How we lead projects
Flexible consulting engagements across every stage of the development journey — feasibility, design, rezoning, approvals, permits, construction, and stabilization. Lead with us for the full lifecycle, or engage us where the complexity is highest.
Our Process
From feasibility to stabilization
LinkQuest Development works at the intersection of municipal policy, institutional capital, and social impact — leading private developers and mission-driven organizations through Vancouver's most complex real estate projects. Seven stages, one consulting practice: from the first feasibility study to the day a building is performing.
Feasibility
The first question is always the hardest: is this project worth pursuing? We begin with a disciplined site and zoning analysis, build a defensible pro forma, and test the numbers against the market. What emerges is a clear-eyed view of what the site can become, what it will cost, and what it can be worth.
Design
With feasibility settled, we assemble the design team — architect, landscape, civil, structural, mechanical — and lead the work from concept through schematic design. Good design is the intersection of vision, code, cost, and community. Our role is to keep those four in balance.
Rezoning & Approvals
Where a project requires new zoning, we lead the process end to end: pre-application meetings, public consultation, council submissions, and the discretionary approvals that run alongside — advisory panels, urban design review, community engagement. This is where a project's value is truly unlocked.
Development Permit
The DP translates approved design into regulatory reality. We prepare and submit the application, coordinate with city staff, respond to every review comment, and work the process until the permit is in hand.
Building Permit
Technical drawings, code compliance, plan check, and building department coordination. The BP stage is where projects often stall; we keep yours moving by anticipating questions before they are asked and resolving them in the next submission.
Construction
We remain at the table through construction. General contractor selection, contract administration, monthly draws, change orders, site meetings, schedule oversight, cost control, and deficiency tracking. One accountable partner, from groundbreaking to substantial completion.
Occupancy & Stabilization
The final stage is also the longest in practice. We coordinate the occupancy permit, run commissioning, manage deficiencies, support lease-up or sales, and oversee the operational handover. A project is not complete at occupancy — it is complete when the building is performing.
Seven stages. One consulting practice.
LinkQuest Development is the continuous thread through Vancouver's most complex developments — from the first question about a site to the day a building stands on its own.
Engagements
Three ways clients engage us
Three focused engagements for the clients and situations we serve most often.
Prime Development Consultant
Act as your development lead from site acquisition through stabilization. Acquisition, design, approvals, permitting, construction, and operational handover — one consulting practice carrying a project end-to-end.
What's included
- Site acquisition & due diligence
- Feasibility studies & pro formas
- Design team selection & coordination
- Municipal approvals & entitlements
- Development & building permits
- Construction oversight & contract administration
- Occupancy, lease-up, and stabilization
Best for
Private developers and mission-driven organizations who need institutional development leadership without building an in-house team.
Complex Rezoning Specialist
Lead discretionary rezoning and entitlement processes where value is unlocked and risk is highest. Track record includes securing entitlements for 939 homes and $575M+ in projects across Vancouver.
What's included
- Pre-application strategy & city engagement
- Policy analysis & zoning interpretation
- Community & stakeholder consultation
- Council submissions & hearings
- Urban design review & advisory panels
- Concurrent design permit coordination
- Legal agreement negotiation (CACs, HAs, PDAs)
Best for
Projects requiring new zoning, spot rezonings, policy variances, or complex discretionary approvals in the City of Vancouver.
Faith-Based Church Development
Partner with churches and faith-based organizations to unlock the value of land holdings — through redevelopment, partnerships, or mission-aligned housing — while protecting ministry continuity.
What's included
- Land use strategy aligned with mission
- Congregation & board engagement
- Partnership structuring (JV, ground lease, sale)
- Non-profit and affordable housing pathways
- Rezoning & municipal approvals
- Ministry continuity planning
- Legacy & governance considerations
Best for
Churches, dioceses, and faith-based organizations with underutilized land that could serve the mission through development, partnership, or redevelopment.
Commercial Structure
How we structure engagements
Match the structure to the scope. Lead a full project, hold a seat on the team, or bring in targeted expertise at a decision point.
Project-Based
End-to-end leadership on a defined project — from feasibility through stabilization — on a fixed scope and milestone-based fee structure.
Use when
You have a specific site or project and want one accountable consulting partner carrying it through.
Monthly Retainer
Interim VP of Development capacity on a recurring monthly basis. Embedded in your team, available for the strategic and operational decisions that move a portfolio forward.
Use when
You have ongoing development activity but don't need — or aren't ready for — a full-time VP of Development hire.
Hourly Consulting
Expert consulting at decision points where experience changes the outcome — acquisition review, entitlement strategy, partnership structuring, council prep.
Use when
You have in-house capability but need senior judgment at critical moments.
Strategic Comparison
Find the right fit
A side-by-side view of how each model is typically used.
| Project-Based | Monthly Retainer | Hourly Consulting | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Our Role | Development Lead | Interim VP Development | Strategic Consulting |
| Scope | Full project lifecycle | Ongoing portfolio | Defined decisions |
| Time Horizon | 12–60 months | Quarterly+, renewable | Hours to weeks |
| Best For | Single complex project | Active pipeline, no VP in seat | Point-in-time expertise |
| Fee Structure | Fixed milestones | Monthly retainer | Hourly billing |
Not sure which fits?
Most projects don't announce their shape up front. Book a discovery call and we'll help you locate where you are in the journey — and where consulting leadership will move the project forward fastest.