2019 is Expected to be Another Great Year For Commercial Real Estate in Canada
Canada’s commercial real estate market is expected to have another prosperous year thanks to the booming economy. The commercial real estate scene is benefiting from a tight supply and a reduced unemployment rate—the lowest it has been in 40 years!
The final statistics suggest that investment in commercial real estate in Canada reached a record high in 2018, beating CAD 36 billion of 2017.
Here are some of the highlights revealed from a 2018 study on commercial real estate in Canada:
Offices
·Vacancies of offices declined across most industries in Canada. This lowered the Canadian average to 11% by the end of 2018.
·The number of office spaces under construction almost doubled last year; they grew to 2 million sq m. The increase of office space in the country was led by Vancouver and Toronto. The added supply of office space will raise vacancies to 11.3% in 2019.
·Lack of space and soaring rents of downtown areas in major cities is expected to force tenants out of the city and into the suburbs.
Industrial
·At the end of 2018, vacancies in the industrial area plummeted to a mere 2.9% and are expected to decrease even more in 2019.
·Vancouver and Toronto witnessed the lowest vacancy rates of industrial real estate in all of North America. Vacancy rates for Vancouver were 1.5% and vacancy rates for Toronto were 1.3%. In 2019, Vancouver and Toronto are expected to list in the three tightest markets for industrial real estate in North America.
·In 2018, construction of industrial real estate grew from 14 million sq ft in 2017 to over 20 million sq ft.

Retail
·Real estate in retail has taken a bit of a hit as major chains have been forced to close down due to the increase of online shopping.
·Despite the rise of online shopping, discount and luxury retailers continue to grow. However, consumer spending is slowing down due to high debt and increasing interest rates .
·In 2019, landlords of retail real estate are expected to spend on making improvements to their properties. Large retail real estate spaces are expected to be converted or redeveloped to incorporate mixed-used elements like offices or housing.
Pivotal Commercial Realty has high hopes for the opportunities 2019 is going to bring to the commercial real estate environment.
If you’re looking to invest in commercial real estate ( retail , industrial or office leasing ) in Toronto, we can help you with site selection, negotiations, documentation and closing.
Call us today at 800-908-6718 for more information.


