Anemic Housing in Toronto & Vancouver — And a Quiet Builder Bailout
About this episode
The episode discusses the weak housing markets in Toronto and Vancouver, exploring buyer hesitance and the impact of government policy on developers.
Toronto and Vancouver's housing markets remain notably weak this month, with both cities continuing to see subdued sales and hesitant buyer activity. What stands out isn't just the slowdown itself, but how comfortable many buyers seem staying on the sidelines. In this month's Real Estate Roundtable, John Pasalis, Steve Saretsky, and David Larock unpack the factors reinforcing that caution. Rising interest rates, combined with ongoing geopolitical risks, are giving buyers plenty of justification to wait. Even those who are financially capable of purchasing are choosing patience, contributing to markets that feel stuck rather than competitive. We also take a closer look at the federal government's HST cut on new housing and what it actually means in practice. While the policy may support new housing starts at the margins, its more immediate impact could be on developers holding completed but unsold units. The change makes it easier for builders to sell these units to institutional investors at discounted prices, or to rent them out without triggering the same tax consequences they would have faced before. Overall, the discussion highlights a market that isn't just slow, but…
People in this episode
Guests: John Pasalis, Steve Saretsky, David Larock
Topics covered
- housing market
- real estate
- interest rates
- government policy
- buyer behavior
Keywords
- Toronto housing
- Vancouver housing
- real estate roundtable
- interest rates
- HST cut
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: federal government
Places: Toronto, Vancouver
More episodes of Move Smartly: The Podcast
- Builder Bailout or Buyer Boost? The Truth About Canada's Housing Market Right Now
- Unlocking Multiplex Housing in Toronto
- No Market Comeback Yet — But a Tax Change That Impacts Buyers
- Bold Plans and Broken Systems: A Conversation with Gregg Lintern
- Should Buyers Wait or Jump In? And How AI Is Changing Real Estate
- Built to Stall: Why Ontario's Housing Machine Has Stopped — and What It Takes to Restart It
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Move Smartly: The Podcast podcast page.