Opinions
A Market Still Led by End Users, Not Speculators
In the ever-evolving world of Metro Vancouver real estate, one truth has remained consistent over the past few years: this market continues to be driven by end users—not speculators.
T. Jones Group drastically transformed this Palm Springs-inspired Villa while upholding its architectural integrity to bring this home into the modern day.
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"Jeffs Residences, on Charles Street just off Commercial Drive] was a large old
house that was built in the 1900's, it happened to be sitting on a large site that was
quite under utilized relative to what you could build on the site ... Under the zoning
on the site you could have demolished everything and built 10 duplexes. But /
looked at it and I thought that first, there was this grand old house that had been
kind of butchered but still retained the essential fabric and form of the original
house, and there was an opportunity here with this under utilized site. I thought
maybe there was an opportunity to add some different forms of housing through a
Heritage Revitalization Agreement which was a policy tool the City had to
encourage Heritage Retention"
Despite headlines that often skew toward drama—bidding wars, offshore investors, skyrocketing prices—the day-to-day reality on the ground tells a different story. The bulk of transactions across Greater Vancouver are being made by people who plan to live in their homes, not flip them. They're upsizing, downsizing, rightsizing, planting roots, or moving closer to work or family. This is a market led by life transitions and supported by geographic fundamentals, not speculative ambition.
The Return to Fundamentals
Interest rates have recalibrated buyer expectations, yet demand has proven resilient. Why? Because housing is still fundamentally a necessity, not a trade. People aren't buying pre-construction condos in the hopes of a quick gain—they're buying townhomes with backyards for their growing families or one-bedroom units near transit to shorten commutes. The shift to practicality is real.
Unlike the frenzied years of 2015–2017, when investor confidence often outpaced logic and panicked locals, today’s buyers are cautious, informed, and grounded. They're calculating carrying costs, navigating stress tests, and prioritizing livability over leverage. They’re not betting on appreciation—they’re betting on Vancouver as a long-term home.
Supply Still Playing Catch-Up
Even as end-user demand remains strong, supply continues to lag. Municipal bottlenecks, construction delays, and rising costs have all contributed to a chronic undersupply of diverse housing options. This imbalance isn’t fueling speculative heat—it’s driving urgency for those with genuine housing needs.
And while foreign buyers once played an outsized role in Vancouver’s housing narrative, their influence has significantly waned. With policies like the foreign buyer ban and the empty homes tax, the city’s housing dynamics have increasingly shifted back to locals—people who live, work, and contribute here.
Where Do We Go From Here?
If we want to keep this market healthy and accessible, the focus must remain on creating housing that serves people, families (and their pets), and communities. That means encouraging thoughtful density, expediting permitting processes, and create policies that support hardworking builders, designers, and suppliers who create housing for users, not speculators.
Vancouver doesn’t need another speculative boom. It needs stability, supply, and a continued commitment to housing as a home first, asset second.
The numbers may fluctuate, but the soul of this market is clear: people still want to live here—and they’re willing to commit for the long haul.
Questions?
Contact us if you need some objective advice on how you can plan for your future and navigate the ever changing Vancouver real estate market.
