03 Jan 2018 Real Estate 2018: What to Expect by Linda Williams As we head into a new year, the most common question we receive is, “What’s the outlook for real estate in 2018?” It’s not just potential buyers and sellers who care; current homeowners also want reassurance about the value of their investment. No one knows exactly what 2018 will bring, but we’ve outlined expert predictions on where the market is headed and how government interventions are expected to impact the Canadian housing market in the year ahead. HOUSING PRICES WILL REMAIN HIGH IN URBAN CENTRES Although the Toronto real estate market did experience a slowdown in 2017, housing affordability will remain a major issue in both Toronto and Vancouver in 2018. According to the Royal Bank of Canada’s most recent Housing Trends and Affordability Report , as of Q2 2017 it cost more than 75 percent (Toronto) and 80 percent (Vancouver) of median household income to cover the average cost of owning a home. 1