From the founders: we asked 1,000 agents what's really stalling the market

This month we published our 2026 Operators Report, a survey of over 1,000 Canadian real estate professionals on why deals keep stalling. The headline finding surprised even us: the slowdown isn't really an affordability story. It's a hesitation story.

Two-thirds of the pros we surveyed say their clients are more risk-averse than they were before 2022. When we asked what's driving the hesitation, the top answer wasn't interest rates or income, it was broader economic uncertainty. Even buyers who can afford to move are choosing to wait.

That tracks with what you're probably seeing day to day: deals dying not from a hard no, but from a slow maybe. The longer a client waits, the more their situation shifts underneath them, pre-approvals lapse, listings move on, and the window they were waiting for looks different by the time they're ready.

Which is why we keep coming back to the same idea: the clients who move this year won't be the most confident ones, they'll be the ones informed enough to act anyway. That's where you come in. The full report is worth a read, and it makes for a useful, credible thing to share with a hesitating client. Read the report here →

The library: resources you can forward to clients

These are client-ready explainers you can share when questions come up during a transaction. Each one breaks down a common concept in plain language.

Blog: power of sale in Ontario. A clear walk-through of how power of sale works when a homeowner falls behind, including the 15-day default period, the 35-day notice window, and the practical ways to stop it.

Blog: choosing a real estate lawyer, questions and red flags. The checks that matter when picking an Ontario real estate lawyer, the questions to ask every firm, and the red flags buyers shouldn't ignore.

Blog: mortgage porting in Ontario. How to carry your existing rate to your next home when you buy and sell in close succession, which mortgages qualify, how the rate blends if the new place costs more or less, and the 30 to 120 day window lenders allow.

Hot off the press: Ownright in the news

Ownright's 2026 Operators Report, a survey of 1,000 Canadian real estate professionals, drew national coverage this month. A couple of the standout pieces:

Financial Post – Failed transactions are hitting Canada's real estate market. The Financial Post ran the report's findings on collapsing deals, then syndicated the story across the Postmedia network to outlets nationwide.

The Globe and Mail – How Canadian real estate professionals are handling the turbulent 2026 market. The Globe and Mail picked up the Operators Report, putting our survey of 1,000 professionals in front of a national business audience.

Toronto Sun – Canadian home buyers remain cautious amid economic uncertainty. Joel's read on cautious buyers ran in the Toronto Sun and was syndicated to over 90 outlets, including the Ottawa Citizen's print edition.

Market snapshot: spring tightened, even as prices slipped

Our take: Three straight months of year-over-year gains, and a 10% jump from April, is real momentum, but it's coming off a weak 2025 and against listings down nearly 19%, so the lift is as much about scarce supply as renewed demand. With prices still soft and rates expected to hold, this reads as a market tightening on thin inventory, not a broad rebound. Expect a competitive but choosy spring.

Client spotlight: in their words

The Ownright advantage

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