How to Survive with 18% Office Vacancy in Montreal | Concrete Strategies for Property Owners with Laurence Binette

Montreal's office market is showing nearly a 17–18% vacancy rate. Landlords must offer more concessions, invest heavily in their buildings, and completely rethink their strategy. So how do you stay competitive in 2026? In this episode, Laurence Binette, Director of Brokerage at AlFID, explains how an integrated real estate group with more than 350 employees manages 32 commercial buildings, 2,000 residential units, and 1,000 student housing rooms while continuing to innovate in a complex market. We discuss major transactions, asset optimization, free rent concessions worth $100 to $125 per square foot, repositioning Class B buildings, decarbonization initiatives, and even in-house parking management to maximize revenue. A practical episode for property owners, investors, and commercial real estate professionals who want to understand what is actually working in Montreal today.   Topics & Timestamps 🎙️ Laurence's journey into brokerage (00:01:54) 🏢 Integrated real estate operations (00:03:34) 💰 Record transactions & competitive bidding (00:12:50) 📊 Lease concessions & free rent trends (00:17:38) 🚗 Parking management innovation (00:20:15) 🌱 ESG & decarbonization in refinancing (00:22:59)   🔗 Connect with Laurence Binette 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-binette-73658995/?locale=en_US 🏢 ALFID: https://www.alfid.com/#dirigeants-section-anchor  👤 Follow Axel Monsaingeon 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axelmonsaingeon   🌐 Explore more resources 📊 Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https://www.e5pace.com/