VCREP #185 | Inside Western Canada’s Real Estate Shift with Johannes Van Leenen

VCREP #185 | Inside Western Canada’s Real Estate Shift with Johannes Van Leenen

From Vancouver Commercial Real Estate Podcast by Cory Wright

May 13, 2026 · 32 min · Episode 185

About this episode

Cory Wright interviews Johannes Van Leenen about the current state and future outlook of real estate development in Western Canada and beyond.

On this episode of the Vancouver Commercial Real Estate Podcast, Cory Wright sits down with Johannes Van Leenen to unpack the realities of development across Western Canada and beyond. From Calgary and Kelowna to Phoenix, Miami, Belize, and Bali, Johannes shares how Fifth Avenue Properties is navigating today’s challenging market while continuing to expand internationally. They discuss why Alberta continues to attract investment, how BC regulations are impacting condo development, the shift toward rental projects, and what developers are really facing with financing, pre-sales, DCC costs, and government policy. Johannes also gives his outlook on the next 12–24 months for the Canadian real estate market and explains why he still believes strongly in the long-term future of BC. Plus: business books, Calgary growth, Kelowna lifestyle, and why “Good to Great” remains required reading for entrepreneurs.

People in this episode

Host: Cory Wright

Guest: Johannes Van Leenen

Topics covered

  • real estate development
  • market trends
  • investment opportunities
  • condo development
  • rental projects
  • financing challenges
  • business literature

Keywords

  • real estate
  • Western Canada
  • development
  • investment
  • Alberta
  • British Columbia
  • rental projects
  • financing
  • business books

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Fifth Avenue Properties

Books & works: Good to Great

Places: Alberta, British Columbia, Calgary, Kelowna, Phoenix, Miami, Belize, Bali

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