687 Queen Street East

Finding the right story to unlock value

Some buildings are worth more than their surroundings suggest. The challenge is helping the market see it.

687 Queen Street East sat among commercial assets on a busy east-end stretch, but its character, scale, and present use told a different story — one with residential potential that, if positioned correctly, could command a significant premium over the commercial comparables next door.

Engaged by the owner to sell the property, Aura recognized that a conventional commercial listing would anchor the building to the wrong value set. Instead, we built the entire marketing strategy around the property's residential potential, repositioning how prospective buyers understood and valued the asset.

Central to that strategy was storytelling. The building had a rich and well-documented history, and we drew on its carefully kept records and photographs to bring that story to life — giving buyers an emotional and tangible connection to the property, not just a set of financials.

The approach worked. In a market with very little deal velocity for comparable assets, we sold the building quickly and at a premium — a result that reflected both the strategic repositioning and the strength of the story we were able to tell.

The deal: $2.5M · November 2025

Highlights

• Positioned the building around its residential potential to capture a premium over neighbouring commercial assets

• Leveraged the property's unique history and well-preserved records to build a compelling narrative for buyers

• Achieved a fast sale at a premium in a slow market with limited comparable activity

What we did
Property valuation and pricing strategy · marketing and exposure strategy · buyer prospecting and outreach · due diligence support · financial analysis and underwriting · negotiation of offers and terms · coordination through closing