The following is a joint statement released on Oct. 27 by members of Ontario’s housing sector, including the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) and Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA).

Ontario is facing a housing emergency. Projects are stalling, builders are cancelling developments and families and individuals are being priced out of the market.

As the provincial and federal governments prepare to release their fall economic statement and budget respectively, our message is urgent: bold, coordinated action is needed to boost housing construction, lower costs and bring affordability back within reach for residents.

Housing is more than just shelter; it’s the foundation of our economy and the heart of our communities. Today, Ontario’s housing sector, from builders, Realtors, business groups, trade associations, not-for-profit organizations and rental providers, speaks with one clear voice. Together with governments at all levels, we must move swiftly to unlock housing supply, cut costs, and restore affordability by accelerating ownership and rental housing delivery.

We acknowledge the positive work done so far by the federal, provincial and municipal governments regarding policy developments, zoning reform and funding programs to encourage more housing construction, including the most recent provincial housing bill, Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, 2025, which signals the government’s intention to take further practical steps in cutting red tape, lowering construction costs and restoring confidence and investment in the rental housing market by speeding up slow resolution processes to adjudicate landlord and tenant disputes. Other efforts include the Housing Accelerator Fund, the Apartment Construction Loan Program, Build Canada Homes, the Building Ontario Fund, the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program, reform to end exclusionary zoning and allow as-of-right construction of multi-plexes on single lots and the Building Faster Fund, among other projects. However, more action is still needed.

We also recognize that potential disruptions impacting the housing ecosystem that are outside the direct control of governments and industry, such as trade wars, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty, need to be considered as we navigate an uncertain environment at the macro level. 

Housing remains the backbone of Canada’s economy. It supports over 1.2 million jobs and contributes more than $143 billion in economic activity yearly to Canada’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). However, rising costs, difficult regulatory environments, economic uncertainty and constrained supply have slowed new housing starts and home purchases, putting tens of thousands of skilled trade jobs at risk. This will impact spin-off economic activity in related sectors and push both home ownership and rental housing further out of reach for many residents.

To meet Ontario and Canada’s housing challenge, a united focus on delivery is required. By reducing construction costs, attracting investments and aligning tax policy, zoning and approval systems, governments at all levels can restore confidence, protect jobs and support innovation at the speed and scale Canadians urgently need.

Policy priorities for immediate action

To restore affordability and confidence in the housing market, we are calling on municipal, provincial and federal governments to work collaboratively with the housing sector by adopting the following measures:

1. Position and profile housing as an economic driver: To ensure housing policy is economic policy, recognize housing construction and trade as a core driver of employment and GDP, adopt a framework to preserve the tremendous job creation that the housing industry generates, and acknowledge that housing unaffordability is also affecting our overall economic productivity, especially in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA).

2. Modernize outdated tax rules: Extend the GST/HST exemption on new homes up to $1.5 million for homebuyers, reflecting current market realities, particularly in major urban centres, and encouraging new construction.

3. Cut costs for homebuyers: Align cost recovery with actual service delivery and housing goals to reduce barriers to construction and costs to homebuyers. Municipalities and provinces need to collaborate with industry to modernize the fee structure applied to new housing, which is currently inflating housing costs and constraining new supply.

4. Build faster through innovation in parallel to traditional building: Support the advent, inclusion and expansion of modern construction methods – including panelized systems, modular building, robotics and other emerging technologies that embrace productivity, reduce costs and construction time, and enable homebuilding at scale. These need to be supported by an innovation policy framework created in partnership with the industry that provides incentives for early adopters and customers of new solutions, as well as investments in Canadian companies providing new solutions. Scaling up pioneering methods should be done in addition to supporting the ongoing innovation and productivity of traditional construction techniques.

5. Free up land and end exclusionary zoning: Act decisively to end outdated zoning restrictions to permit gentle density and a wider mix of housing types, especially missing-middle and multi-unit dwellings in more communities.

6. Incentivize private capital: Encourage programs that incentivize private capital, both investment and philanthropic, for both rental and ownership housing to accelerate market and non-market construction. This should include reintroducing the Multiple Unit Residential Building (MURBS) tax incentive.

The housing sector stands ready to partner with every level of government. Together, we can reignite momentum, rebuild confidence, restore affordability through partnership, innovation and investment, and deliver the homes our communities urgently need.

Signed:

John DiMichele, CEO, Toronto Regional Real Estate Board

Luigi Favaro, CEO, Ontario Real Estate Association

Ene Underwood, CEO, Habitat for Humanity GTA

Michael Brooks, CEO, Real Property Association of Canada

George Carras, CEO, R-LABS Canada

Jonathan Nusbaum, CEO, Terra Modular

Marlon Bray, executive vice president, Clark Construction Management

Tony Irwin, president and CEO, Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario/Rental Housing Canada

Daryl Chong, president and CEO, Greater Toronto Apartment Association

Dave Wilkes, president and CEO, Building Industry and Land Development Association

Kathy Hogeveen, chief of operations, Assembly Corp.

Jude Tersigni, vice president of planning and development, Menkes Developments

Richard Lyall, president, Residential Construction Council of Ontario

Roselle Martino, executive vice president, policy and strategic affairs, Toronto Region Board of Trade

Frank Cairo, co-founder and CEO, Caivan Communities

Nhung Nguyen, CEO, Horizon Legacy

The post Ontario housing sector presents united front on supply, affordability appeared first on REM.

The annual PAC Days conference, to be held this year from Oct. 26 to 28, allows Realtors to advocate for housing policy recommendations. 

“Realtors live and work in every part of Canada. They are deeply invested in their communities, and when they come to Parliament Hill to talk about important housing issues, MPs listen,” said David Humphreys, CREA consultant and founding PAC Days organizer.

This year, Realtors will be urging the federal government to accelerate the construction of missing middle housing such as townhomes, duplexes and family-sized apartments, and to dedicate a share of the Build Canada Homes projects to these types of projects.

“When an MP hears directly from a constituent who lives and works in their riding, it resonates in a way no lobbyist ever could. That’s the enduring genius of PAC Days – local voices shaping national decisions,” said James Lorimer, CREA consultant and founding PAC Days organizer.

The first PAC Days in 1985 brought together about 100 association members to meet with 60 to 70 MPs. In 2024, more than 400 PAC reps from across Canada came together in Ottawa to meet with more than 120 MPs.

“For 40 years, PAC Days has shown the power of Realtors speaking with one voice. As we look ahead, that voice will be more important than ever in shaping policies that build more homes across the continuum, strengthen communities, and keep the pathway to homeownership within reach,” said Janice Myers, CREA CEO.

PAC Days programming features training, panels, educational sessions and speeches from experts.

The post CREA celebrates 40 years of PAC Days appeared first on REM.

Announced on Monday, the call for action follows a resolution passed by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM). The motion, brought forward by the North Central Local Government Association, urges the province to create a standing body that brings together:

• local governments
• Indigenous housing organizations
• market and non-market housing groups
• academic experts
• provincial and federal housing officials

The goal is to support collaborative, evidence-based housing policy that reflects the needs of communities across the province, advocates say.

The B.C. Real Estate Association is supporting the initiative, along with a growing list of stakeholders that includes municipalities, chambers of commerce and sector organizations such as the Aboriginal Housing Management Association, Canadian Mortgage Brokers Association – B.C., LandlordBC and the Manufactured Home Park Owners Alliance of B.C.

The resolution comes as Christine Boyle takes over as B.C.’s Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. Advocates say her appointment is an opportunity to move quickly on coordinated housing policy.

“This resolution represents a major step forward in creating inclusive and effective housing policy,” said Jasroop Gosal, BCREA’s manager of government relations. “We look forward to working with the new housing minister and all stakeholders to ensure this roundtable delivers real results for British Columbians.”

The resolution is now awaiting a formal response from the provincial government.

Current policy lacks collaboration: BCREA

In a brief on the housing roundtable, BCREA notes that the B.C. government has been under “significant pressure” in recent years to react quickly and introduce new measures to address the affordability crisis. 

“While many of the new policy ideas have had merit, the policy development process has lacked advance, detailed consultation with a variety of housing experts, which is necessary to ensure a holistic view is adopted,” it reads.

The post B.C. government urged to form housing policy roundtable appeared first on REM.

B.C.’s strata councils – often known as condo boards in other parts of the country – are tasked with managing everything from budgets to bylaws. Despite that outsized responsibility, however, they operate without formal training. The result is a patchwork of management quality, rising disputes, and eroding trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard our homes.

Big responsibility, little preparation

As a government relations professional deeply engaged in housing policy, I’ve seen firsthand how the lack of strata literacy undermines community well-being. 

Not only do strata councils oversee the governance and operations of a corporation – which, in some cases, have budgets in the tens of millions – they also wield significant influence over residents’ daily lives. Still, many members step into these roles with little understanding of their legal obligations or best practices. 

From mismanaged budgets and delayed repairs to inconsistent bylaw enforcement and opaque decision-making, the consequences of untrained governance are far-reaching. The Civil Resolution Tribunal has repeatedly flagged these issues, revealing a troubling pattern of preventable conflicts and costly mistakes.

Call to policymakers

The current policy landscape, anchored by the province’s Strata Property Act and its accompanying regulations, provides a legal framework for strata governance but no guarantee of competence. While the Act outlines duties such as fee collection, property maintenance, and dispute resolution, it assumes council members already possess the skills to execute them. This assumption is no longer tenable.

That is why the B.C. Real Estate Association (BCREA) is calling for a legislative amendment to the Strata Property Act requiring all council members to complete a certified training program. Covering competencies such as financial management, property maintenance, insurance, tenancy law, document management, and meeting procedures, the program would establish a baseline of knowledge, empowering councils to serve their communities effectively and fairly. 

This isn’t just about education. It’s about equity, accountability, and the long-term sustainability of our housing system.

By equipping council members with foundational skills, the program would safeguard property values, ensure timely upkeep, reduce the frequency of tenancy disputes, and maintain the financial health of the corporation. Stronger governance fosters stronger relationships among residents, creating more engaged, harmonious communities.

Standardized education would also level the playing field across strata corporations, reducing inequities and ensuring all communities benefit from consistent, competent leadership. When residents feel their concerns are addressed fairly and their homes are well-managed, satisfaction rises, leading to healthier, more resilient neighbourhoods.

Even better, B.C. policymakers would have examples to draw from when creating the program. The Condominium Authority of Ontario already requires training for condo directors through 26 online modules covering governance, legal compliance, and building management. 

Closer to home, the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C. already offers voluntary webinars on strata administration. 

We must build on these foundations, formalizing and expanding access to ensure every council member is prepared to lead.

In order for the program to reach its full potential, a strong regulatory framework is essential. This framework would accredit educational institutions, set quality benchmarks, and establish assessment processes to validate competence. 

Continuing education requirements would keep council members updated on evolving laws and governance standards, while oversight mechanisms would monitor compliance and enforce penalties. Together, these elements would create a structured, accountable system supporting effective governance provincewide.

It will also be important to maintain an explicit focus on accessibility, particularly to mitigate any concerns that the program could discourage strata council volunteer participation. This includes offering flexible online course formats, self-paced modules, and reasonable timelines for recertification. These features were instrumental in Ontario’s success and should be emphasized in B.C.’s rollout.  

To implement this program, BCREA proposes the creation of a dedicated branch within the Ministry of Housing to oversee training. This entity would maintain a registry of certified members, conduct audits, and provide support to councils navigating the new requirements.

Finally, the path to implementation must begin with consultation. Strata residents, property managers, legal experts, and advocacy groups must all be engaged to refine the proposal and build consensus. 

Bottom line

Mandatory strata education is not a bureaucratic burden. It’s a public good. It’s a missing pillar in housing policy not just in B.C. but in several other parts of the country – one that strengthens transparency, professionalism, and community resilience. As our cities densify and reliance on stratified housing grows, we must ensure those managing these communities are equipped for the task.

It’s time to move beyond reactive governance and toward a proactive, informed, and equitable system. The homes we live in, and the communities we build, deserve nothing less.

Jasroop Gosal

Jasroop Gosal is the Government Relations Manager at the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA). Before joining BCREA, he was the Spokesperson and Policy & Research Manager at the Surrey Board of Trade, where he advanced initiatives related to housing, infrastructure, and economic development. Jasroop brings a background in nonprofit leadership and business advocacy, with a focus on building cross-sector partnerships and driving local impact. He has also worked on strategic campaigns at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, and is passionate about community-building, public policy, and empowering inclusive economic growth across British Columbia.

The post Why it’s time to require training for strata councils and boards appeared first on REM.

That gap is not just about capital or regulation. It’s also about perspective. Canadian housing policy is being made largely without the insight of those closest to its day-to-day failures: the real estate brokers and agents navigating this market in real time.

These professionals – licensed, regulated, and embedded in communities across the country – are not part of advisory panels or roundtables. They are not routinely consulted when legislation is drafted or programs are rolled out. But they are the first to see where housing policy is succeeding, stalling, or simply missing the mark.

That needs to change.

“Real estate professionals are the connective tissue between buyers and sellers, developers and planners, regulation and behaviour.”

Recent federal and provincial housing strategies are built around one shared premise: build more, faster. The federal government has committed to doubling home construction to around 500,000 starts per year by the early 2030s. Ontario has pledged to add 1.5 million homes by 2031, which still will not meet demand. British Columbia has implemented province-wide zoning reforms legalizing up to six units on most single-family lots. Municipalities are being pushed to meet supply targets or risk losing federal funding.

These are consequential efforts. But many are faltering on delivery.

Ontario housing starts fell 25 per cent in the first half of 2025. Developers across the country are delaying or cancelling projects due to high financing costs, labour shortages and permitting delays. CMHC recently projected that unless conditions shift dramatically, Canada will fall short of its 2030 housing target by 1.3 million homes.

Much of the public discussion focuses on macro factors: inflation, interest rates, tax policy, and immigration levels. But missing from the conversation is the input of those working inside the system every day. Real estate professionals are the connective tissue between buyers and sellers, developers and planners, regulation and behaviour. Their absence from policymaking leaves strategies vulnerable to blind spots and misfires.

Blind bidding debate

Consider the federal proposal to ban blind bidding. It was introduced as a solution to affordability, based on the assumption that bidding wars were artificially inflating prices. But brokers and agents in competitive markets had long observed that blind bidding was a symptom, not a cause, of price escalation. Scarcity, not secrecy, was driving the frenzy.

Studies have since confirmed what agents already knew: jurisdictions with open bidding formats experience similar, sometimes sharper, price increases in hot markets. Ontario’s recent move to allow (but not require) open bidding has seen almost no uptake among sellers. Agents could have predicted that, too: when listings are scarce, transparency does little to change outcomes.

This is just one example. Brokers across Canada are navigating the real consequences of housing policy. They are hearing from buyers who can’t qualify under current stress test rules, builders stymied by slow approvals, seniors unable to downsize because of a lack of local options, and newcomers struggling to find a foothold in overheated rental markets.

Their insight could help shape better policy, but too often, it is left out entirely.

Boots on the ground perspective

There are more than 160,000 licensed Realtors in Canada, many of them operating through franchised brokerages that serve specific communities but also track trends nationally. They see the ripple effects of tax policy, financing rules and regulatory changes not in theory, but in practice; through listing behaviour, client financing challenges, and transaction timelines.

These are not anecdotal inputs. They are early signals of how policy is landing in the real world.

When interest rates rise, brokers don’t just see a decline in demand; they see where deals fall apart, who gets priced out, and what types of housing are sitting longer on the market. When zoning changes are made, they track whether sellers are adjusting expectations and whether buyers are ready to act. When affordability programs launch, they see who qualifies, who falls short… and why.

Real estate agents are not just intermediaries. They are interpreters of policy, friction, and behaviour, and are essential to making the system work.

‘What’s missing is the voice of the front lines’

Housing policy cannot succeed through mandates alone. Execution matters. So does feedback. Governments at all levels should formalize consultation mechanisms with front-line real estate agents,  not just with industry associations, but with active brokers and agents across regions and market segments.

The federal government’s proposed national housing roundtable is a step in the right direction. But it must include representation from the front lines, the people facilitating transactions, fielding client concerns, and tracking policy consequences in real time. Provinces and municipalities should do the same when implementing zoning reform, development charges or buyer protection measures.

This is not about giving industry players veto power. It is about designing better policy with more complete information, and avoiding the lag between drafting and delivery.

If governments do not course correct now, they risk continuing to build policy that looks strong on paper but breaks on contact with the market.

Canada’s housing goals are ambitious, and rightly so. But success won’t be determined in press releases or legislative chambers. It will be measured in permits issued, homes built, and families housed.

Real estate professionals don’t set those goals. But they do see, earlier than most, what’s working and what’s not. If governments want policy to succeed, they need to tap that insight, not after the fact, but from the outset.

There is no shortage of task forces or reports in Canadian housing policy. What’s missing is the voice of the front lines; the brokers and agents navigating the realities policymakers are trying to solve.

If governments are serious about fixing housing in this country, they can’t afford to keep building strategy in a vacuum. If we keep excluding the people closest to the system, we will keep building failure into it. It is time to bring real estate professionals into the room. And not just to listen. To lead.

Paul Abbott

Paul Abbott is the National Vice-President of Franchise Development at Coldwell Banker Canada, where he leads the company’s growth strategy and supports the expansion of its national brokerage network. With a background in franchising, marketing, and operations across multiple sectors, he brings a strategic lens to real estate development and partnerships. Paul works closely with broker-owners across the country to identify opportunities, navigate the franchise lifecycle, and build long-term value within the Coldwell Banker Canada system.

The post OPINION: Why Canada’s policy-driven, market-blind housing strategy is falling short appeared first on REM.

Each month, a BCREA leader shares their insights in an exclusive column for Real Estate Magazine. Interested in contributing? Send us an email.

Few current Canadian politicians have the credentials of newly-appointed Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson, as he has now served in all three levels of government.

Although he’s been out of the political scene for a few years, with his most recent Liberal MP election victory in B.C.’s Vancouver Fraserview—South Burnaby riding, Robertson is decidedly back on the map.

In years past, he served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly for the B.C. NDP starting in 2005. He then became the City of Vancouver’s longest-serving mayor, holding the post from 2008 to 2018 as a member of the Vision Vancouver slate.

With a governmental mandate to improve housing affordability nationwide, Robertson’s new, high-profile cabinet post comes with much political baggage and policy challenges. Let’s look at some of Robertson’s past achievements and how they relate to the current Liberal housing plan. 

New technology

In 2011, during his time as mayor of Vancouver, Robertson launched Vancouver’s first Economic Action Strategy, which focused on job creation by supporting local businesses, seeking areas of strategic new investment, and capitalizing on global trade. It also looked at fostering targeted job creation in areas such as green energy and the burgeoning digital media sector.

Back then, Vancouver’s economy was on a major upswing, and (as per a Conference Board of Canada report at the time) it was the fastest-growing metropolitan economy in the country.

Now that Robertson is overseeing expanded housing targets, it’s likely that technology and related job growth will be key parts of his game plan. Tech changes at scale could streamline the way a lot of housing is currently built, which would also create new ancillary jobs as part of the expansion of that tech sector.

During the election campaign, the Liberal Party expressed interest in expanding prefabricated and modular housing to speed up construction timelines. These technologies could also potentially allow for a new level of lesser-qualified tradespeople to be employed in putting the prefabricated sections together onsite. This, in turn, would help relieve the dire forthcoming trade labour shortage.

Environmental housing

As Vancouver’s mayor, Robertson launched several notable housing-related policy initiatives. A major one was the development of the Greenest City 2020 Action Plan. 

The goal was to make Vancouver the “greenest city in the world” by 2020. The program focused on three target areas: carbon, waste, and ecosystems. Much of this initiative focused on developing the “green economy,” which included a sizeable increase in green buildings that offer CO2 reduction.

It will be interesting to see if Robertson’s environmental and green-tech interests intersect with housing targets. He may look at putting additional focus on carbon footprints, sustainable building practices, and green housing technology incentivization. 

The challenge will be that green building typically equates to more expensive construction, which is counterintuitive to fostering an increasingly affordable end-product.

Canadian homelessness issues and housing for in-need demographics

A 2008 policy that garnered significant attention around Metro Vancouver was Robertson’s goal of eliminating homelessness by 2015. Sadly, regional homelessness continued to worsen during that period. As this initiative was a highly public failure, it has long dogged him in how he is remembered as a Vancouver political leader.

That said, homelessness and housing for in-need groups are clearly issues that matter to Robertson. It only stands to reason that he will be anxious to redeem his work in this area and use newfound clout to make an impact.

In terms of specific in-need housing groups, the Liberal pre-election platform referenced both expansion of student housing and care homes, and accommodation for our rapidly aging population.

Incentivizing and expanding rental stock

As a politician with demonstrated sensitivity to in-need groups, Robertson is likely to focus on the sizeable demographic of renters across the country. 

From the 1970s to the early ’80s, the federal government ran a tax incentivization regime called the Multi-Unit Residential Buildings program. During the seven years it was in use, this program inspired a record expansion of rental buildings that has never been matched since.

While it’s an expensive program for the government to operate in terms of lost taxation revenue, it’s proven to work and a likely direction for Robertson as he carries out his mandate.

Governmental housing alignment

As Robertson has worked on the ground in all three layers of government, he’s an ideal politician to implement stronger collaboration from municipal to provincial to federal entities.

Housing issues affect all three layers of government, and they desperately need to approach housing policy as three layers of a single entity.

It’s time for strong top-down leadership, paired with some nuance in approach that recognizes all communities are not the same, and their issues and challenges differ.

What is most needed to move the dial on affordable housing?

Canadian governments have a longstanding habit of trying to solve complex housing issues in isolation. But that way of working won’t achieve the goals this new federal government wants to achieve.

That’s why it’s time to create a permanent national housing roundtable. This roundtable would be made up of 25 or so housing policy experts from across the sector, inclusive of market, non-market, Indigenous, and academic voices. 

A group like this working collaboratively with the government to share ideas, pre-vet policy, provide advance feedback, share research, and conduct joint analysis could work miracles in what can be achieved.

All is not lost. This country can fix its housing issues. But it’s going to take more than any one politician or any one policy. Let’s do this together.

Trevor Hargreaves

Trevor Hargreaves oversees research and policy, government relations, and communications at the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA). He is also an Adjunct Professor at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia. Before joining BCREA as the Senior Vice President of Policy Research, Government Relations, Marketing & Communications in 2019, he served as Director of Communications, Government and Public Relations at the BC Dairy Association and, prior to that, toiled in regional media and journalism.

The post Politics in the Wild West: What a B.C.-based federal housing minister could mean for national policy appeared first on REM.

Of the 674 respondents—most of whom identified as Realtors over the age of 40—54.3 per cent said they would vote for Pierre Poilievre’s Conservative Party, compared to 38.3 per cent for the Liberals under Mark Carney. Just over 5 per cent were undecided, while support for other parties remained in the single digits.

When asked which leader they believed would be better for the real estate industry, respondents once again leaned toward Poilievre (52.7 per cent), with Carney coming in at 35.5 per cent and 11.2 per cent unsure. 

Columnist Daniel Foch shared the results live on REM’s monthly market call. “One that didn’t surprise me, based on polling I’ve done with my audience and what I’ve seen in the industry, is that the majority of people in real estate feel Pierre Poilievre would be better for the industry,” he explains. 

Foch argues that while Poilievre’s platform aligns with many in the industry on red tape and supply, the Liberal platform—focused on immigration and market intervention—has historically driven up prices. But higher prices don’t always mean a healthy market: “Rising house prices mean people can’t afford homes, which means they don’t buy them. So that’s not necessarily good for the industry.”

Housing policy matters

It’s no surprise housing is top of mind. But what’s especially revealing is how Realtors evaluate proposed solutions.

Respondents were asked which federal party’s housing plan appealed most: 245 respondents preferred the Conservatives’ plan, narrowly ahead of the Liberals at 230.

Key features of the Conservative platform—such as tying federal funding to municipal housing targets, deferring capital gains on investments and removing GST on homes under $1.3-million—struck a chord. 

“The Conservative plan—particularly the capital gains deferral piece—seems to have a lot of support,” says Foch. “That’s a fascinating idea… it could appeal to boomers, for instance, selling their property and reinvesting in Canadian stocks.”

Respondents also showed strong support for broader affordability policies like extending mortgage amortizations and removing the stress test.

Priorities: cut red tape, build more, ease the squeeze

When asked to identify the top three housing issues the federal government should tackle, the most common responses were:

• Reducing development fees and red tape (49.4 per cent)
• Building more homes (43.5 per cent)
• Easing mortgage qualification rules or interest rates (37.7 per cent)

These responses suggest readers favour a supply-side strategy and financial flexibility over direct intervention or regulation. For instance, policies like national rent control and taxing corporate landlords received notably lower support.

According to Foch, that aligns with a clear desire to increase transaction volume, “Reducing development fees and red tape was seen as a top federal priority. That’s likely why people feel Pierre’s solutions are better for the industry. More supply to transact is always helpful.”

Asked to name the single most important housing issue, 20.3 per cent cited reducing interest rates or mortgage qualification stress, followed by increasing housing supply and cutting bureaucracy.

What kind of federal involvement do readers want?

Nearly half of respondents (47 per cent) said the federal government should be more involved in housing, while 28.3 per cent said it should be less involved. At the same time, 55 per cent said municipal governments should also play a larger role.

Three in four readers (75.8 per cent) said immigration levels should be tied to housing supply capacity—a contentious topic, but one clearly seen through the lens of housing demand.

“This question fascinated me the most,” said Foch. “I used to think Realtors just wanted house prices to go up, but what I’ve determined from reading this survey is that Realtors realize that high house prices are actually a problem for our industry. Affordable homes mean more transactions.”

Optimism vs. uncertainty

While 35.6 per cent of readers said they felt somewhat confident about the housing market over the next two years, a similar share expressed pessimism or neutrality. The biggest challenges facing their business? Market uncertainty (38.7 per cent), buyer affordability (19.4 per cent) and low consumer confidence (18.4 per cent).

“Market uncertainty and consumer confidence were the biggest challenges,” Foch explained. “Over time, people may accept uncertainty and return to the market. That’s when you start seeing a buyer’s market emerge.”

Foch also flagged the economic conditions shaping voter sentiment. “Globally, people interpret Canada as a left-leaning country, but you’re seeing people move from the left to a centrist voting block,” he noted. “This is an economically driven shift.”

A first of its kind for REM

This is REM’s first reader poll of this scale and scope. While the results offer valuable insights into industry sentiment ahead of the federal election, it’s worth noting that we didn’t ask respondents to identify their gender. Additionally, more than 94 per cent of respondents were over the age of 40, and nearly 90 per cent identified as Realtors or brokers.

Ahead of election day,  we’ll be watching closely to see how conversations evolve and industry sentiment shifts. What’s clear from this survey is that housing affordability, supply and policy reform remain the beating heart of the conversation among Realtors in Canada.

The post Poilievre leads with REM readers, but affordability remains top concern appeared first on REM.

The post REM 2025 Federal Election Reader Poll appeared first on REM.

Over the past two decades, housing affordability has become a defining issue for Canadians. For many younger voters, homeownership feels further away than ever. For older investors, property has been a financial windfall. Housing is no longer just a policy issue—it’s a political one.

Each major party—the Conservatives, Liberals and NDP—has put forward a vision to fix Canada’s housing system. These proposals differ in tone, execution and economic philosophy. 

Source: Valery.ca

Conservatives: Unlocking trapped wealth to fuel growth

A tax deferral to get capital moving again

The Conservative Party’s “Canada First Reinvestment Tax Cut” targets the enormous capital tied up in real estate and other assets. Under this plan, individuals and businesses could defer capital gains taxes on the sale of these assets if the proceeds are reinvested into active Canadian businesses.

Unlike traditional tax cuts, this proposal doesn’t forgive taxes—it delays them until the new investment is sold or moved offshore. It’s intended to redirect passive wealth into more productive sectors.

Inspired by the U.S. 1031 exchange—but broader

This plan echoes the U.S. 1031 exchange, which allows real estate investors to defer capital gains taxes by rolling over proceeds into new properties. But the Canadian version expands this idea beyond real estate. Investors could cash out of property and reinvest in sectors like tech, clean energy or manufacturing.

Implications for investors and sellers

For real estate investors, especially those aged 55 and older— who make up the majority of investment property owners in provinces like Ontario, B.C.  and Nova Scotia, according to Statistics Canada—this proposal could offer a strategic and tax-efficient way to exit the market. By deferring capital gains taxes, it provides an incentive to sell long-held properties without facing an immediate tax hit, potentially unlocking significant housing supply. That shift could ease pressure in tight markets, boost listing volumes, and redirect dormant capital into more productive sectors of the Canadian economy. 

Source: Valery.ca

It’s also a subtle bet: that Canadian investors, if given the choice, would rather reinvest in the national economy than park their wealth abroad—a trend already visible in 2024 when Canadians ranked as the top foreign buyers of U.S. real estate.

Source: Valery.ca

Liberals: Building at historic scale

Build Canada Homes (BCH) Proposal: Doubling supply ambitions

Under the leadership of Mark Carney, the Liberal Party’s Build Canada Homes (BCH) proposal outlines a plan to double Canada’s annual housing output to 500,000 homes. This represents a level of direct government involvement not seen since the post-war era.

The chart below puts this ambition in perspective by comparing the proposed target to actual housing starts over the past six years. While Canada has been producing between 210,000 and 270,000 homes annually, the BCH target would mark a near-doubling of that rate—a dramatic increase in national housing output

The strategy includes development on public land, significant investment in prefabricated housing technology, and incentives for affordable housing construction.

Lowering costs for buyers and builders

A centrepiece of the BCH platform is the elimination of the GST on homes under $1-million for first-time buyers. In places like Toronto or Vancouver, this could mean immediate savings of tens of thousands of dollars. Additional measures like reduced development fees and fast-tracked zoning approvals are designed to further lower costs and speed up project delivery.

What it means for the market

First-time buyers stand to benefit most in the near term. Cheaper builds, reduced taxes, and increased supply could open doors that have been closed for a decade.

For real estate investors and developers, the impacts are more complex. A sudden increase in supply could soften price appreciation and lower rental margins. On the flip side, accelerated zoning and federal funding could make new builds more attractive and less risky.

The BCH plan imagines putting the federal government back in the builder’s seat—but whether a future Liberal government could deliver on timelines, cost control, and intergovernmental coordination remains to be seen.

NDP: Empowering buyers and restraining speculation

Mortgage relief for first-time buyers

The New Democratic Party is focusing its housing platform on affordability for everyday Canadians. Their standout policy is a federally backed low-interest fixed mortgage specifically for first-time buyers.

With borrowing costs among the highest in recent history, this plan could offer critical relief. A reduction of just 0.5 per cent in mortgage rates could save buyers between $9,000 and $12,000 over five years.

Targeting corporate landlords

The NDP also proposes a ban on corporate landlords acquiring existing affordable housing — a move designed to prevent large firms from driving up rents and shrinking supply. Additional funding for non-profit housing and support for co-op models further signal the party’s commitment to housing as a public good.

Rebalancing the investor equation

This proposal is the most critical of the investor class. It prioritizes long-term affordability over short-term profit and signals a shift toward a more regulated rental landscape. While socially motivated investors and non-profits may find new opportunities, for-profit landlords could see their acquisition paths and margins squeezed.

The NDP’s message is clear: housing is a human right, and market forces alone can’t be trusted to deliver fair outcomes.

Why first-time buyers are the key to market health

Targeting first-time buyers isn’t just good politics — it’s sound economics. According to the Bank of Canada, first-time buyers consistently make up around half of all home purchases in Canada. As the chart below shows, they represent the single largest segment of buyers — more than repeat buyers and investors combined.

When first-time buyers enter the market, it sets off a chain reaction. Sellers move up, new construction is absorbed more efficiently, and rental pressure eases. In essence, a housing market with active first-time buyers is a housing market that moves.

This is why both the Liberals and NDP have made first-time buyers central to their platforms—and why any policy that overlooks them risks leaving the entire system sluggish

Competing visions, shared stakes

While each party offers a different solution to Canada’s housing crisis, their proposals reflect deeper philosophical differences.

The Conservatives want to unlock private capital and redirect it toward productivity. The Liberals want to build aggressively and reduce friction in the system. The NDP wants to protect affordability and reign in corporate control.

For real estate investors, these proposals could reshape everything from exit strategies to regulatory compliance. For homeowners, particularly first-time buyers, the changes could determine whether a down payment is within reach—or just out of range.

What unites all three visions is a recognition that Canada’s housing system is not working as it should. And in 2025, housing policy won’t just determine who wins the election— it could determine who gets to call this country home.

Daniel Foch

Daniel Foch is the Chief Real Estate Officer at Valery.ca, and Host of Canada’s #1 real estate podcast. As co-founder of The Habistat, the onboard data science platform for TRREB & Proptx, he helped the real estate industry to become more transparent, using real-time housing market data to inform decision making for key stakeholders. With over 15 years of experience in the real estate industry, Daniel has advised a broad spectrum of real estate market participants, from 3 levels of government to some of Canada’s largest developers.

Daniel is a trusted voice in the Canadian real estate market, regularly contributing to media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CBC, Bloomberg, and The Globe and Mail. His expertise and balanced insights have earned him a dedicated audience of over 100,000 real estate investors across multiple social media platforms, where he shares primary research and market analysis.

The post Capital, construction and control: Why housing policy could define the 2025 election appeared first on REM.

Brendon Ogmundson

Brendon Ogmundson is the Chief Economist for the BC Real Estate Association. He holds an MA in Economics from Simon Fraser University and is a CFA Charterholder. Brendon specializes in housing market analysis and macroeconomic forecasting, is a member of the BC Ministry of Finance’s Economic Forecast Council and is a contributor to the Philadelphia Federal Reserve’s Survey of Professional Forecasters. Brendon was also recently named one of the most influential economists in BC by Business in Vancouver.

The post New mortgage rules: Relief or risk for first-time buyers? appeared first on REM.