Canadians trade convenience for space as housing compromise deepens
“There’s a difference between compromising and settling,” he said. “Buyers are identifying what matters most and where they have room to be flexible.”
Affordability ranked as the dominant search criterion, cited by 60% of respondents, with neighbourhood safety second at 47%.
Top sacrifices Canadians would make to afford a home, REMAX Canada 2026 Fall Housing Market Outlook
Would make any compromise
65%
of Canadians surveyed
Would relocate for a better home
63%
willing to move communities
Location & property Financial
Location & property compromises
| Would move up to one hour from current community | 47% |
|
| Would live farther from a city centre | 31% |
|
| Would live farther from shops and amenities | 21% |
|
| Would buy an older home needing renovations | 20% |
|
| Would move more than one hour from current community | 16% |
|
Financial compromises
| Would cut discretionary spending (travel, dining out) | 41% |
|
| Would extend mortgage amortization period | 24% |
|
| Would accept financial help from family | 20% |
|
| Would take on a second job or additional income source | 17% |
|
| Would delay retirement or long-term savings | 17% |
|
Source: REMAX Canada 2026 Fall Housing Market Outlook. Leger online survey of 1,532 Canadian adults aged 18+, July 17–19, 2026. Respondents could select multiple options; percentages do not sum to 100.
A softer market, but buyer conditions improving
REMAX brokers and agents reported that home sales declined year-over-year in 81% of markets analyzed between January 1 and July 31, while average residential prices rose in 56% of markets.
The fall outlook projects 2026 national sales finishing approximately 2% below 2025 levels.
Yet buyer-favourable conditions have spread further than anticipated at the start of the year. REMAX estimates 32% of markets will sit in buyers’ territory this fall, compared with 15.2% a year earlier.
