Commercial real estate investment picks up pace in key Canadian markets
In Atlantic Canada, Halifax’s commercial sector was buoyed by defence and logistics spending, including two defence-related acquisitions announced in March 2026 totalling $142.5 million. The city reported office availability of approximately eight per cent in the second quarter of 2026, according to Altus Data Studio – the lowest rate in Canada.
For advisors following the growing role of defence investment in Atlantic Canadian real estate, Wealth Professional‘s coverage of investors entering the Canadian global real estate space offers a broader lens on where capital is repositioning nationally.
Newfoundland and Labrador, meanwhile, saw 15 multi-family and industrial transactions over $1 million close on MLS between January 1 and August 31, 2026, up from nine transactions in the same period a year earlier, per the REMAX Canada report. Energy, mining and infrastructure investment continued to underpin activity there.
Supply constraints and what comes next
The report’s authors and the agents surveyed were consistent on one theme: supply is the binding constraint across many Canadian commercial markets, and high construction and financing costs are prolonging that imbalance.
“Supply has become increasingly constrained in some of the country’s key commercial markets,” said Don Kottick, President of REMAX Canada. “Demand for smaller industrial units and neighbourhood retail space has remained strong in many markets, yet high construction and financing costs continue to limit new development. Higher bond yields and economic uncertainty could prolong that imbalance.”
