Vancouver commercial investment falls in cautious H1 2026
A pronounced flight to quality defined leasing activity. Class A transactions accounted for 70 deals and more than 1.3 million square feet, while Class B space drew just 16 transactions totalling approximately 245,000 square feet.
Industrial investment declined 19% year-over-year to nearly $669 million, though underlying fundamentals remained structurally tight.
Altus Group’s Canadian Industrial Market Update placed Vancouver’s availability rate at 5.9%, down 30 basis points year-over-year, with four consecutive quarters of positive absorption reinforcing the sector’s scarcity value.
The active construction pipeline narrowed to 27 buildings totalling approximately 2.5 million square feet, roughly 51% available for lease, as developers shifted toward stricter pre-leasing requirements to manage elevated construction and financing costs.
Multi-family and land investment pull back
Multi-family transaction volume fell 41% year-over-year to nearly $372 million as investors recalibrated to softer rental growth expectations, elevated condominium inventory, and mandatory rent stabilization policies. Activity concentrated in stabilized low-rise assets and specialized care facilities.
