Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1541 - AGTA Real Estate 2026: Structural Reset, Condo Collapse, and What Comes Next

On this episode of The Brian Crombie Radio Hour, Brian takes a hard, unsentimental look at the GTA real estate market — and where it’s truly headed in 2026. First, Brian is joined by Akbar Zareh, founder of Kingsway Real Estate, for a data-driven assessment of Toronto and GTA housing. Akbar breaks down why 2025 became a lost year for real estate and what the numbers are really telling us about confidence, inventory, and capital flight. They discuss:

• Why 2025 was effectively a write-off year for real estate
• The collapse of pre-construction condo sales — from over 20,000 units to under 2,000
• How high inventory, falling rents, and weak confidence are reshaping the market
• What power-of-sale listings, investor distress, and stalled closings signal ahead
• Why developers are pivoting to rentals — and the risks behind that shift
• Why Canadian capital is increasingly flowing to the U.S., Mexico, and other markets

Brian then closes the show with a blunt commentary, “New Year 2026 — The State of the Real Estate Business,” examining why this moment is not just a rate cycle, but a structural reset. He explores what broke in the condo model, how credit stress and renewals are becoming the real story, and why fees, approvals, and delays are quietly manufacturing the next housing crisis. This is not hype.
Not panic.
Not spin. It’s realism — from inside the business.