Nearly 1 In 19 Greater Toronto Rental Units Sit Vacant—More On The Way
Stephen Punwasi, May 1, 2026 Greater Toronto’s rental shortage is now a distant memory, but the rents have yet to adjust. Urbanation data reveals the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) has seen a sharp uptick in rental vacancies in Q1 2026. The sticker price of rents hasn’t moved much, but incentives are growing as landlords position the slump as temporary. That may be wishful thinking with record supply still in the pipeline. Nearly 1 In 19 of Toronto’s Rental Apartments Sit Vacant ...
read moreBrick-and-mortar retail resilient as macroeconomic storm clouds gather
Population growth drives retail traffic and demand for space Howard Chai, May 1, 2026 Online shopping has been the bogeyman of brick-and-mortar retailers since well before the COVID-19 pandemic forced everybody online. But the reports of the death of in-person retail were greatly exaggerated. “We’re always talking about the demise of retail because of e-commerce, but it’s persevered over the years,” said Raymond Wong, vice-president of data solutions with Altus Group. A survey of investment...
read moreMarket Factors: M&A activity and better returns ahead for the REIT sector
Scott Barlow, Market Strategist, Published April 29, 2026 This Market Factors starts by making income investors happy with a bullish, M&A-focused bull case for REITs and moves on to a bear case for developing world equities. The diversion covers a terrifying list of painful surgeries and there’s Quick Hits as always. Income investing Scarce REITs make takeout prices higher CIBC analyst Dean Wilkinson thinks investors should brace for more merger and acquisition activity in the REIT sector...
read moreBank of Canada flags condo glut as new drag on growth
Central bank warned housing slump and tariffs threaten Canada’s fragile recovery By Liezel Once, 01 May 2026 The Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25%, but its April Monetary Policy Report put housing and a buildup of small condos at the centre of a weaker growth story for the next two years. Against a backdrop of US tariffs, trade uncertainty and the war in the Middle East, the central bank said residential real estate has shifted from an engine of expansion to a brake on the wider...
read moreWEEK OF MAY 4, EVENTS WITH JILLIAN KATZENBACK
Events for the week of May 4, 2026 2026 RHC Conference – HDAA Meeting – ARLA Trade Show – The Brott Music Festival – 2026 BILD Awards Show – 2026 HDAA Golf – 2026 Greenwin Cares Golf Classic – 2026 FRPO Charity Golf Classic – 2026 NAIOP Golf – 2026 Cohen Highley Charity Golf – 2026 RHPNS Awards Gala, Dinner and...
read moreWhat’s next for the Canadian housing market, according to our reporters
Carolyn Ireland, Shane DingmanReal Estate Reporter, Erica Alini, Personal economics reporter, Salmaan Farooqui, Published April 21, 2026, Updated April 23, 2026 On April 16, real estate reporters Carolyn Ireland and Shane Dingman and personal finance reporters Erica Alini and Salmaan Farooqui answered reader questions on the state of the real estate market in Canada. Tariffs, world events and other economic uncertainties have Canadians reluctant to make the move on buying or selling a home,...
read more‘Trump effect’ continues to exert a powerful hold on Canadian housing market outlook
The US president’s decisions over the past 16 months have weighed down the market – and that trend looks set to continue for the foreseeable future By Fergal McAlinden, 20 Apr. 2026 Five-year Government of Canada bond yields wobbled on Monday morning amid a jump in inflation and fresh uncertainty over the future of the US-Iran war. The national inflation rate rose to 2.4% in March, according to Statistics Canada, confirming that the continuing conflict in the Middle East is jolting prices and...
read moreCanadian Businesses Brace For 5 Years of High Inflation: BoC Survey
Daniel Wong, April 22, 2026 Canadian businesses were bracing for elevated inflation—then the Iran War broke out. Now they’re doubting the Bank of Canada’s (BoC) ability to contain inflation, according to the Q1 2026 Business Outlook Survey. The central bank’s survey reveals firms are preparing for 5 years of elevated inflation. Canadian Businesses Expected Inflation To Surge Before Latest War The initial survey was conducted in the relative calm of February, pre-Iran War. It showed improving...
read moreCommercial real estate market at turning point as vacancies drop: report
Back to office momentum is chipping away at oversupply, Colliers says By: Sammy Hudes, The Canadian Press, April 20, 2026 Canada’s commercial real estate sector could be at a turning point after the national vacancy rates for both office and industrial properties simultaneously declined for the first time since 2020, a new analysis has found. The report from Colliers International said the national office vacancy rate was 13.6% in the first quarter of 2026, down one percentage point...
read moreWEEK OF APRIL 27, EVENTS WITH JILLIAN KATZENBACK
Events for the week of April 27, 2026 2026 RHC Conference – CHBA Home Building Week Show – HDAA Meeting – GTAA Spring Hope Food Drive – The Brott Music Festival – 2026 HDAA Golf – 2026 Greenwin Cares Golf Classic – 2026 FRPO Charity Golf Classic – 2026 Cohen Highley Charity Golf – 2026 RHPNS Awards Gala, Dinner and...
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