Canada’s housing market is stuck in neutral—and not even a predicted interest rate cut from the Bank of Canada tomorrow can shift the gears. A fresh survey from real estate group Zown drops a bombshell: 49% of non-homeowners say they’re still not buying in 2025, despite the central bank’s expected move to slash rates on March 12.
The Bank of Canada trimmed its overnight rate to 3% back in January, and with Trump’s trade war rattling the economy, economists are betting on another cut to cushion the blow. But for half the country, it’s not enough to spark a home-buying spree. Zown’s data paints a grim picture: 57% of Canadians are too crushed by the cost-of-living squeeze to care about lower rates or tariff turmoil.
The math gets bleaker—one in four would-be buyers have already waved the white flag on ever owning a home. “People are tapped out,” the Zown report hints, suggesting that even cheaper mortgages can’t revive a dream drowned by soaring prices and economic uncertainty.
As the U.S. trade war looms—think 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum starting tomorrow—Canada’s housing hopes hang by a thread. Will the Bank’s next move change minds, or is homeownership slipping further into fantasy for half the nation?