VREP #445 | The Scalena Brothers’ Key Takeaways on Vancouver’s Market Resiliency, New Buying Strategies & BC-specific Investor Hurdles

Is the elusive real estate bottom in the presale world finally here? This industry insider - armed with visibility into almost all new construction contracts written in BC - says all signs point to yes.President & CEO of Avesdo Ben Smith sits down with Adam & Matt this week to share exclusive insights from his unique vantage point in the presale world.What are the telltale signs that the new construction market has bottomed? What should all potential buyers know about the flow of contracts coming across his desk this fall? And why are the next few months potentially the best buying opportunity in Ben's more than 20 year career? It's time to take action! 

Ever wish you could hit pause on a great conversation? Today we're doing just that - exploring some of the unique, interesting, and counterintuitive ideas that emerged from our most recent podcast episodes.Adam & Matt sit down this week to unpack the most compelling insights from their recent discussions. From Brian Yu's analysis of Vancouver's self-selecting housing market to Milan Mann's observations about shifting buyer preferences to Todd Talbot's new take on real estate investing, the hosts connect insights across conversations, uncovering the deeper trends shaping the market as we move towards the end of 2024.

Ever wanted to be in the room when Western Canada's largest developers, REITs & policy makers parse the data behind their multimillion-dollar decisions?Us too. And today is our lucky day. Ryan Berlin, Vice President of Intelligence and Head Economist at Rennie, sits down with Adam & Matt to break down today's complex market landscape. With insights typically reserved for the biggest players, Metro Vancouver's data guru unpacks what's actually happening behind the numbers - from plummeting employment to the great investor exodus to quickly falling interest rates.We are in confusing times. Want to know where the smart money's headed? This is your direct line to the metrics that matter - don't miss it!

In the near decade of the Vancouver Real Estate Podcast, we have never been in a moment where this question even made sense to ask: are rents actually going down in Vancouver?Founder of the Vancouver Rental Group, Seva Roberts, has answers - and they come from managing 300+ rentals day in & day out across the lower Mainland. Seva sits down with Adam & Matt this week to unpack the region’s rental market in the fall of 2024.Where did the seemingly insatiable demand go? Is rental inventory growing as we head into the traditionally slower winter months? And which submarkets are the most immune to market downturns? This is a deep dive into the other side of our housing market. Listen up!

The British Columbia provincial election is upon us & the choices for premier & party are stark. This October 19th election will shape our province in profound ways for years to come. So how do the candidates stack up in regards to arguably the most important issue facing British Columbians - housing?This week BCREA's Senior Vice President of Government Relations, Research, Marketing and Communications Trevor Hargreaves sits down with Adam & Matt to discuss how the parties stack up on critical housing issues.From affordability measures to zoning reforms, residential tenancy changes to the crackdown on short term rentals, we grade the major parties' platforms and predict how their proposed policies - or lack thereof - might impact BC's real estate landscape. Don't miss this essential pre-election breakdown that could help inform your vote and your future in British Columbia.

This is not your usual Vancouver Real Estate Podcast episode. Long time listeners will remember Love It or List It Vancouver star Todd Talbot on the show nearly 3 years ago discussing his Okanagan “Eh” Frame project. This net zero, passive house, passion project was set to ultimately be the subject of a TV series when fully built. But then disaster struck.The 2023 McDougall Creek Wildfire ripped through the area and burnt down the nearly complete “Eh” Frame along with many homes nearby. Now Todd sits down with Adam & Matt to detail the harrowing story as his docu-series is set to air. What lessons can we all learn from Todd’s terrible experience? Are there ways to better mitigate against future climate-related threats in the Okanagan and Vancouver? And what can this story ultimately tell us about the future of our province? You couldn’t write this story.

The local economy is the backdrop for every conversation we have about our real estate market. And yet we rarely get a chance to focus specifically on the economy of Metro Vancouver.How are we actually doing as a region? Should we be uneasy or optimistic about the future? Are you richer or poorer than you think?Central 1 Credit Union’s Chief Economist Bryan Yu sits down with Adam & Matt this week to tackle all these questions and more. What are the most significant local factors for our housing market? Why are rents dropping right now in Vancouver? And what does this all mean for the real estate market for the last months of 2024 & well into 2025. This is a must listen!

Supply chain disruptions, rising construction costs & tepid buyer demand have all been watchwords in Metro Vancouver development for the last few years.But are these highly challenging days finally behind us? BM Group’s President of Real Estate Development and Construction, Milan Mann, knows both sides of this equation intimately.Milan joins Adam & Matt this week to discuss all facets of delivering homes in today’s difficult marketplace - from the cost of concrete & labour all the way through to sales strategies at the display suite.What are the biggest pain points in the construction process today? Will new home buyers benefit from the taming of construction inflation? And where does BM Group see the biggest opportunities for savvy real estate investors in a declining interest rate environment? Listen in to hear an insider’s take!

“Sellers Await Buyers’ Return” was the headline that marked the end of the summer 2024. And the same could be said for the spring. And 2023. And most of 2022. As goes interest rates, so goes Canadian real estate apparently.But are high interest rates the total story? Former President of Mortgage Architects Dustan Woodhouse has spent a lot of time thinking about the Canadian lending environment & has come to a different conclusion.Dustan sits down with Adam and Matt this week to discuss the seismic shifts in Canada's lending landscape that began well before the meteoric rise of interest rates. How have multiple regulatory changes over the past 15 years dramatically reshaped the borrowing power of middle-class Canadians? Who wins and who loses with all the behind-the-scenes tampering with borrowing requirements? And what will it actually take to bring our real estate market out of its deep freeze?This episode is a master class!  

The BC provincial government stunned observers late last year when it legislated all BC municipalities change zoning regulations to permit multiplexes on single family lots by June 30, 2024. The provincial order was clear. But implementation has been another thing altogether. Architect Tara Gronlund joins Adam & Matt to discuss how different municipalities around Metro Vancouver have responded to this directive from on high. Which municipalities have dramatically upped what can be built on single family lots? Where has the directive had basically no impact? And how will these municipal zoning changes potentially change the course of the region for decades to come? The devil, as they say, is in the details, so listen up!