Commercial real estate could be both a builder and a beneficiary of the artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem envisioned in the Canadian government’s national AI strategy.

High-rise development is expected to be the hardest hit real estate activity, but fallout across a wider range of consumer goods has potential negative implications for commercial warehouse and distribution facilities.

Robust economies in Toronto and Vancouver, a continuing slump in Calgary, retailing challenges and sustained high demand for rental housing all play into an index-wide total return of 6.7 per cent.