First Capital’s $9B portfolio to be divided between Choice Properties and KingSett
Written by The Canadian Press, By Ian Bickis, April 16, 2026 Choice Properties REIT and KingSett Capital have signed a deal worth more than $9 billion to buy First Capital REIT and split up the trust’s shopping centre-focused real estate portfolio. Choice Properties REIT and KingSett Capital have signed a deal worth more than $9 billion to buy First Capital REIT and split up the trust’s shopping centre-focused real estate portfolio. The cash-and-unit deal, valued at about $9.4 billion...
read moreMore than 84,000 Ontario houses — roughly the number in Markham — are owned by businesses and for-profits. StatsCan wants to find out more
Statistics Canada has launched a program researching what impact corporate ownership of single-family homes has on the market. By Victoria Gibson Affordable Housing Reporter, April 9, 2026 More than 84,300 houses across Ontario — around the number you’d find in a mid-sized city like Markham — were owned as investments by businesses or for-profit government entities such as public-sector pension funds in 2023, according to data from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program. This data, released...
read moreVancouver building owners can use AI to plan retrofits and boost income, forum told
Smarter, faster, automated decisions now possible in B.C. real estate, say experts Jami Makan, Apr 2, 2026 Property managers can use AI to guide retrofits such as electrification as caps on building emissions come into effect in Vancouver, a real estate conference heard Wednesday. AI can help with the timing and extent of retrofits such as deciding how many chillers or boilers should be replaced, what they should be replaced with, and how soon, said Ali Hoss, head of sustainability and asset...
read moreHalifax landlords owning thousands of units report lower annual rent increases in 2025
Demand remains for its more affordable apartments across Canada, Killam says Andrew Lam CBC News Posted: Mar 23, 2026 Two large corporate landlords owning a combined 9,008 rental units in Halifax are reporting smaller annual increases in their average rents for 2025 than the previous year. Canadian Apartment Properties (CAPREIT) saw a steep decline, with the company’s average rent in Halifax of $1,713 at the end of 2025 being 3.9 per cent higher than the year before. That’s about...
read moreWhat government programs may be cut in Carney’s spending review
Here’s a breakdown of what could be slashed at four federal departments. By Matteo Cimellaro, Ben Andrews, Published Mar 22, 2026 While the federal government has gradually released more information about its budget cuts, public sector unions have sounded the alarm over the impact those reductions could have on social programs. With the release of departmental spending plans on March 13 came more details about what programs may be cut in Prime Minister Mark Carney’s spending review....
read moreThe Property/Casualty Insurance Market – Soft!
Andreas Schwartze, MBA, CIP The insurance buyer is in charge again! It happens when economies falter and there’s no question that the Canadian economy is stalled badly. Gross domestic product is growing at under 1%, productivity is falling and, most disturbing, the engine of our economic prosperity is rooted in the world of small business. The number of small businesses that are closing currently exceeds the number of new businesses being registered, many of which are self incorporations...
read moreBILD: Let’s not miss a historic opportunity to create lasting change
Reforming the development charge system would give new homebuyers better access to more affordable housing Dave Wilkes, Published Mar 06, 2026 As Canada’s housing industry continues to grapple with affordability pressures, record-low new home sales, supply constraints, and slow policy implementation, there comes a rare silver lining in the form of a massive opportunity to make lasting change to how we fund growth in Ontario. Announced in the fall federal budget, the government has earmarked...
read moreWidespread RTO Mandates to Spur Tight Office Market Conditions
By: Monte Stewart, February 27, 2026 Return-to-office mandates across Canada are expected to tighten office-market conditions in major cities this year, according to a new report from Royal LePage Commercial. The brokerage said the office sector continues to evolve as long-term pandemic impacts and shifting workplace strategies reshape how and where businesses operate heading into 2026. “Much like the residential real estate sector, broader economic uncertainty has weighed on commercial real...
read moreOttawa working with provinces to reduce developer fees, says housing minister
Housing Minister Gregor Robertson deflects on past statement that average home prices must fall in Canada Jami Makan, Feb 20, 2026 The federal government is in discussions with the provinces to jointly fund housing infrastructure and bring down developer fees, Canada’s housing minister told an industry audience Friday. The two levels of government could jointly invest up to $25 billion to fund infrastructure such as water, transit and community centres, Housing Minister Gregor Robertson told a...
read moreSeniors housing entering new phase after recovery in 2025
Transaction activity set to rebound on strong fundamentals Howard Chai, Feb 12, 2026 There’s always optimism at the start of a new year, but those in the seniors housing sector are feeling particularly bullish as a result of market trends and a set of core fundamentals. “Seniors housing has been one of the top-performing commercial real estate sub-asset classes, but it has not taken a linear path here,” said Sean McCrorie, vice-chair and practice leader for Cushman & Wakefield Ltd.’s...
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