Economists slash Canada’s 2026 growth outlook after recession talk
A surprise economic slump to start the year prompted forecasters to slash their expectations for Canada’s growth for 2026. By Erik Hertzberg and Dana Morgan, June 26, 2026 (Bloomberg) — A surprise economic slump to start the year prompted forecasters to slash their expectations for Canada’s growth for 2026. Economists in a Bloomberg survey now see Canada’s economy expanding just 0.7% this year after shrinking in the first quarter. If it comes to pass, it would be the weakest yearly pace of...
read morePopulation decline puts Canada’s housing demand on a slow burn
StatCan data confirm a third straight quarterly decline, with more losses forecast through 2027 By Liezel Once, 17 Jun. 2026 Canada’s population contracted for the third consecutive quarter in early 2026, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday. That extends a historic demographic reversal that is reshaping the housing demand outlook and prompting fresh questions about where mortgage volumes are headed. The agency placed Canada’s population at 41,417,056 on April 1, down 55,025 people...
read moreEdmonton just achieved its highest-ever housing affordability ranking
Allison Stephen, Jun 11 2026 Edmonton is Canada’s most affordable major housing market and achieved the highest affordability ranking ever recorded for a non-U.S. market, according to the 2026 Demographia International Housing Affordability report. The report, published by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, examined 96 major housing markets across eight countries using the median multiple measure, which compares median house prices with median household incomes. The report classifies...
read moreOntario’s frozen property taxes are disconnecting from the CRE market
Commercial property owners have been overtaxed for a decade Paul Sullivan, June 6, 2026 GUEST SUBMISSION: Ontario’s property assessment freeze began as a temporary pandemic-era measure intended to provide stability during a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty. Six years later, that temporary pause has effectively become government policy, despite a commercial real estate market that looks nothing like it did when assessments were last updated. Today, Ontario commercial property...
read moreCMHC multi-unit insurance jumps 30% as securitization volumes rise
Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation insured 71,733 multi-unit residential units in Q1, far outpacing traditional homeowner insurance as its securitization activity also climbed. Written by CMT Team, May 29, 2026 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation saw a sharp increase in multi-unit mortgage insurance activity in the first quarter, with volumes far outpacing transactional homeowner insurance as the agency continued to expand its role in rental housing finance. CMHC insured 71,733...
read moreWhat the new Fed chair means for Canada
Kevin Warsh is sworn in as Fed chair — here’s what Canadian mortgage brokers need to know By Liezel Once, 22 May 2026 Kevin Warsh was sworn in as the 11th chair of the Federal Reserve on May 22, 2026, replacing Jerome Powell after an eight-year tenure. For Canadian mortgage brokers, the leadership change carries real implications, even though the Fed sets no policy in Ottawa. The Fed’s approach to interest rates directly influences US Treasury yields, which in turn shape Government...
read moreTech and AI driving office leasing in Vancouver and other gateways, says report
Technology industry could reshape commercial real estate in years ahead, says CBRE Jami Makan, May 12, 2026 AI is expected to be a major growth driver for Vancouver’s tech industry and office space demand over the next decade, according to a new report. The commercial real estate market could be reshaped as AI adoption scales across industries and transforms business, said the 2026 Tech Gateway Office Markets report by CBRE Ltd. The report, released Monday, examined how a tech growth cycle is...
read moreCanadian Office Vacancy Expected To Hit Pre-Pandemic Levels By 2029
The national office vacancy rate in Canada peaked in 2025 at 14.9%, but is now on the decline again. Howard Chai, May 08, 2026 Six years later, office markets across the country (and beyond) are still feeling the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which changed the world forever by making remote work mainstream. But things are on the upswing. In Q1 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the national office vacancy rate was just under 8% according to commercial real estate services firm Colliers....
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 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...
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