MediaHouse announced a new partnership with Island Property News this morning.

A press release about the move said that beginning with the May 2014 edition, the bi-weekly newspaper Bermuda Sun, a MediaHouse subsidiary, will take over content management, sales and marketing of Island Property News in print and online at islandpropertynews.com.

It also stated that Island Press, also a MediaHouse subsidiary, will continue printing and distributing the publication, but now will produce it in full colour and take it to more locations. The publication will remain free of charge.

Glenn Jones, general manager of MediaHouse is quoted in the press release as saying: “We’re overjoyed to bring this publication under the MediaHouse roof. Firstly, working with the owners has been a treat and secondly because we think the timing is perfect. Real estate is back, and that makes it the right time to return the country’s leading real estate publication to its former glory. We’re the right media company to make that happen.”

The MediaHouse release stated that Island Property News has been in existence since 1986, and that it is owned by Diana Heslop and Tricia Lines Hill. They will retain ownership of the publication.

Ms Lines Hill was quoted in the release, saying: “We recognise MediaHouse and its subsidiaries’ expertise to enhance and package this unique real estate publication and are excited for what they will bring to the brand.

Ms Heslop is also quoted, and she said: “We are thrilled about this partnership to take Island Property News to a new exciting level. The realtors will now have an unlimited marketing reach through print and digital media combined.”

The MediaHouse statement said that Bermuda Sun general manager Lisa Beauchamp will have oversight of Island Property News, and stated: “She has formulated a plan that includes more news content in the publication, more colour images, more pages, wider distribution and the introduction of augmented reality.”

Mrs Beauchamp is quoted as saying: “We have already spoken to real estate industry advertisers and every single one of them has given us positive feedback about where we want to take the publication.

“Soon readers can use our augmented reality technology to see virtual tours of local properties or listen to tips from real estate agents right on their mobile devices. We see a very bright future for Island Property News; we can’t wait to get it out there for the public.”