For nearly half of all Canadians navigating the current real estate market, the pursuit of an affordable home requires looking significantly beyond their immediate neighborhoods—with many willing to relocate an hour or more away just to secure a property.
According to the latest Remax Canada Fall Housing Market Outlook released Wednesday, affordability remains the single most dominant factor driving homeownership decisions across the country. The comprehensive report highlights a housing landscape where prospective buyers are increasingly forced to rethink their priorities, stretch their finances, and make difficult concessions to break into the market.
Affordability was cited by 60 per cent of survey respondents as the most crucial consideration when choosing where to buy, outpacing neighborhood safety, which came in second at 47 per cent. Overall, 63 per cent of surveyed Canadians stated they would be willing to relocate entirely for a home that better matches their practical needs and financial reality.
Don Kottick, president of Remax Canada, emphasizes that navigating today’s market is a delicate exercise in prioritization rather than outright abandonment of the American—or rather, Canadian—dream of property ownership.
"There’s a difference between compromising and settling," Kottick says. "Rather than giving up on homeownership, Canadians are making different choices about how to get there. For some, that means looking outside their current community or reconsidering the type of home they buy. For others, it means making different financial choices. Buyers are identifying what matters most and where they have room to be flexible."
How far would buyers go?
When examining the lengths to which Canadians are willing to travel for housing, the geographic dispersal becomes clear. Thirty per cent of respondents indicated they would move up to 30 minutes away from their current community, while another 17 per cent stated they would be open to traveling between 30 and 60 minutes.
For the more adventurous or desperate buyers, the distance increases: five per cent would pack up and move one to two hours away, three per cent would venture more than two hours from their roots, and eight per cent would consider crossing provincial borders altogether in search of better value.
This willingness to compromise on location manifests in several other ways as well. Approximately 31 per cent of respondents would accept living farther away from a city center, while 21 per cent are prepared to distance themselves from everyday urban amenities such as restaurants, local shops, and entertainment hubs.
Property characteristics are also on the bargaining table. One in five prospective buyers—20 per cent—would purchase an older home or one heavily in need of renovations. An equal percentage would accept a significantly smaller yard or outdoor space to reduce the purchase price. Furthermore, 18 per cent would consider a completely different type of housing structure, such as trading a detached house for a townhouse or condominium, while 15 per cent are willing to accept a longer commute to work or school.
Despite these widespread concessions, a firm boundary exists for a segment of the population. Eighteen per cent of respondents firmly stated they would not make any of the sacrifices listed in the survey, signaling that for some, the compromises required in the current market simply cross the line of acceptability.
Making the finances work
For buyers who are unwilling or unable to alter their geographic footprint, the compromises often come directly out of the household ledger. Balancing a mortgage in a high-cost environment requires creative and often painful financial restructuring.
Leading the list of fiscal sacrifices, 41 per cent of respondents said they would willingly cut back on discretionary spending—such as travel, entertainment, and dining out—to free up funds for a mortgage payment. Nearly one-quarter of buyers would extend their mortgage amortization period, reducing monthly payments at the expense of paying more interest over the long term.
Assistance from family remains a vital pillar for a portion of the market, with 20 per cent of participants stating they would accept financial help from relatives to secure a down payment or mortgage approval. Meanwhile, 17 per cent would take on a second job or seek an alternative source of income to bolster their borrowing power, and another 17 per cent would delay their retirement plans or other long-term savings goals.
Buyers gaining ground in some markets
While buyers are jumping through hoops to secure affordability, structural conditions in parts of the country are slowly shifting to become more favorable to purchasers after years of intense seller dominance.
Data analyzed by Remax between January 1 and July 31 reveals that home sales declined year over year in 81 per cent of the markets evaluated. Despite the cooling sales activity, average residential prices still managed to rise in 56 per cent of those same regions. Looking ahead, Remax expects the national average residential price to finish 2026 roughly 2.3 per cent below 2025 levels, with overall sales projected to be approximately two per cent lower.
Based on insights from real estate brokers and agents across the country, 32 per cent of the analyzed markets are anticipated to be firmly planted in buyers’ territory by the fall, marking a notable increase from just 15.2 per cent a year prior.
However, national averages often mask stark regional divergences. Greater Vancouver continues to operate as a buyer-favorable market, while Calgary presents a more fractured picture: detached and semi-detached home segments remain relatively balanced, but a surge in elevated condo inventory has pushed that specific property class firmly into buyers’ territory. Saskatoon, on the other hand, bucks the trend and remains firmly in seller-favorable territory.
In Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area persists as a buyers’ market, underscored by an average residential price drop of 5.1 per cent year over year while sales remain essentially flat. Nearby Kitchener-Waterloo and the Niagara region are also reflecting conditions that favor buyers.
Conversely, Thunder Bay tells a different story. Limited housing inventory has kept market conditions heavily tilted toward sellers, driving the local average residential price up by 10.5 per cent year over year.
Atlantic Canada has also charted its own course. Average residential prices increased year over year across every Atlantic market evaluated in the report, even as regional sales activity declined. Greater St. John’s maintains its seller-favorable status, while Halifax, Truro-Colchester, and Greater Moncton remain balanced. Charlottetown stands out in the region as falling into buyers’ territory.
In Quebec, Montreal remains generally favorable to sellers. According to Remax, however, buyers in the city are increasingly adapting by opening up to condominiums, smaller living spaces, and expanding their property searches outside their original target neighborhoods.
Policy measures having limited effect
The Remax report also scrutinized whether recent federal government interventions have successfully altered the broader affordability equation for everyday Canadians.
When asked about the federal first-time homebuyers’ GST/HST rebate, three-quarters of surveyed Canadians reported being aware of the program. Forty-five per cent believe it is actively helping some buyers, while 16 per cent feel it makes homeownership more attainable for novices entering the market. Furthermore, 14 per cent noted that the rebate directly influenced their own personal purchasing plans.
In a separate survey of Remax brokers and agents, industry professionals noted that while the rebate has proved useful for helping qualified buyers bridge the gap, it predominantly benefits individuals who were already on the verge of purchasing a home. Furthermore, its practical impact remains restricted in municipalities where new residential construction is scarce or where baseline prices remain out of reach for first-time buyers altogether.
The federal foreign homebuyer ban received a much cooler reception from industry experts. In 79 per cent of market responses, brokers indicated that the ban has had little to no measurable impact on either local housing affordability or the pace of new construction development.
When Canadians were surveyed on what policy adjustments would truly make the most substantial difference for first-time buyers, opinions were split. Twenty-one per cent pointed toward the implementation of more robust affordable housing programs, while another 21 per cent argued that lower mortgage interest rates would provide the most relief. An additional 14 per cent emphasized the critical need for simply increasing overall housing supply.
"Canadians are showing that they’re prepared to adapt, but buyers can only control so much," Kottick concludes. "Rebates and other measures can help, but affordability ultimately depends on a combination of factors, including supply, financing costs and having the right mix of housing available. Buyers are focused on decisions they can control but broader affordability challenges remain."
The online survey underpinning these findings was conducted by Leger between July 17 and 19, 2026, gathering responses from 1,532 Canadians aged 18 and older.