"Go Home Developers, You're Drunk": Ben Rabidoux on Canada's Economy and Housing

In this episode, John sits down with Ben Rabidoux of Edge Realty Analytics for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of Canada's economy and housing market. They start with the macro picture — an economy where headline GDP growth masks a struggling private sector, full-time job losses are at their steepest since the pandemic, and an oil-price-driven inflation shock is forcing the Bank of Canada into an impossible position between hiking rates and protecting a weakening economy. The conversation turns to mounting household financial stress, with consumer insolvencies at levels not seen since 2009, credit card charge-offs at decade highs, and a growing social normalization of mortgage default. In the housing market, Ben makes the case that the single-family segment may be nearing a floor — completions and permits are at multi-decade lows, new listings have peaked, and pent-up demand is building — while the condo market faces a deeper structural reckoning as investor economics remain broken and pre-construction defaults surge. They close with what may be the most counterintuitive story in Canadian housing right now: developers are starting rental units at record levels into a market where rents are already falling, vacancy is rising, and population growth has turned negative — setting up a potential future where single-family prices recover while the rental market continues to deteriorate. Follow John x-twitter: https://x.com/JohnPasalis, Instagram @john.pasalis or email: [email protected] Follow the show on x-twitter: @MoveSmartly, Instagram @move.smartly  About This Show The Move Smartly show is hosted by John Pasalis, President and Broker of Realosophy Realty. MoveSmartly.com and its media channels on YouTube and various podcast platforms are powered by Realosophy Realty in Toronto, Canada. You can also watch this episode on our MoveSmartly YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/movesmartly If you enjoy our show and find it useful, please like, subscribe, share, review and comment on whatever platform you are watching or listening to us from - we appreciate your support!