Q4 2018
Canadian Office Statistical Summary
Driven by buoyant demand from technology companies, extremely tight CBD markets in both Vancouver and Toronto got even tighter over the final quarter of the year, helping drive the National CBD vacancy rate to 8.7% - its lowest point since Q3 2015!
KEY HIGHLIGHTS
• Canadian CBD Class A markets saw absorption of 3.6 msf in 2018, with a fourth quarter contribution of 1.5 msf. This is the strongest premium space growth since 2011.
• The arrival and partial occupancy of Stantec Tower helped drive Q4 2018 absorption in Edmonton’s downtown market to above 800,000 sf, with a final year-end 2018 tally of 1.2 msf.
• Although Calgary continues to see modest momentum in its CBD market, Suburban markets had a strong year with absorption reaching 337,000 sf. This drove vacancy to 16.9% from 19.4% one-year-ago.
• Vacancy in Downtown Toronto reached an incredibly tight 1.9% in Q4, a vacancy rate not seen in over 35 years. Conditions are expected to remain extremely tight until late 2020 when the first in a 10.7 msf wave of new developments will begin to hit the downtown market.
• Downtown Vancouver, another hot market driven by technology growth, saw its vacancy decline to 2.3% in Q4; its lowest point since Q2 2008. Like Toronto, little relief for tenants is not anticipated until the next wave of downtown new supply begins to arrive in late 2020.