After six consecutive quarters of declining occupancy, some of Canada’s office markets began to recover lost ground in the fourth quarter of 2021.

More than two-thirds of Canadian lenders participating in CBRE’s recent annual survey indicated plans to increase allocations to real estate, equating to an estimated 10 to 20 per cent boost in availability of capital.

A fourth wave of COVID-19 stalled hopes for an office market turnaround in the third quarter of 2021, while demand for industrial space continued unabated.

Industrial space got even tighter in Canada’s largest commercial real estate markets during the first quarter of 2021, while office sublet activity continued, but at a slower pace than in Q4 2020.

An influx of new office supply was always expected to shake up the status quo in the downtown Toronto market given that approximately two-thirds of the 8+ million square feet of space currently under construction is already preleased.

Nearly 900,000 workers in technology sector positions comprise about 5.6 per cent of the Canadian labour force and are making their presence felt in the real estate markets of large and mid-sized cities alike.

Toronto records North America's lowest industrial availability rate, while Montreal and Vancouver also boast rates below 3 per cent coming out of the third quarter of 2020.

Canada-wide, CBRE pegs the total office vacancy rate at 12 per cent across the nine major markets it surveys, ranging from a low of 5.4 per cent in Vancouver to nearly 26 per cent in Calgary.

Second quarter vacancy rates and rent trends provide a first look at Canadian commercial real estate markets during widespread COVID-19-triggered business shutdowns.

A recent CBRE forecast for Atlantic Canada’s commercial real estate industry predicts an increasing need for flexible space.

CBRE’s new Edmonton office is the first in Alberta to achieve WELL Certification at the Silver level for New and Existing Interiors.

Canada’s multifamily market is the most robust it has ever been, with low vacancies from coast to coast and rental rates at or near 10-year highs in most cities, according to CBRE.

Werner Dietl will succeed Mark Renzoni, as president and CEO of CBRE Canada effective Jan. 1, 2019. Renzoni, will step down at the end of the year after 30 years with the commercial real estate company.

Toronto is North America’s fastest growing tech market, outpacing New York and San Francisco combined.

CBRE’s Vancouver office is the first in the city to receive WELL Certification.