Emerging Trends In Real Estate For 2026

Housing remains the central challenge — Affordability issues are affecting the entire real estate market, with government programs like Build Canada Homes emphasizing modular construction to accelerate supply

Alternative asset classes are outperforming — Retail, student housing, self-storage, seniors' housing, and industrial properties show strong performance, with approximately 7.6 million Canadians (18.9%) now 65 or older driving demand in seniors' housing

Market is shifting to "the age of the operator" — Success now depends on operational excellence, cross-industry partnerships, and technology integration rather than just identifying the right asset class or location