VREP #505 | The Province is Broke & the 2026 BC Budget is Making it Worse with Trevor Hargreaves

The spring market many buyers and sellers have been waiting for may not be coming - at least not in the way Vancouver has historically thought of it. GVR Chief Economist Andrew Lis sits down with Adam & Matt this week to unpack why 2026 is shaping up to look remarkably like 2025 & why what feels like a slow market today may simply be the new normal. From the near-collapse of investor demand and a historic vacancy rate spike to a shadow inventory of unsold condos, a slowdown in immigration, and a demographic shift decades in the making, Andrew maps the structural forces quietly reshaping this market. How long before inventory gets chewed through and prices stabilize? Has the investment thesis in Vancouver fundamentally broken down? And is the red-hot market this city grew up expecting actually gone for good? This conversation will change how you think of our market!

Think you know the Vancouver real estate market? In this special all-trivia episode, Adam and Matt go head-to-head on the data defining Metro Vancouver in 2026, and the numbers will genuinely surprise you. From surprising sales trends by property type, to a jaw-dropping 10-year return stat that will make you rethink where wealth has actually been created in this region, to an inventory shift that could signal a turning point, this episode packs real insight into a fast-moving, play-along format whether you are looking to sell, buy, or just follow the market. Which property type is bucking the trend right now? Which market has quietly outperformed everywhere else over the last decade? And what does a dramatic drop in one key segment's inventory mean for buyers and sellers this spring? Don't miss this one!

BC is staring down a $13.5 billion deficit. Yes, with a B! And the 2026 provincial budget will only make things worse. BCREA Senior VP of Government Relations Trevor Hargreaves sits down with Adam & Matt this week to unpack surprise PST expansions, new tax hikes, and a government trying to grow the economy with policies that discourage investment and development. Trevor breaks down why the Vancouver Board of Trade held an urgent press conference calling for change, where the political landscape of British Columbia is heading, and why a lack of consultation on the part of David Eby's government keeps leading to hasty policy. With criticism coming from every direction, can the NDP hold it together? Is the province's approach to taxation doing more harm than good? And could a shift in political leadership finally change course for BC? Don't miss this one!

Toronto's housing market has hit historic lows with 17 straight months of year-over-year price declines, and the ripple effects are being felt across the country. Canadian Real Estate Investor podcast hosts Daniel Foch and Nick Hill sit down with Adam & Matt to deliver a raw, unfiltered look at what's happening in Canada's largest market and what it signals for Vancouver and beyond. From massive investor losses and the tariff threat hammering Ontario's auto corridor to the rise of AI reshaping how real estate professionals work, this conversation covers the forces quietly redefining Canadian housing. Where are savvy investors still finding opportunities across the country? How long until Toronto finally hits bottom? And is the era of easy real estate money gone for good? Don't miss this one!

What started in 1973 as a lifeline for cash-poor retirees has morphed into one of BC's most lopsided housing policies, one that disproportionately benefits the people who need it least. Insurance professional and self-described policy obsessive Phil Webb sits down with Adam & Matt to expose BC's property tax deferral program, a seniors benefit with no income or wealth limits that has become an investment vehicle for some of Vancouver's wealthiest homeowners. Far from helping the house-poor, enrolled homes in Vancouver average $3.4 million in assessed value & in West Vancouver one in seven properties takes advantage of the program. How did a program designed to protect vulnerable seniors end up subsidizing hedge fund managers and mansion owners? Why does BC run the most generous version of this program in the entire country? And is there a simple fix that politicians are too afraid to touch? Don't miss this one.

Two provinces, two court decisions, completely opposite conclusions on Aboriginal title over private lands. Lawyer Sam Adkins sits down with Adam & Matt this week to unpack the seismic legal shifts since the Cowichan Decision rocked the British Columbia real estate market last fall. From Montrose Properties' move to reopen the Cowichan case to New Brunswick's Court of Appeal ruling that Aboriginal title land claims on privately held property "sound the death knell of reconciliation," uncertainty is spreading across Canadian real estate. Why are BC and New Brunswick courts reaching completely opposite conclusions on the same legal issue? What does this mean for a final resolution on Canadian property rights? And with one to two years until the Supreme Court weighs in, what happens to property owners in the meantime? Don't miss this critical update!

Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West is challenging just about every orthodoxy about our province’s future and British Columbians are taking notice. Brad sits down this week with Adam & Matt to challenge the housing crisis narrative, expose how provincial mandates are destroying local communities, lament BC abandoning its resource wealth for service sector stagnation, and reveal why the Cowichan decision poses a greater threat than any housing shortage. From secret provincial legislation developed without consulting a single mayor to court rulings that undermine property ownership itself, West argues BC is living through a historic moment of reckoning. We need a different path forward. What's really causing affordability pain? Why are housing units sitting vacant while family homes are no longer being built? And can a small city mayor articulate a better path forward than Victoria? This one is for all British Columbians!

Vancouver just posted its worst sales year of the 21st Century. This century. Let that sink in. And now listen up because Chief Economists Ryan Berlin from Rennie and Brendon Ogmundson from BCREA sit down together with Adam & Matt this week to discuss where we go from here. From concrete towers sitting unsold to rental oversupply colliding with plummeting immigration, the forces reshaping Metro Vancouver reveal a market searching for a new identity. Are we just witnessing the depths of a regular market cycle or has something about Vancouver real estate fundamentally changed? Will sales volumes continue to bounce along the historic bottom in 2026? And where should buyers be looking for opportunities in this reshuffled market? Don't miss our 500th episode!

After a year that defied expectations, Vancouver real estate's 2025 reality check reveals uncomfortable truths about market psychology and price compression. Adam & Matt sit down for an end of the year conversation to dissect the deepest volume slowdown in decades, stubborn inventory levels well above historical norms, and a luxury-led price correction reshaping everything below it. From West Side single family homes losing hundreds of thousands to Whistler condos surging 10%, this wide-ranging market review cuts through the noise to reveal which neighborhoods stayed resilient and which crumbled under the pressure. Is 2026 the year buyer confidence finally returns? What's driving the dramatic divergence between Kitsilano and South Burnaby? And with inventory at record highs, are we finally circling bottom or just beginning the descent? Don't miss this one! 

They say it's not what you make but what you keep. And today's guests can definitely help with that. DMCL tax specialists Mohammad Shahid and Nav Pannu sit down with Adam & Matt this week to decode the tax implications that real estate investors face at every stage. From understanding when incorporation makes sense to navigating capital gains calculations, change-of-use rules, and interest deductibility strategies, this conversation cuts through technical jargon to reveal practical strategies & concrete examples for minimizing tax exposure. When should you incorporate versus holding properties personally? How do laneway homes impact your principal residence exemption? And can you really maintain primary residence status for four years without living in a property? Don’t miss this one!