Finance
Despite Concerns About the Economy, Majority of Canadians Continue to Believe in the Strength of the Housing Market: RBC Poll
Affordability and space limitations continue to impact purchase decisions as only 14% of Canadians polled would consider buying a home in a major metropolitan area.
Canadians’ belief in the strength of the real estate market held steady in December, despite concerns around the overall economy, according to the RBC Home Buying Sentiment Poll. High home values also continued to drive potential homebuyers outside of major metropolitan areas in search of affordability and larger properties.
The poll, which provides updates on current perceptions and sentiments related to the Canadian housing market, found that only 18% of Canadians polled stated the overall economy is strong, yet 45% believed in the strength of the housing market. Even though the vast majority of respondents were concerned about the financial impacts of COVID-19 (78%), less than half of respondents polled were concerned about the impact the second wave of the pandemic will have on the real estate market (43%). Moreover, only 19% believe the pandemic has weakened competition within the real estate market and made it easier to buy a home.
The research also found that the majority of Canadians aspire to purchase a new home with their spouse or partner (56%) at some point and would ideally look to buy a detached home (51%). In fact, interest in the detached segment far outpaced all other housing types, with condominiums coming in at a distant second place (18%). Nearly two-in-five respondents who said they are looking to buy a home in the next two years stated they are currently looking to upsize (38%). When asked, Canadians said they were most interested in purchasing property in the suburbs or a commuter city (38%), followed by rural areas (26%). Only 14% of respondents reported they would look to purchase a home in a major metropolitan area.
More than half of respondents also said that home values in their area were unaffordable (59%). With an average Canada-wide budget of $445,237, which falls below the average nationwide home price value , almost half of respondents polled stated that if they wanted to buy or own a larger home, they would likely have to move out of the city they’re currently living in (45%).
“High home values continue to drive many Canadians further outside of major city centres, both in search of affordability and more space,” said Amit Sahasrabudhe, Vice-President, Home Equity Financing, Products and Acquisitions, RBC. “Many Canadians continue to be financially resilient in the face of the pandemic, and this has carried over into the real estate market. Seen as a pillar of stability, Canadians continue to view home ownership as a worthwhile pursuit and are willing to shift their priorities in order to find affordable property within their budget.”
When asked, 80% of Canadians polled believe that home ownership is a good investment. While the majority of respondents agreed we are currently in the worst period of the crisis or that it has yet to come (79%), over half stated that home values will only go up in the immediate future (52%). In fact, 60% of respondents believe that home values in their area are overpriced and 56% say affordability will only worsen in the near future.
Despite concerns around the economy and rising home values, Canadians polled largely said they continue to be on solid financial footing. The majority of respondents polled did not believe they were in a worse financial position in December compared to prior to the pandemic (59%). While over half of respondents have changed their spending and savings habits as a result of COVID-19 (55%), 85% stated they are currently able to pay their bills. Overall, 47% of Canadians polled do not believe the pandemic has made it harder to save money and 54% are confident that better times are not too far off.
“Despite the pandemic, Canadians continue to remain optimistic when it comes to the future and their finances,” concluded Sahasrabudhe. “Many Canadians remain confident in their ability to save and continue to aspire to make their dream of owning a home a reality.”
According to Sahasrabudhe, there are a number of resources Canadians should leverage to help them find the home that’s right for them and their budget:
- RBC’s True House Affordability tool provides a personalized estimate on how much potential home buyers can afford, while RBC’s Home Value Estimator helps determine the estimated value of your current home.
- RBC Homebuyer Advantage is a one-stop resource with step-by-step guides, tools, calculators and special offers to help Canadians every step of the home-buying experience.
- RBC’s Neighbourhood Explorer can help you quickly narrow down your search to find the best areas to live that are most suited to your lifestyle.
- RBC Mortgage Specialists are available by phone to help home buyers through the process.
National and Regional Data Tables
| Question |
Total |
British Columbia |
Alberta |
Prairies |
Ontario |
Quebec |
Atlantic Canada |
| I think that the economy is strong. (Agree) |
18% |
18% |
8% |
10% |
21% |
22% |
18% |
| I think that the housing market is strong. (Agree) |
45% |
44% |
32% |
42% |
50% |
46% |
41% |
| I am concerned about the financial impacts of COVID-19. (Agree) |
78% |
77% |
88% |
80% |
80% |
68% |
81% |
| I am concerned about the impact that the second wave of the pandemic will have on the housing market. (Agree) |
43% |
45% |
45% |
43% |
44% |
38% |
40% |
| I believe that COVID-19 has weakened competition in the real estate market and made it easier to buy a home. (Agree) |
19% |
21% |
36% |
19% |
18% |
12% |
22% |
| When purchasing a new home, who do you think you would buy it with? (With my spouse or partner) |
56% |
58% |
58% |
52% |
57% |
53% |
58% |
| If you were to purchase a new home now, which property type would you most realistically purchase? (Detached) |
51% |
35% |
57% |
41% |
52% |
56% |
61% |
| If you were to purchase a new home now, which property type would you most realistically purchase? (Condominium) |
18% |
30% |
8% |
15% |
18% |
17% |
13% |
| If you were to purchase a new home now, which property type would you most realistically purchase? (Semi-Detached) |
6% |
4% |
6% |
9% |
5% |
8% |
10% |
| If you were to purchase a new home now, which property type would you most realistically purchase? (Townhouse) |
9% |
15% |
7% |
7% |
9% |
10% |
2% |
| If you were to purchase a new home, where would you look to buy your new place? (Major metropolitan area) |
14% |
25% |
15% |
14% |
13% |
11% |
8% |
| If you were to purchase a new home, where would you look to buy your new place? (Suburbs + Exurbs) |
38% |
30% |
39% |
32% |
39% |
42% |
36% |
| If you were to purchase a new home, where would you look to buy your new place? (Rural area) |
26% |
22% |
20% |
30% |
25% |
25% |
43% |
| If you were to purchase a new home, where would you look to buy your new place? (City not near major metropolitan area) |
15% |
12% |
14% |
14% |
15% |
19% |
10% |
| House prices in my area are unaffordable. (Agree) |
59% |
78% |
37% |
36% |
71% |
49% |
42% |
| If you were to purchase a new home, realistically, what would your budget be? (Average) |
$445,237 |
$654,795 |
$394,026 |
$307,454 |
$561,112 |
$274,782 |
$209,103 |
| If I want to own a home/larger home, I likely will have to move out of the city I’m living in now. (Agree) |
45% |
59% |
32% |
39% |
51% |
39% |
26% |
| I believe that home ownership is a good investment. (Agree) |
80% |
82% |
79% |
87% |
78% |
79% |
81% |
| When it comes to COVID-19, I believe that we are in the worst period of the crisis now or I believe that the worst period of the crisis has yet to come. |
79% |
83% |
85% |
81% |
75% |
82% |
66% |
| I believe that home values will only go up in the immediate future. (Agree) |
52% |
60% |
37% |
36% |
56% |
55% |
48% |
| The housing market in my area is overpriced. (Agree) |
60% |
80% |
41% |
46% |
67% |
51% |
58% |
| I believe that home price affordability will worsen in the near future. (Agree) |
56% |
56% |
49% |
43% |
63% |
51% |
58% |
| I am concerned about interest rates in the coming year. (Agree) |
45% |
43% |
47% |
48% |
48% |
40% |
46% |
| I am in a worse financial position than I was in prior to the pandemic. (Disagree) |
59% |
50% |
50% |
48% |
55% |
78% |
56% |
| The pandemic has not changed my spending or saving habits. (Disagree) |
55% |
54% |
59% |
60% |
58% |
46% |
54% |
| I am currently able to pay my bills. (Agree) |
85% |
82% |
81% |
86% |
83% |
92% |
84% |
| The pandemic has made it harder for me to save money. (Disagree) |
47% |
48% |
38% |
49% |
41% |
65% |
36% |
| I am confident that better times are not too far off. (Agree) |
54% |
51% |
47% |
44% |
52% |
63% |
60% |
About the RBC Home Buying Sentiment Poll
The RBC Home Buying Sentiment Poll was completed between December 2 to 10, 2020, polling 1,066 respondents using Leger’s online panel. The margin of error for this sample was ±3.0%, 19 times out of 20.
About RBC
Royal Bank of Canada is a global financial institution with a purpose-driven, principles-led approach to delivering leading performance. Our success comes from the 86,000+ employees who leverage their imaginations and insights to bring our vision, values and strategy to life so we can help our clients thrive and communities prosper. As Canada’s biggest bank, and one of the largest in the world based on market capitalization, we have a diversified business model with a focus on innovation and providing exceptional experiences to our 17 million clients in Canada, the U.S. and 34 other countries. Learn more at rbc.com.
We are proud to support a broad range of community initiatives through donations, community investments and employee volunteer activities.
SOURCE: Royal Bank of Canada
