Canada is quickly becoming a nation of renters
Construction of purpose-built rentals expected to soon overtake construction of homeowner units for the first time
Canada has historically had one of the highest homeownership rates in the world. But shifting economic and demographic forces are quickly altering this longstanding benchmark.
Inflation, lack of policy clarity likely to keep Bank of Canada on an extended sabbatical
Hope for a real estate recovery pinned on lower interest rates is quickly evaporating
Much to the dismay of the real estate industry, the Bank of Canada is likely to extend its policy of holding interest rates steady following June’s core inflation readings.
Slowdown in apartment rents cools overall inflation
Bank of Canada's preferred 'core' inflation in May still not low enough to cut interest rates in July
Canada’s headline Consumer Price Index inflation came in at 1.7% on an annualized basis in May, maintaining the pace from April and in line with expectations for a 1.7% year-over-y...
Housing shortage crisis has quickly turned into an oversupply problem
Inventory of unsold homes increased by over 400% in the past two years
In 2022, amid a material acceleration in population growth, near record-low interest rates, and double-digit increases in home prices, it appeared that Canada was in the midst of a...
First-quarter stockpiling drives faster-than-expected growth in Canada's economy
This will likely keep the Bank of Canada holding interest rates steady, even though the domestic economy needs more support
Canada’s economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, expanding at a healthy clip with 2.2% annualized quarterly growth. Looking past the headline figure, the economic g...
Headline inflation falls back sharply on lower gas prices
Despite drop in the consumer price index in April, a surprising jump in core inflation dashes hopes for an interest rate cut next month
Although falling gas prices in April helped to lower Canada’s headline inflation rate below 2%, this masked an acceleration in underlying inflation pressure evident in the core inf...
Lack of jobs for young people poses another threat to Canada’s apartment market
Apartment vacancy could reach highest level since the 1990s
Canada’s rental apartment market experienced its lowest vacancy on record in 2023, accompanied by sharply rising rents. Since then, a significant increase in new supply has helped ...
Trade war stomps on Canadian job market
Significant declines in manufacturing and trade jobs to ultimately affect industrial real estate demand
April’s jobs report showcased the sheer impact of tariffs on the Canadian economy. Canada added a mere 7,400 jobs as the unemployment rate rose 0.2 percentage points to 6.9%. But b...
Industrial real estate in Canada could see a surprising short-term benefit from US trade war
Businesses are rushing to reroute U.S.-bound shipments through Canadian warehouses to avoid tariffs
When the United States government announced plans to impose crippling tariffs on Canadian goods last month, the real estate industry expected Canada’s industrial sector would likel...
Bank of Canada’s rate-cut pause shows it is less focused on rescuing the real estate market
Latest Monetary Policy Report had the fewest references to housing in five years
The Bank of Canada opted to hold its key policy interest rate steady at 2.75% on Wednesday, following seven straight rate cuts. With an intensifying U.S. trade war threatening the ...
Consumer confidence plunges in the face of developing trade war
Despite drop, consumers indicate that they will remain shopping at some stores
Escalating global trade tensions and threats from U.S. President Donald Trump to annex Canada have caused consumer confidence to plunge on this side of the border.
The bleeding in Canada’s job market has just begun
Modest interest rate cuts are likely a small silver lining for the real estate sector
The past month was marked by significant political uncertainty for Canadian businesses, which was reflected in the nation’s employment report for March.
Inflation is about to make an ugly comeback
Given current supply and demand imbalance, real estate will be hard-pressed to hedge against it
Signs of an ugly return of the inflation monster were creeping in on both sides of the North American border even before sweeping tariffs ushered in by President Trump that are exp...
Recession appears imminent for Canada in 2025
Downgrade in economic forecast, related to US tariffs, expected to negatively affect all property sectors
A global forecasting group has downgraded Canada’s economic outlook. Oxford Economics now expects the country’s economy to slip into recession this year and spill over into early 2...
More rate cuts expected due to US trade war
Concerns remain that more rate cuts may not be enough to spur real estate recovery
As widely expected, the Bank of Canada cut its key policy interest rate by a quarter percentage point on Wednesday. The overnight target rate is now at 2.75%, the lowest since 2022...
Trade activity surges ahead of looming tariff war
Shift from 'just in time' to 'just in case' inventory stockpiling could prompt short-lived spike in industrial leasing
The looming trade war with the United States appears to have driven Canadian exporters and importers to stockpile goods in a preemptive rush to maintain their supplies.
North American office markets take different paths after emerging from under pandemic cloud
While office markets are finally recovering, Canada appears to be trailing its US counterpart, especially in transactions
As we approach the fifth anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown, it is worth assessing how North American office markets have since evolved. While Canada and the U.S. saw an apprecia...
This was supposed to be the year investment activity in Canada staged a recovery
Instead, any hint of recovery is threatened by a record surge in policy uncertainty
At the end of last year, many real estate participants, including executives at some of Canada’s largest real estate investment firms, reported growing optimism about the potential...
Real estate investment was a significant driver of Canada’s economy in 2024
Prospects limited for residential construction to remain as economic growth driver
Construction investment in the residential and non-residential sectors remained a significant driver of Canada’s economy in 2024.
Here's why Trump’s tariffs would likely send Canada's economy into recession
Canadian real estate would not be immune from the fallout of a trade war
Should President Trump's tariffs eventually go into effect, Canada would experience the largest trade shock in over a century, causing a significant blow to its economy. And since ...