Royal LePage: trade tensions stall Canada’s fall housing market
Don Kottick of RE/MAX Canada says buyers remain willing to make compromises, from relocating farther from city centres to adjusting their spending habits, to achieve their homeownership goals. https://t.co/GOHrsHlsWY
— Canadian Mortgage Professional Magazine (@CMPmagazine) October 14, 2026
What brokers are seeing on the ground
For buyers who do act, leverage has shifted. “Conditions of finance are back in. Home inspections, everything, you name it. Water testing. We have price reductions,” said Sarita Free, a mortgage agent with Mortgage Powered Financial Group in Norfolk County, Ont., who spoke at MortgageFest.
Tracy Valko, founder of AIMI Mortgage Collective, said brokers must understand the macro picture without guessing at it.
“There’s a lot of global tensions right now that are affecting our market. What’s affecting bond yields? What affects fixed rates? Agents and brokers should know that. We as mortgage agents and brokers should never predict, but one thing we should do is make sure that we understand the knowledge so we can future-prepare homeowners for what could be coming down the pipeline,” she explained during the mortgage event.
Andy Kuyper, head of partnerships and secured lending at TransUnion, sees a slow climb rather than a rebound and also shared his thoughts during MortgageFest Canada.
“I’d like to be optimistic. I think we’re facing the reality that with the geopolitical climate and everything that’s happening here, our mortgage industry is probably not ready to rebound. We are seeing slight growth in originations, we’re seeing slight growth in mortgage balances – a lot more on the refi side,” he said.
