Canada’s office market has been through a lot, but it’s starting to feel like things are settling down. In some markets, signs of stability and optimism are emerging.

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers Research and Brokerage experts are joined by Scott Gordon, Head of Asset Management at Manulife Canada, and together, they discuss the current state of the asset class.

Eliezer Timolien, host and Office Research Lead, and Thomas Coutu and Jennica Palecek, both Vice Presidents within Brokerage, explore with Gordon the bifurcation in office demand, assessing the interplay between trophy buildings and Class B and C spaces, while looking at how Manulife is approaching and managing its office portfolio.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

The conversation covers:

1. The acceleration of the return-to-office movement and how it’s impacting demand in Canada’s major office markets
2. How the slowdown in new office development is helping stabilize vacancy and stoke the flight-to-quality trend
3. Why improving the office experience and investing in quality amenities are musts in today’s market
4. How owners of Class B and C buildings can make sure their assets remain relevant and competitive in their markets

Links:

Website: https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca/news/podcast-colliers-talks-office-with-manulifes-scott-gordon

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colliers-talks-office-with-manulifes-scott-gordon/id1541655070?i=1000756161037

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FrETAeukrKUw6S8q9XHXV?si=177kRm2bQj6geluKWCecCw

YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEbeRCZvK34

Activity in the United States’ economy and office market tends to foreshadow what's coming for Canada by about a year and half.

In this episode of Colliers Talks Economics, host Adam Jacobs, Head of Research with Colliers Canada, discusses with Marianne Skorupski, National Office Research Director with Colliers U.S., the big-picture office market conditions south of the border.

Skorupski shares her insights on topics such as return-to-office, the shifting investor profile, office conversions, lender behaviour, and more.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

The conversation covers:

• Office demand in key U.S. cities and how return-to-office trends are shaping leasing conditions

• How investor profiles are increasingly shifting towards private sources

• Why AI is helping drive fresh office demand, particularly in the Bay Area

• How the World Cup will help spur ancillary activity and spending across hospitality and other real estate types in large U.S. host cities

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Amidst shifting trade policies, volatile demographics, and uncertainty around interest rates, Canada’s economic outlook has become more complex for real estate decision-makers. In this episode of the Colliers Talks Economics podcast, host Adam Jacobs is joined by Tony Stillo, Director of Economics for Canada at Oxford Economics, to unpack what has changed in forecasting; why USMCA negotiations are the key near-term hinge for growth; and how fiscal policy, infrastructure spending, and immigration shifts are shaping the path ahead.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

What You’ll Learn:

1. How to build resilience into long-term real estate underwriting
2. Why demographic volatility is the new wild card for real estate investors
3. The framework for evaluating the USMCA renegotiation risk to your portfolio
4. How rising long-end interest rates present both opportunity and risk despite flat short-end policy rates
5. Why condo market misalignment persists despite chronic housing shortages

Tony Stillo is the Director of Economics for Canada at Oxford Economics, where he leads the national macro forecast and provides critical analysis on data releases and macroeconomic trends shaping Canada's economy. With over a decade of experience at the Ontario Ministry of Finance managing macro policy and modeling, Tony brings deep insight into how government decisions and policy interventions influence economic outcomes.

Links

Website: https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca/news/podcast-global-trade-interest-rates-and-housing-the-road-ahead

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/colliers-talks-economics-global-trade-interest-rates/id1541655070?i=1000751772041

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vCZ6ZUnBjTqCmqpXTjnXj?si=mAUFVi0MQtOs0yvQEnCI4Q

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq7YxZprOPw

Canada’s federal government has committed $176 billion over five years to boost productivity and unlock private investment. While on the surface it sounds transformative, the architects of Canada’s economic future are quietly skeptical about whether this actually works.

In this episode of the Colliers Talks Economics podcast, host Adam Jacobs is joined by Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada, to unpack why Canada continues to lag peers on productivity and what it means for businesses, policymakers, and real estate decision-makers in the year ahead.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca.

What You’ll Learn:

● How to diagnose Canada's productivity gap

● Why federal budget catalyst effects may overpromise

● The residential construction productivity trap

● How to segment labour market health beyond headline unemployment

● Why Canada's dramatic immigration reversal creates structural uncertainty

● The AI productivity opportunity and displacement risk

Pedro Antunes is the Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada, leading a team of economists focused on thought leadership across productivity, labour market dynamics, trade diversification, federal budgeting, and human capital development. As a recognized spokesperson for the Conference Board, he provides expert testimony to Parliament and regularly engages with business leaders, policymakers, and media on critical economic issues shaping Canada's future.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca.

Could Canada’s housing crisis and economic headwinds be solved with smarter policy coordination? In this episode of the Colliers Talks Economics podcast, host Adam Jacobs is joined by Randall Bartlett, Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins, to unpack why the condo market has cooled so dramatically, how purpose-built rental has surged in response, and what higher-for-longer interest rates and evolving demographics mean for developers, investors, and lenders.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why the condo market collapsed and why it won't recover without fundamental price corrections
2. How to pivot development strategy from condos to purpose-built rental
3. The infrastructure bottleneck killing downtown viability and office occupancy
4. How to recalibrate population growth expectations and navigate their impact on project underwriting
5. Why soft costs and development charges now represent the single largest obstacle to housing affordability

Randall Bartlett is the Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins, leading economic research and forecasting across Canadian and provincial economies, housing markets, and fiscal policy. With vast experience as Director of Economic Research at Omers, where he supported global investment decisions across asset classes, Randall brings deep expertise in macroeconomic trends, demographic shifts, and their cascading impact on real estate markets.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/canadas-economic-reset-rates-inflation-real-estate/id1541655070?i=1000741709754

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YpOxQ8P92zxChHy3BeVeq?si=wwvzvsDKR7qhkK6Tx78YgQ

YouTube: https://youtu.be/CfMqXEtP4Es

In the new Colliers Talks series, Retail Unfiltered, hosts Tina Williams and Bri-Ann Stuart discuss the hot trends and key issues that are front and centre in retail.

The conversation covers:

• How consumer behaviour is shifting and why it's essential for retailers and landlords to understand the impact of new wants and trends to their business
• Why a super focused, data-driven approach is required to achieve savings and manage assets amidst inflation and rising operational costs
• The importance of collaboration between landlords and their retail tenants, and with that, understanding each other's needs and finding co-investments and creative deal structures that spark win-wins
• Why launching pilot programs and testing new products, services and activations can spell success for retailers and their landlords

There has been a lot going on with the Canadian economy and commerce these days, and the situation carries plenty of implications for businesses and property owners.

New leadership in Ottawa; ongoing trade disorder with the U.S.; inflation and interest rate ups and downs; shifting labour and office markets; and consumer spending habits in flux – it all prompts the need for an economic check-up.

In this episode of Colliers

Talks, Colliers’ Head of Research, Canada, Adam Jacobs, and RBC Capital Markets Senior Economist, Claire Fan, discuss these issues and spell out what they mean for the commercial property market.

The conversation covers:

• The economic implications of the Canada-U.S. trade conflict
• Why Canada may have more room for economic stimulus spending than other G7 countries
• What Bank of Canada will do with interest rates if it sees more evidence of economic deterioratio
• Household spending and how it remains relatively strong, despite broader challenges
• Why RBC economists are not convinced Canada will experience a recession this year

Roughly one in four people in Canada identify themselves as having some form of cognitive or physical disability, but our built environment, while improving, continues to present obstacles for many people.

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers' Tonya Lagrasta, Global Head of Sustainability, and Erin O’Hearn, Senior Property Manager, are joined by Matthew Shaw, Head, Accessible Practice, Rick Hansen Foundation.

They discuss the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities in buildings, and the need for continuous improvement beyond simply complying with regulations.

There is also a business case for improving accessibility. Enabling more people to access, enjoy and thrive in our spaces can enhance tenant retention and improve a building’s performance.

The conversation covers:

• The challenges and misconceptions around accessibility and why relying on minimum government requirements is not enough
• Why the best approach is to focus on education, empathy and strategic planning to create more accessible spaces
• The importance of considering the entire journey and experience of a person when they arrive at a building, move through the space, and eventually depart
• Why accessibility audits of buildings are integral to the pursuit of continuous improvement

Get more insights from key Colliers experts and major industry players. Tune in to more Colliers Talks episodes.