live and work in the community year round. Historians, business owners, local legends. I wanted to create a show that in 20 minutes allowed you to be transported into this community, and get a real sense of what life would be like living there for yourself. Amongst the crew we’ve been calling RealTours a living show, not a travel show or a real estate show, and that north star is really what shaped Season Two.
Can you share some of the most surprising or memorable stories from the communities featured in this season?
There have been so many! I’m so grateful to all the people I’ve met during this journey who opened up and shared their communities with us. I think Rodger, owner of Rise Up in East Vancouver, is one of those interviews that sticks out in my mind as being particularly electric. Not only has he brought a little bit of Caribbean food and culture into East Van, but he also shared with me the lesser-known history of Hogan’s Alley and the fact that Jimi Hendrix’s grandmother used to live in Vancouver!
What makes the Lower Mainland’s neighbourhoods, such as Port Moody, Coquitlam West, and upcoming spots like Cultus Lake and East Vancouver, stand out compared to other regions?
What this series has taught me is that every community has a history and a rich culture and great people with amazing ‘vibes’ out the whazoo. Realistically, I think we could take this show anywhere and find something interesting and compelling no matter where we go (Calgary for Season three, fingers crossed). What I can tell you, is that all the communities we focus on are hot spots for homeseekers. The neighbourhoods we feature are all areas that are seeing a huge increase in development or density and we wanted to explore why that is, so we can guide our audience of homeseekers and empower them on their own real estate journey.
How do you and your team approach research to ensure each episode delivers an authentic and well-rounded perspective of each community?
We have been blessed with a wonderful production partner in Cinova Studios and our Director Peter Carlone. Many, many sleepless nights have been shared over the past nine months bringing this series to life. For an episode of RealTours to be successful we knew we had to focus on a few key segments. One being, what is the history of the area. Then finding someone who lives and breathes the community, its biggest cheerleader. Three, what is the real estate that exists in this place right now if you want to buy today. And four, what does the future look like in this community. We also made sure that every episode had a ‘feature piece’, an activity that I would do to highlight the vibe of what living in these places is actually like. We knew that we needed to get those pillars in place to have a great episode, but most importantly we knew we couldn’t shy away from the cons of living in these communities. 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 areas would be, in my opinion, a grave injustice. It all goes back to that idea of RealTours being a ‘living’ show. If we are trying to show our homeseeker audience why they might want to live here then we can’t ignore some of the problems these communities face. Nowhere is perfect but you should always be informed.
What kind of feedback have you received from local businesses and residents about the impact of being featured on RealTours?
It’s early days as of yet so the feedback is slowly trickling in. A few businesses who were featured in episode one reached out, and they all loved it, which has been a huge relief. These folks took a leap of faith with us when being interviewed, so knowing that they feel like we represented their community well has been a huge weight off my shoulders. Since filming has finished I’ve gone back to most of the communities myself, bringing friends and family members along and introducing them to the people that you’ll see over the coming weeks. I hope this is only the beginning, and that every single one of our contributors sees a rise in foot traffic by being a part of this series. They are all wonderful people who contribute to their neighbourhoods and deserve the business!
Can you give us a sneak peek into some of the future communities and stories viewers can expect in the coming episodes?
I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but one of the highlights of the series for me was being able to have a conversation with a representative of the Squamish Nation about the Sen̓áḵw development in Kitsilano. Seeing what the future of that area will look like is really exciting and in my opinion a really positive step forward for the whole province.
What role do you think storytelling plays in helping homeseekers connect with the communities they’re considering, and how does RealTours aim to fill that gap?
Buying a home is an emotional roller coaster. Obviously, you need to know the stats and the data before you buy, but that is what a great real estate agent is there for! As people, we want to be connected to where we live. We want to be proud of where we call home. That is best done through telling and sharing stories. There is so much noise in the digital space these days that I firmly believe good storytelling is the differential needed for success. That’s why we always try and talk about our work as stories, or shows, or series and not ‘content’. Everyone and anyone can make ‘content’ but we want to make something more filling. Through RealTours, we want to show you a snippet of what life is like in these neighbourhoods. Engage you in a fun way, package the experience into a bite-sized, twenty-minute episode and let you decide if you want to take the next step. Go explore our guides about the community you just watched. Watch out for a short-form series outlining key points from the episode and hopefully, take your digital experience into the real world and see these communities for yourself.
Fave Vancouver neighbourhood so far, and three reasons it stands out?
Oh wow, OK, so I’m going to cheat and give you two answers.
If anyone has watched any of my videos before will know I am a city boy at heart so I’m going to have to say, Vancouver West. Covering Kitsilano all the way past Kerrisdale and Shaungessy. I think if I ever do manage to become a homeowner in this country that community (particularly around Kits) is where my eye naturally drifts to. However, if I was ever to leave the city life behind me…Squamish. We covered it in Season One and I find it so peaceful but full of energy and life. It has this sense of small-town living but still provides access to the city along with a doorway to nature that can’t be beaten.
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