Quebec buyers see a seller’s market but not the right moment
The results reveal a market where the barriers to homeownership have not so much disappeared as changed form, shifting from the rate shock of recent years to a deeper psychological freeze driven by macroeconomic unpredictability.
“Rising costs and shifting economic conditions have made every step of the homebuying journey feel higher-stakes, and the pressure of whether to act is weighing on Quebecers,” said Janet Boyle, senior vice president of home equity finance at RBC.
“While the barriers to home ownership have always existed, how they look has shifted. What hasn’t changed is the importance of knowing what’s right for you, and it starts with having an honest conversation with an expert who knows your full financial picture.”
A seller’s market with few confident buyers
Quebec occupies a peculiar position within the national picture. While 36% of all Canadian respondents describe today’s environment as a seller’s market, that figure climbs to 57% among Quebecers, one of the highest readings of any region in the country.
Yet despite that broadly shared perception of seller-favoured conditions, provincial prospective buyers are not rushing to transact. Just 26% of Quebecers who intend to purchase within two years say now is the right time to buy, compared with 45% for the same cohort nationally.
