#21 — Ben Rabidoux: The State of Canada’s Real Estate Market

Our guest this week is Ben Rabidoux—Founder of Edge Realty Analytics and North Cove Advisors and one of the most respected voices on Canadian housing and economics. In this episode, he joins Dave to tackle some of the biggest questions facing Canada’s real estate market today. From the condo market crash to vacancy rates for rentals to the role of HELOCs and immigration policy, Ben explains how we got here, what’s coming next and what it all means for affordability in this country. He also shares the story of catching Fortress as a fraud and offers a candid take on whether Canada is too soft on white-collar crime. If you care about housing, affordability or the future of Canada’s economy, this episode is a must-listen. Show Notes (00:00) Intro & Disclaimer (00:55) Intro to Ben Rabidoux (02:19) Catching Fortress as a Fraud (09:26) Is Canada Too Soft on White-Collar Crime? (11:56) Are Rents Going to Come Down in Canada? (15:12) How Much Do Home Prices Need to Drop to Become Affordable Again? (16:33) The Condo Market is Hyper-Cyclical (17:58) The Condo Market Crash (24:34) Who Was Buying These Pre-Sale Condos? (25:27) Where is This Condo Crisis Headed? (28:18) The Impact HELOCs Have on Canada’s Economy (32:51) Immigration and Its Impact on Canadian Real Estate (38:47) A Challenge Our Government Faces Over Immigration (41:01) The Impact of AI on Immigration Levels (44:46) How Does Canada Fix Its Affordability Challenges? (48:09) Conclusion