We cover the PWC-ULI Emerging Trends in Real Estate 2026 report, which analyzes Canada's real estate market through interviews with industry professionals. The report highlights housing affordability challenges while noting resilience in alternative sectors like retail, student housing, and industrial properties. Despite current difficulties, industry leaders remain cautiously optimistic about adapting to find new growth opportunities.

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

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Emerging Trends In Real Estate For 2026

The Canadian Real Estate Investor