5 Conversations With Leaders I Admire That Stuck: Jason Turcotte

Five years into building PUBLiSH, I wanted to mark the milestone by sharing a collection of five honest conversations with people I admire.

A conversation with Jason Turcotte, President, OpenForm Properties

A builder. A product thinker. Someone who approaches residential, office, and commercial development through the lens of end-user psychology, not just market demand.

Jason has delivered projects across the Lower Mainland with a focus on thoughtful planning, efficient design, and environments that feel intuitive the moment you walk in.

His perspective on space, value, and human behaviour reframed how I think about what truly drives demand, and what actually sells.

Max: What do buyers say they want most often right now?

Jason: More space for less money. That’s the headline request.

Max: And what do they actually choose when it’s time to commit?

Jason: Location remains high on the list. But increasingly, buyers are willing to compromise on fit, finish, and even amenities if it means securing more generous square footage.

That said, layout is still critical because square feet are not all created equal.

Max: Where do you see the biggest disconnect between stated preferences and real-world decisions?

Jason: People often overestimate how much space they think they need, especially downsizers and lifestyle up-sizers.

If you’re coming from a multi-level single-family home, duplex, or townhome, you don’t realize how efficient single-level living can be. Stairs take up more space than people appreciate.

2,500 square feet across three levels feels very different than 2,500 square feet on one level.

Max: What’s something buyers don’t talk about much, but clearly value based on behaviour?

Jason: Buyers talk about finishes and appliances. But decisions are often driven by how a home makes them feel, even if they can’t articulate it.

That feeling comes from thoughtful planning: natural light in the right places, efficient flow, smart storage.

It’s not flashy. It’s comfort.

Max: If you had to sum it up in one line, what truth do buyers reveal through action?

Jason: Buyers see beyond flashy finishes - they want thoughtful, liveable, comfortable homes.

Someone might think they need 1,500 square feet but when they experience 1,000 square feet of efficiently planned single-level space, they’re often surprised at how right it feels.

Max: What’s one decision you made on a project that changed everything?

Jason: Across multiple projects in White Rock, the West Side, West Vancouver, I committed to slightly larger, truly comfortable homes for right-sizers, even when the market leaned smaller.

We fully believed downsizers would buy presale, if the product was right.

We’re continuing that commitment in a new condo offering in Burnaby’s Edmonds neighbourhood, where thoughtful planning will be front and centre.

Max: When did you know that decision mattered?

Jason: When people walked into the show home and instinctively sat down. When they relaxed.

That’s when I knew we had delivered something they couldn’t necessarily point to — but they felt it.

Max: What was the risk?

Jason: Slightly larger homes often mean a slightly higher price tag.

But people buy value, not just price. If they believe the value is there, they will stretch.

Max: What changed as a result?

Jason: Downsizers started buying presale. They adjusted their expectations of size.

In one project, we didn’t even put the square footage on the show home door. We asked guests to guess the size, and they consistently guessed much larger than it actually was.

That reinforced the point: efficient planning outperforms raw numbers.

Max: What did that decision teach you that you still apply today?

Jason: We build homes for people, not investment boxes.

Design as if the end user is you. Do it right. Every time.