In this episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers Research and Brokerage experts are joined by Scott Gordon, Head of Asset Management at Manulife Canada, and together, they discuss the current state of the asset class.

Eliezer Timolien, host and Office Research Lead, and Thomas Coutu and Jennica Palecek, both Vice Presidents within Brokerage, explore with Gordon the bifurcation in office demand, assessing the interplay between trophy buildings and Class B and C spaces, while looking at how Manulife is approaching and managing its office portfolio.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

The conversation covers:

1. The acceleration of the return-to-office movement and how it’s impacting demand in Canada’s major office markets
2. How the slowdown in new office development is helping stabilize vacancy and stoke the flight-to-quality trend
3. Why improving the office experience and investing in quality amenities are musts in today’s market
4. How owners of Class B and C buildings can make sure their assets remain relevant and competitive in their markets

Links:

Website: https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca/news/podcast-colliers-talks-office-with-manulifes-scott-gordon

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/colliers-talks-office-with-manulifes-scott-gordon/id1541655070?i=1000756161037

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4FrETAeukrKUw6S8q9XHXV?si=177kRm2bQj6geluKWCecCw

YouTube Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEbeRCZvK34

In this episode of Colliers Talks Economics, host Adam Jacobs, Head of Research with Colliers Canada, discusses with Marianne Skorupski, National Office Research Director with Colliers U.S., the big-picture office market conditions south of the border.

Skorupski shares her insights on topics such as return-to-office, the shifting investor profile, office conversions, lender behaviour, and more.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

The conversation covers:

• Office demand in key U.S. cities and how return-to-office trends are shaping leasing conditions

• How investor profiles are increasingly shifting towards private sources

• Why AI is helping drive fresh office demand, particularly in the Bay Area

• How the World Cup will help spur ancillary activity and spending across hospitality and other real estate types in large U.S. host cities

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

What You’ll Learn:

1. How to build resilience into long-term real estate underwriting
2. Why demographic volatility is the new wild card for real estate investors
3. The framework for evaluating the USMCA renegotiation risk to your portfolio
4. How rising long-end interest rates present both opportunity and risk despite flat short-end policy rates
5. Why condo market misalignment persists despite chronic housing shortages

Tony Stillo is the Director of Economics for Canada at Oxford Economics, where he leads the national macro forecast and provides critical analysis on data releases and macroeconomic trends shaping Canada's economy. With over a decade of experience at the Ontario Ministry of Finance managing macro policy and modeling, Tony brings deep insight into how government decisions and policy interventions influence economic outcomes.

Links

Website: https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca/news/podcast-global-trade-interest-rates-and-housing-the-road-ahead

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/colliers-talks-economics-global-trade-interest-rates/id1541655070?i=1000751772041

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3vCZ6ZUnBjTqCmqpXTjnXj?si=mAUFVi0MQtOs0yvQEnCI4Q

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rq7YxZprOPw

In this episode of the Colliers Talks Economics podcast, host Adam Jacobs is joined by Pedro Antunes, Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada, to unpack why Canada continues to lag peers on productivity and what it means for businesses, policymakers, and real estate decision-makers in the year ahead.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca.

What You’ll Learn:

● How to diagnose Canada's productivity gap

● Why federal budget catalyst effects may overpromise

● The residential construction productivity trap

● How to segment labour market health beyond headline unemployment

● Why Canada's dramatic immigration reversal creates structural uncertainty

● The AI productivity opportunity and displacement risk

Pedro Antunes is the Chief Economist at The Conference Board of Canada, leading a team of economists focused on thought leadership across productivity, labour market dynamics, trade diversification, federal budgeting, and human capital development. As a recognized spokesperson for the Conference Board, he provides expert testimony to Parliament and regularly engages with business leaders, policymakers, and media on critical economic issues shaping Canada's future.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca.

Subscribe to Colliers Talks Economics wherever you listen. Learn more about how Colliers Canada stays on top of real estate trends at www.collierscanada.com.

What You’ll Learn:

1. Why the condo market collapsed and why it won't recover without fundamental price corrections
2. How to pivot development strategy from condos to purpose-built rental
3. The infrastructure bottleneck killing downtown viability and office occupancy
4. How to recalibrate population growth expectations and navigate their impact on project underwriting
5. Why soft costs and development charges now represent the single largest obstacle to housing affordability

Randall Bartlett is the Deputy Chief Economist at Desjardins, leading economic research and forecasting across Canadian and provincial economies, housing markets, and fiscal policy. With vast experience as Director of Economic Research at Omers, where he supported global investment decisions across asset classes, Randall brings deep expertise in macroeconomic trends, demographic shifts, and their cascading impact on real estate markets.

If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to subscribe, rate, and review it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube Podcasts. Instructions on how to do so are here.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/canadas-economic-reset-rates-inflation-real-estate/id1541655070?i=1000741709754

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1YpOxQ8P92zxChHy3BeVeq?si=wwvzvsDKR7qhkK6Tx78YgQ

YouTube: https://youtu.be/CfMqXEtP4Es

The conversation covers:

• How consumer behaviour is shifting and why it's essential for retailers and landlords to understand the impact of new wants and trends to their business
• Why a super focused, data-driven approach is required to achieve savings and manage assets amidst inflation and rising operational costs
• The importance of collaboration between landlords and their retail tenants, and with that, understanding each other's needs and finding co-investments and creative deal structures that spark win-wins
• Why launching pilot programs and testing new products, services and activations can spell success for retailers and their landlords

New leadership in Ottawa; ongoing trade disorder with the U.S.; inflation and interest rate ups and downs; shifting labour and office markets; and consumer spending habits in flux – it all prompts the need for an economic check-up.

In this episode of Colliers

Talks, Colliers’ Head of Research, Canada, Adam Jacobs, and RBC Capital Markets Senior Economist, Claire Fan, discuss these issues and spell out what they mean for the commercial property market.

The conversation covers:

• The economic implications of the Canada-U.S. trade conflict
• Why Canada may have more room for economic stimulus spending than other G7 countries
• What Bank of Canada will do with interest rates if it sees more evidence of economic deterioratio
• Household spending and how it remains relatively strong, despite broader challenges
• Why RBC economists are not convinced Canada will experience a recession this year

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers' Tonya Lagrasta, Global Head of Sustainability, and Erin O’Hearn, Senior Property Manager, are joined by Matthew Shaw, Head, Accessible Practice, Rick Hansen Foundation.

They discuss the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities in buildings, and the need for continuous improvement beyond simply complying with regulations.

There is also a business case for improving accessibility. Enabling more people to access, enjoy and thrive in our spaces can enhance tenant retention and improve a building’s performance.

The conversation covers:

• The challenges and misconceptions around accessibility and why relying on minimum government requirements is not enough
• Why the best approach is to focus on education, empathy and strategic planning to create more accessible spaces
• The importance of considering the entire journey and experience of a person when they arrive at a building, move through the space, and eventually depart
• Why accessibility audits of buildings are integral to the pursuit of continuous improvement

Get more insights from key Colliers experts and major industry players. Tune in to more Colliers Talks episodes.

• Skyline's original expansion into industrial and retail markets, starting in 2012 — and the company's motivation to embrace Montreal

• Skyline taking an entrepreneurial approach to partnerships and acquisitions to ensure quick and efficient tenant management

• Tariffs forcing many industrial stakeholders in the market to pause on big decisions due to inconsistency and political noise

• How tariffs, while causing obstacles, are also driving the Canadian economy and industrial market to become more self-reliant and diversified domestically

Developers in B.C. continue to face over-regulation, rising development costs and various government policies that make it tougher to get new homes built, Carlson says in this episode.

Anthem, a prolific home-builder based in Vancouver, is working through these challenges to continue to buy land, finance developments and build new homes to meet current and future demand.

Carlson discusses with Jacobs and Dolan the broader economic and political landscape from a developer's point of view.

Their conversation covers:

• Anthem’s background, strategic vision and approach to development
• How the current market conditions are fueling and challenging development in B.C.’s Lower Mainland
• How buyer expectations and macro factors are influencing the pre-sale condo market
• The innovative ways Anthem is financing its development and construction projects, including through an IPO program for its latest Burnaby mixed-use high-rise development
• The opportunities and obstacles in converting office space to residential inventory, and why conversion programs are unlikely to catch on in B.C.

You can tune in to all Colliers Talks episodes here.

In this latest episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers' Jean-Marc Dubé and Arnold Fox and Pure's COO David Owen and Senior Vice President, Leasing, Jonathan Rovira discuss the company's growth from 26 million to 43 million square feet of owned industrial space in Canada amidst a dynamic market landscape.

Over a 2013 Tuscan red, the experts dive into why they’re starting to feel more bullish about the market.

The conversation also covers:

• The impacts of lower interest rates on the market and the potential for an industrial real estate upswing

• The challenges of maintaining and upgrading older facilities within a growing portfolio

• The benefits of a customer-centric approach to sustainability initiatives including free energy audits for tenants

• Sources of optimism and economic green shoots in the Canadian market, particularly around the rise of e-commerce and same-day shipping practices

Get more insights from key Colliers experts and major industry players. Tune in to more Colliers Talks episodes.

Canada’s hotel market is amid a recovery in both occupancy and room rates post-pandemic, with average rates surging. On the investment side, the market is heating up with transaction volume expected to surpass $2 billion by the end of this year.

The experts in this episode also discuss the boost from Taylor Swift's Eras Tour this year in Toronto and Vancouver, and the FIFA World Cup in 2026. Ongoing challenges persist though, including high labour costs and worker shortages.

Jacobs, McLuskie and Hyslop also cover:

• The opportunity to capture more inbound international travel
• The continued challenges inflation is posing to various types of travel and business
• Why the hotel investment market in Canada could be the strongest we’ve seen in decades
• The interest developers are starting to have in extended-stay accommodations
• The effects and perceptions of wildfires and the tourism industry in Western Canada

Get more insights from key Colliers experts and major industry players. Tune in to more Colliers Talks episodes.

The highlights include:

• At Colliers, more than 35 million square feet of our managed portfolio are currently certified to one or more ESG building performance and/or occupant experience standards. This is a 30% increase compared to last year.
• There is risk in abandoning ESG commitments, particularly as legislative and corporate requirements expand. While important decisions need to be made around how to move forward and which specific ESG elements to prioritize and when, it's essential to not turn our backs on the progress achieved so far.
• The insurance industry needs to accelerate its adaptation to the reality of ESG commitments today. In some cases, companies are spending millions on ESG resiliency measures, only to find that it is having no helpful impact on reducing their insurance premiums.
• People want more green spaces, as teams like Colliers Real Estate Management Services are routinely hearing from clients, tenants and the public. That's why the next big thing for real estate will be nature and biodiversity projects threaded into our buildings and cities.
• We must recognize that KPIs for the “E,” “S” and “G” components of ESG will differ. The ESG investments being made today have value beyond the financial win, and it's important to shine a light on that.

Get more insights from key Colliers experts and major industry players. Tune in to more Colliers Talks episodes.

• Over the last few years, Canada has seen more immigration to secondary or tertiary markets, and particularly in Alberta, which has been trying to attract more residents.
• Immigration is not only changing the number of Canadian consumers, but is also shifting how people consume products and the types of services required around the country.
• A surging population could also prove to be a boon for the office market, given that many industries will need larger teams of white-collar workers to remain functional and productive.
• Overall demand for various types of housing is going to increase, but we have yet to see meaningful solutions to expand and diversify the national housing inventory to keep pace with growth. It's becoming increasingly clear that governments alone will not be able to solve this problem.
• We're in the middle of a debate about productivity and the office. While many workers remain productive in a hybrid work environment, what are the consequences for innovation?
• Footwear, cosmetics, dollar stores and urban malls are thriving in the retail landscape. How are other retail types performing?
• Some forms of tourism, including cruises, are bouncing back, but we have yet to see tourism from China return to pre-pandemic levels — and that could impact the luxury shopping sector.

Started by Love in 2002, KingSett Capital is a leading Canadian private equity real estate firm that co-invests with institutional and ultra-high net worth clients to deliver sustainable, premium, risk-weighted returns. KingSett manages over $18 billion in assets across its Growth, Income, Urban, Mortgage, Residential Development and Affordable Housing strategies.

Roughly three months into his new role, Kumer joined Marc Dube and Arnold Fox from Colliers Montreal to discuss the path that led him to the top of KingSett, and to detail how the Toronto-based company shaped itself into a one-stop shop for the real estate needs of investors, sellers, lenders, capital partners and occupiers with a national portfolio.

While enjoying a 2019 Burgundy, the hosts and their guest assessed the state of the Canadian commercial real estate industry while exploring both the challenges and causes for optimism with regards to the national economy.  

Office vacancy and return-to-office have been hot topics this year. In this episode of Colliers Talks, host Susan Thompson, Associate Director of Research at Colliers in Vancouver (and a former resident of Calgary), explores both Calgary’s and Vancouver’s unique, and similar, challenges and opportunities in the pursuit of vibrancy and long-term downtown success.

Thompson is joined by Thom Mahler, director of downtown strategy at the City of Calgary and Eric Aderneck, regional planner with Metro Vancouver.

Over the past two decades, Aderneck has worked in the public and private sectors focused on planning policy, real estate development and consulting. Aderneck also teaches urban planning courses for both planners and other city building professionals at various institutions.

Mahler is the director leading the City of Calgary’s Downtown Strategy team, helping to steward the City’s $400 million investment to build a thriving, future-focused downtown. Throughout his career in Calgary, Mahler held various managerial roles in the City’s planning department where he was responsible for long-term planning, development review and land-use applications.

Colliers is celebrating our 125th year of doing business in Canada. That's 125 years of leveraging our expertise and enterprising culture to accelerate the success of our people, clients and communities.  

To commemorate this achievement, Colliers leaders Brian Rosen and Chris McLernon came together in Toronto for a special episode of Colliers Talks to honour our roots, highlight our achievements, and look to the future – a true Canadian success story that, despite our strong legacy, is really just getting started.  

Mark Ang, the CEO & Co-Founder of GoBolt, has emerged as a change-maker in ecommerce logistics in Canada. Ang joined Marc Kirshenbaum, Executive Vice President with Colliers’ Brokerage operations in Toronto, for an episode of Colliers Talks to explore GoBolt's origins and growth as it leverages smart tech and electric delivery strategies.

Ang, who co-founded the company while a student at the University of Toronto, dishes on the journey GoBolt has taken to integrate technology and sustainability into ecommerce delivery and logistics, while also discussing with Kirshenbaum how demand from tech-forward logistics companies like GoBolt is causing shifts in the national warehousing/industrial market.

As a tech-enabled logistics provider catering to local ecommerce shops as well as national and international brands, GoBolt places a strong emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of last mile delivery while boosting the amount of delivery data available for both clients and customers.

Mark and Marc cover the following topics:

• GoBolt's journey: Explore the company's evolution from a B2C consumer storage model to a B2B logistics powerhouse, attracting key clients such as IKEA, Rove Concepts and Frank & Oak.

• Development: Learn how GoBolt managed its remarkable growth, particularly in terms of expanding its warehousing space.

• Consumer and client experience: Gain insights into the data GoBolt provides customers and clients, leveraging technology to boost efficiency.

• Sustainability and ESG: Discover how GoBolt embarked on sustainable practices and adopted technology, aligning with its commitment to environmental responsibility.

• Industrial logistics space: Learn how companies like GoBolt are rethinking their industrial warehousing needs, and how their operations will dictate the types of warehouses they'll want to see in the market.

• Changing landlord perspectives: Hear why Ang thinks landlords need to start thinking of their tenants as customers instead of as paycheques.

Scott Addison, Partner, Colliers Strategy & Consulting Group, speaks with Jon Love for this episode of Colliers Talks. In it, they cover challenges in the arenas of urban placemaking, return to office, project gridlock, and political inertia — as well as some of the fixes.

Apart from being the founder and CEO of KingSett Capital, a Canadian private equity real estate investment business that creates and co-invests in real estate investment solutions to deliver sustainable premium risk weighted returns, Jon also serves on its Board of Directors and is a member of the Business Council of Canada and YPO. Jon was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2018.

A few topics Jon and Scott delve into:

• Leadership in good times is challenging enough, but times of adversity require a different approach to communication and utmost transparency and authenticity. Leaders need to lean in, and drive solutions instead of focusing only on the problems.

• Canada has some helpful tailwinds, including record population growth due to strong immigration. These newcomers will need more of everything: places to live, work, shop and recreate. That creates a constructive backdrop for the national CRE picture.

• Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are facing restrictive land use guidelines, which limit the development of new homes and commercial space in these cities. With strong population driving demand, there is plenty of opportunity for the development community. To achieve the next level, much more help is needed from city planners and all levels of government to support the production of new supply.

• Hybrid work won’t doom the office market. Companies want their people back in a collaborative environment to promote connection, creativity, culture, and productivity.

• Governments and planners should focus their efforts on fast-tracking permissions, alleviating development and housing taxes, and prioritizing major public works projects.

These are challenges and conversations that Jon Love doesn’t shy away from. Dig into these topics and more by listening to this episode of Colliers Talks.

This is just one of the key takeaways from the latest episode of Colliers Talks, Flex Space: The Next Evolution. Colliers’ Lisa Blacklock sat down with WeWork’s Nick DeMarinis, IWG’s Wayne Berger, and Colliers’ Sarah Bramley to give us an inside look at the possibilities, misconceptions, and trends in flex space adoption, along with factors companies should take into account when considering it as part of their future space strategy.

Over perfectly decanted glasses of Bruno Gimaldi Barlo, Arnold Fox, Executive Vice President and Jean-Marc Dubé, Executive Vice President and Industrial Group Practice Lead, both with Colliers Montreal, speak with Mike Jager and Sam Tsoumas, the co-founders of RoseFellow, a non-traditional real estate company that's disrupting the industry with its unique branding and authentic approach.

In this episode, Arnold, Jean-Marc, Mike, and Sam explore:

● How the pandemic allowed RoseFellow’s founders to focus on their strengths in development and site acquisition

● How the lack of availability of quality industrial space across Canada is influencing growth and rental rates in the market

● The impact of automation, emerging markets and e-commerce on the Canadian industrial real estate sector

● The need for increased sustainability in this sector and how developers, contractors and investors can work towards delivering more environmentally-friendly buildings

● Predictions for the national industrial market post-pandemic

● A comparison of Montreal’s industrial market to those of Vancouver and Toronto and the potential for Calgary

● The future of the Canadian real estate market with continued growth and innovation driven by changes in consumer behaviour and technological advancements

So sit back, pour yourself a glass of Bruno Gimaldi Barlo, and join us for an insightful and engaging discussion.

Our two experts cover a whole range of hot topics, including:

- The surprises from 2022, which was “on track for the all-time record year”

- The return to office, now in its third year: what they’re hearing from landlords, occupiers and employees

- Challenges tenants are facing in this hybrid era, from technology to culture, and the effect on lease terms

- How the tight job market is influencing occupiers’ approach to remote or hybrid work: “This is the first recession with the tightest job market that ever existed.”

- The “flight to quality” the industry is seeing with regards to space, amenities and accessibility

- The Alberta rebound and its lure to neighbouring provinces

- Interest rates: who’s most impacted by the new borrowing costs and who stands to benefit

- The phenomenon of the suburbs outperforming downtown with lower vacancy and strong leasing momentum, and what it will take to draw people back downtown

- The industrial squeeze: Can the market stay this tight? When will it become a balanced market?

Tune in and get answers, insights, and food for thought, as the commercial real estate industry gears up for 2023.

On this podcast, Colliers’ Darrell Hurst speaks with Vancouver-based PCI Developments’ Dan Turner and Jarvis Rouillard. A real estate developer and investor specializing in urban mixed-use, commercial built-to-suit, and value-added repositioning of existing buildings, PCI is right at the forefront of the Broadway Plan discussion – and action: PCI is developing a prime property in a prime intersection within the Broadway Corridor.

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Bryan Faldowski and Jens Zentil, Vice President of Zentil Property Management, discuss the evolution of Hamilton and the GTA and provide insights on what’s happening in the industrial market.

Jens says: “Two years ago, I started to hear inklings that rental rates were creeping up in secondary markets, one of them being Hamilton. We thought, if there isn't a corresponding increase in land prices, at least at the time, why not try to enter there and get that value from buying land cheaper and getting that upside in terms of higher rental rates?”

Zentil’s strategy to find value is to invest in small bay industrial versus larger buildings. Doing so allows for more variety in submarkets (with smaller sites) and does away with the “capital intensity” required to acquire larger buildings. Zentil has a focus on accommodating smaller businesses, which are “the rock of Ontario and the Canadian economy,” says Jens.

Hear all about:

• Zentil’s recent investments in Hamilton’s industrial real estate landscape

• How the current economic situation is impacting developers

• The “why” factor of investing in small bay industrial

• Construction setbacks due to the pandemic

• Predictions about the industrial market over the next 3 to 5 years amidst recession fears

Listen to get valuable insights on industrial commercial real estate and Zentil’s take on up-and-coming industrial hot spots.

In this podcast, Jamieson Jackson, Managing Director of Colliers’ Office Practice Group in the GTA, speaks with Brian Sutherland, Vice President, Commercial at Yardi. They talk about Yardi’s origin story, how the pandemic has affected the company and its strategy, and what’s next for Yardi.

Hear all about:

● Who Yardi’s ideal client is and who the company likes to align and partner with

● Yardi’s emphasis on relationships, both inside and outside the business

● How the pandemic affected the business in terms of unique project opportunities, and how Yardi used its own real estate to grow the business and overcome challenges

● How labour market shifts impacted Yardi and its clients

● What the future looks like and how Yardi will evolve over the next few years.

Listen to get valuable market and industry insights and learn how Yardi’s product offering and commitment to long-term relationships add up to success, both for the company and its clients.

In this podcast, Colliers’ Warren Wilkinson and Karl Zeni speak with Ironclad’s CEO, Craig Gilpin and Director of Development, David Marsh. They talk about Ironclad’s story and impressive growth; the Ironclad team’s critical relationships with the neighbourhoods where they build; how Ironclad has fared during the pandemic; the company’s take on the Canadian housing crisis; its predictions for the future of multifamily development; and more.

Hear all about:

• The pressure and advantages that Ironclad’s rapid growth brought to the team and what it all means for the firm’s operations
• The challenges and rewards of developing in different provinces, how different municipalities handle development, and what they could learn from one another
• Ironclad’s take on the state of Canadian housing issues and the changes progressive zoning could bring
• How the supply of multifamily land was affected by the pandemic
• How demographics affect multifamily development markets and Ironclad’s decisions

Listen to get valuable market and sector insights across provinces and learn about how Ironclad sets itself apart from other developers while remaining true to its “people-first organization” philosophy.

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Colliers’ Matthew Johnson speaks with Toronto Global’s Matt Switzer about the reasons Toronto – and Canada – are the place to do business. With a mandate to “attract and support global companies to expand and do business in the Toronto Region,” government agency Toronto Global works with a full range of firms, from startups to Fortune 500 companies, helping them to not only perform their due diligence, but to fully understand the opportunities that lie in locating – and growing – in the Toronto market.

The Greater Toronto Area has a slew of advantages to offer the business community, including its booming tech sector, the top talent that emerges from its renowned universities and colleges, its stable economic climate, and its reputation as a safe city. These strengths, among many others, continue to fuel Toronto’s rapid growth and incite companies and people to call the city home.

With the mindset that “We’re Team Canada first and a win for a city is a win for everyone,” Matthew and Matt discuss the key benefits of setting up shop in Canada, from its progressive immigration policy, to its innovative A.I. strategy, to its global skills program that brings to the country “the best and brightest from around the world in a two- to three-week timeline.” While each Canadian city has a distinct offering and identity, according to Matt, as a country, we should “Pound the table, highlight what’s so good about us, give us a little bit of flare and swagger… and keep on keepin’ on, so that Toronto and Canada as a whole become synonymous with ‘greatness’, ‘forward-thinking’ and ‘international.’”

Tune in and get these insights, and more.

Emeka and Muriel, senior leaders at Colliers, both grew up as visible minorities, and during this open and honest conversation, they share valuable insights on overcoming obstacles and succeeding in their respective careers. "Part of the problem is creating an even playing field," Emeka says. She goes on to say that with companies increasingly implementing initiatives like ESG programs and DEI programs, she believes the commercial real estate industry will feel the impact and a more diverse workforce will emerge.  

The commercial real estate industry has historically been not centred around DEI; therefore, when it comes to increasing representation within the profession, while progress has been made, there is more work that needs to be done. Our speakers touch on creating a more diverse and inclusive workforce by demonstrating to the next generation how multifaceted commercial real estate is, conveying the many opportunities that exist within the industry – across a myriad of disciplines – and expanding our diversity and inclusion outreach and initiatives. 

In addition to recognizing the need to improve diversity from a talent acquisition perspective, Muriel notes the importance of supporting and retaining diverse employees within the company, and continuously "looking at every part of the employee life cycle through a D&I lens." 

When discussing the changes that are needed to ensure our Black professionals feel supported and celebrated all year round, both Emeka and Muriel agree that every month needs to be treated like Black History Month. By listening to our professionals, highlighting their achievements, and actioning their feedback, we can take further steps in creating a more inclusive environment. 

Listen and get insights on:

• How Europro grew from the two-person team of co-founders Josef Jakubovic and Moshe Faust to a company of 100+ employees with an asset portfolio spanning 11 cities and covering five million square feet
• Why the North Yonge Corridor is thriving and will just keep on flourishing
• The “sizzle and sauce” behind Madison Centre
• Europro and Colliers partnering to lease Madison Centre
• The activity within and outlook for the Toronto office market, as well the much-talked-about return to the office

Colliers’ Justin Mayerchak speaks with Dr. Breanne Everett, President & CEO of Orpyx Medical Technologies and Terry Rock, CEO of Platform Calgary about how technology firms are impacting Calgary’s commercial real estate landscape. 

In this episode of Colliers Talks, Dan speaks with two prominent experts at the forefront of tech disruption: Shelby Austin, CEO and co-founder of Arteria AI, a startup that is well on its way in creating a client-service offering for drafting, negotiating and reviewing contracts, and Dean Hopkins, COO of Oxford Properties Group, a leading commercial real estate investor, asset manager and builder of business teams that currently manages nearly $70 billion of assets across four continents.

Tune in as Dan, Dean and Shelby talk about the undeniable – and growing – role and impact of technology within CRE, covering topics from the accelerated digital transformation, to change management and successful implementation, to the war on tech talent.

Matthew Johnson, Senior Vice President with Colliers in Toronto and lead of Colliers Canada’s Life Sciences Practice Group, and Richard Shouldice, Senior Sales Representative with Colliers in Toronto, speak with Ty about the life sciences sector – its current state, growth trajectory and game-changing future.

They discuss:

• Canada’s challenge with transitioning its innovative research into commercial reality, and thus, McMaster Innovation Park’s mission and vision of helping companies grow by facilitating collaboration between academia and industry

• How MIP helps address the gap in the life sciences space continuum

• The role of attracting, securing and developing talent in the growth of life sciences

• How COVID-19 has brought to the forefront MIP’s goals and value proposition, and the industry as a whole

• Fostering the growth of life sciences on Canadian soil and the advantages of setting up operations in Canada

• MIP’s role in developing Ontario’s life sciences corridor and how a collaborative mindset can make Canada a global life sciences player

• Opportunities for landlords within the sector

• What’s next for MP and life sciences

And more.

Tune in and learn about an industry that while, according to Ty, is “not for the faint of heart,” is literally saving lives.

building attributes. Low overall operational costs. These are the tenets on

which Allied – and its signature properties

– are founded upon. And these principles, which have enabled Allied to continuously

grow, as well as thrive amidst challenging circumstances, remain the company’s

focus and mission to this day.

In this podcast, Colliers’ Brian Rosen

and Colin

Worrell speak with Allied’s Michael Emory and Tom Burns on Allied’s

journey and approach to success; the Allied team’s creative, out-of-the-box

thinking that time and again gives rise to iconic, community-focused buildings;

how Allied has positioned itself to come out of the pandemic strong; the role

of ESG in the company’s future; and more.

Hear all about:

- How Allied’s mandate of distinguishing between “a building to buy” and “an Allied building to buy” coupled with its public company discipline helps the REIT stay focused on its vision and objective

- How Allied came to be known as a supporter of the arts

- The strategy Allied undertook during the pandemic that resulted in the company completing 258 transactions in 2020, 103 of which involved new tenants to the Allied portfolio and posting 98 deals in Q2 2021

- What excites the team about Allied’s ESG journey post-pandemic

- The strategic plays the company has made with the most notable properties in its portfolio, including the concept of “adaptive reuse”, which has allowed Allied to add office inventory to the markets it serves with “invisible cranes”

Listen and learn about the many aspects that set Allied apart from other landlords and why “As we come out of the pandemic, the kind of creativity [they’ve] practiced is going to be more in demand than it was pre-pandemic.”

learning and growing every day, trying to figure out how to navigate such a

topic, especially in the workplace.”

In commemoration of Pride Month, Eliezer

Timolien and Leo

Lee discuss Diversity & Inclusion, approaching this important topic

from the perspective of a professional from the LGBTQ+ community. In this open,

candid conversation, Eli talks about his journey in commercial real estate: the

obstacles, the notion of fitting in, his experience working in a predominantly

homogenous industry – and overcoming such challenges to be his authentic self.

Eli and Leo tackle the concept of “making the uncomfortable

feel comfortable” in an effort to improve awareness in the workplace and

provide people both the ease and the environment to be their true selves. They

talk about various training and resources (for both members and allies of the

LGBTQ+ community) companies can design and deliver to further build on

Diversity & Inclusion initiatives and maintain the momentum that has been

collectively created – from inclusive benefits to self-identification

programs, to Employee Resource Groups.

Shedding light on challenges within the LGBTQ+ community

itself, Eli says, “Even we face our own stigmas.” He goes on to speak about his

experience dealing with implicit biases people have within the community that

could create negative perceptions of certain identities. Looking back, Eli and

Leo discuss the progress companies have made in fostering LGBTQ+-inclusive workplaces,

and discuss what more can be done to bridge gaps, facilitate critical

conversations and create a safe setting where people offer various

perspectives.

In the long-term, Eli “would love to see the Diversity &

Inclusion program shut down, but for good reason: that no one individual is

considered marginalized; that everyone is considered equal in terms of the work

that they are able to do, the skill sets that they are able to provide a

company; that they’re able to secure appropriate salaries so we don’t have the

wage gaps we’re seeing to this day…”

Eli and Leo agree “we have such a long way to go”, but are

optimistic about the steps the company, the profession, have taken towards

building a truly diverse and inclusive place for all.

The residential sector led the way in volume. Industrial and multifamily saw significant upticks and so did, surprisingly, retail. Roelof and Jeremiah tackle the question: “Why is 2021 so aggressive in terms of volume and velocity?”

Delving into the “big plays” transpiring in the market, Roelof and Jeremiah talk about the purchases private buyers are making, the driving factors behind these moves, as well as what’s next for this segment that accounts for “over 60% of transactions in the GTA on any given year”. Likewise, they discuss foreign investment into commercial real estate, 32.8% of which flows into the GTA. Why is this region so attractive to foreign investors? Will this trend continue?

A conversation on the investment market is not complete without the mention of yield (a major driver of commercial real estate investment in Canada), cap rates (“Most people are looking at the Toronto area's fairly low cap rates.”), risk in each asset class (“The age-old sentiment ‘location is everything’ continues to prove right.”) and interest rates (which “will remain at least relatively flat in the near future”).

Roelof and Jeremiah also cover the effect of immigration (or the lack thereof) on the GTA, and the market outlook once immigration resumes.

Juxtaposing the positive with the negative, the experts speak about distressed assets. With the vaccine rollout and businesses and consumers resuming activity, they expect to see the number of challenged properties decrease.

Roelof and Jeremiah round out their conversation with key takeaways for 2021, including what to watch for in the multifamily sector, how e-commerce will continue to drive demand in the industrial asset class, and the enduring need for office space.

• Broccolini’s beginnings

• Memorable projects that helped the company make its mark

• The markets the firm is eyeing

• Broccolini’s Big, Hairy, Audacious Goal and how the team is set to achieve it

• The impact of COVID-19 on the business, the marketplace, and e-commerce

• Current challenges in industrial real estate

• Trends and opportunities within Broccolini’s home base, Montreal

Listen to get valuable market and industry insights, and learn how Broccolini is staying true to its objective: “Wherever we are, whatever we’re doing, we want to be the top brand in the market we’re playing in… and do a great job of servicing our clients.”

• The actual definition of this technology 
• Blockchain applications and proven benefits to the supply chain  
• How blockchain “shines” in a network environment 
• Potential disruptions to industrial real estate as a result of blockchain implementation 

And more. 

• The effect of the pandemic on available labour 
• How the pandemic has accelerated the warehouse and supply chain industry’s adoption and implementation of automation technology 
• Important factors for businesses to consider when making the shift to automation 
• Potential buy-in challenges companies may face when introducing new technology in the warehouse 
• Trends and practices that have emerged to meet shifting consumer habits 

And more.