May 1, 2026
Our recent national survey finds Canadians remain more likely to expect housing prices to rise than fall over the next 12 months, though uncertainty and regional differences are pronounced.
Overall, a majority believe housing prices will increase (18% say they will increase by a lot and 33% say they will increase a bit) over the course of the next year. One quarter expect prices to stay about the same, while 16% think prices will decrease. Fewer Canadians now expect housing prices to increase compared to 2024, with current levels similar to those seen in 2022.
Anticipated increases are strongest in the Prairies and Quebec, where roughly two in three anticipate price increases (65% and 63%, respectively), compared with just 40% in BC/North and 41% in Ontario. Canadians in Ontario and BC/North are also more likely than others to anticipate price declines (23% and 21%, respectively).
Younger Canadians are notably more likely to anticipate increases, as are lower‑income Canadians and renters.
“Those who currently don’t own a home – namely those currently renting – are less optimistic about their ability to enter the housing market,” said Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner at Narrative Research. “That said, as a whole, Canadians forecast a more stable housing market going forward.”
The proportion of renters has not changed appreciably compared with 2024, although there is a slight uptick in the proportion of home owners without a mortgage. The incidence of renters is highest among Millennials and lower-income Canadians. Gen X is the segment most inclined to own a home with mortgage, while Boomers are most apt to own a home without a mortgage.
Results are from an online survey conducted in partnership between Narrative Research and the Logit Group. The survey was conducted between April 9-12, 2026 with 1,234 Canadians, 18 years of age or older from the Logit Group’s online Canadian Omnibus. Data were weighted based on the 2021 Census, by gender, age, and region to reflect actual population distribution. For more information, please contact:
Margaret Chapman, COO & Partner, Narrative Research – 902.493.3834, mchapman@narrativeresearch.ca
OR
Sam Pisani, Managing Partner, Logit Group – 416.629.4116, sam.pisani@logitgroup.com
Narrative Research (www.narrativeresearch.ca), is a non-partisan, 100% Canadian-owned, research company, certified as a Women Business Enterprise (WBE). Narrative Research provides clients with state-of-the-art research and strategic consulting services.
The Logit Group (https://logitgroup.com/) is a leading North American data collection and market research execution company headquartered in Toronto, conducting large-scale projects for a variety of well-known research agencies and brands. Logit employs industry-best technologies across an array of methodologies, and is independent, experienced and quality-oriented.
The questions asked were:
- QN5: Do you currently…
- Rent the home you live in
- Own the home you live in with a mortgage
- Own the home you live in without a mortgage
- Have some other living arrangement
- QN6: In the past couple of years, the housing market across Canada has been booming at an unforeseen rate. In the next 12 months, do you think housing prices will…
- Increase by a lot
- Increase a bit
- Stay about the same
- Decrease a bit
- Decrease by a lot
- Not sure
