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👩🏻 Top insight to share with you

Hot off the press is the CMHC Housing Market Outlook 2026.

3 years ago, I had no idea what “CMHC” was. It’s embarrassing because you’d think that buying a property, I would know what it is.

I bought my first and only property when I was 23. It would have been wise had I learned before I bought because it was a pretty ugly time of unpaid rent. That experience sent me into a few thousand hours of rental industry learning.

The readers of this newsletter consists of absolute beginners like me at the start (e.g. renters, home owners, teenagers) to extremely sophisticated investors who are sharing knowledge with me so I can share it back with you.

Over the years, I knocked some sense into myself. I’ve come to learn that rental business is not passive income - so I soak up as much as I can from many different places.

Regarding CMHC: Each year, this report breaks it down into specific provinces (British Columbia, Prairies, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia) and prominent cities within each province. Pretty neat if you’re into data!

What are we seeing at a national level?

1. The Canadian economy is struggling. Jobs are hard to find, people aren't spending much money, and the ongoing trade fight with the U.S. is hurting Canadian businesses. 2026 is going to be a tough year financially for a lot of people. At Openroom, we try to support local Canadian startups as much as possible from banking to client gifting.
   

2. More people will buy homes in 2026, but it's not a real comeback. The bump in home sales is mostly because people who were waiting on the sidelines are finally jumping in - not because things are actually getting better.
   

3. Builders are putting the brakes on new construction. Because it's expensive to build and fewer people are buying, developers are slowing down on starting new homes. In Toronto, new condo projects are being cancelled or put on hold. Many of the ones that are built are being turned into rentals.

There are good elements to look forward to

1. Interest rates have been coming down. Variable mortgage rates have dropped over the past 2 years, which means borrowing has gotten a little cheaper for homeowners. That's real relief for people with mortgages - 2026 is a peak year for mortgage renewals!
   

2. Home prices are expected to rise, slowly. After a rough patch, national home prices are forecast to climb from $698,000 in 2026 to $727,000 by 2028. I suppose this is good for homeowners and not as good for those who want to buy.
   

3. Renters are getting a break. More rental units are hitting the market, which means landlords have less power to raise rents. Renters will have more options and more time to save up before buying. Now’s the time for renters to credit build to have a better credit profile.

Overall, 2027-2028 looks more positive. Any thoughts?

📚 New Educational Videos Launched in Openroom University

And, CMHC has some great resources too. They’ve got tools for topics: Renting a home (for tenant, landlord, or property manager), Owning a home, and even Buying a home.

Research & Giveaway

Anyone who participates in the polling can choose to be part of the draw to win a Travel Coffee Kit! Winner announced in the next newsletter.

Welcome aboard: Kruv - Elevating the coffee experience. They are the latest to join our Rewards Network where landlords and their residents who are on BureauEdge get access to 100+ perks.

I had no idea coffee could taste better in different cups until Kruv’s Co-Founder, Karol, taught me. Wicked.

Weiting Bollu
Mom, Rental Housing Provider, Rental Housing Advocate, Educator, and Openroom Co-Founder & CEO

Openroom collects public tenancy records and connects them to the broader financial credit system to help you make informed decisions on who to rent from and rent to.

We enable you to screen tenants or future landlords, help you report rental debt, give rewards to great residents, or bundle it all into BureauEdge.

We also educate about rental housing and we advocate for a more transparent and connected rental ecosystem to support both responsible housing providers and residents.