KPMG in Canada says it’s time for Canadian real estate companies to commit to PropTech
TORONTO, March 2, 2020 /CNW/ – Canadian real estate companies have been slow to embrace property technology, or “PropTech”, putting them at risk of losing market share or falling behind their global peers, finds a new KPMG in Canadareport.
“All industries are experiencing some form of disruption; Canada’s real estate industry is no exception,” says Lorne Burns, Partner and National Industry Leader for KPMG’s Building, Construction and Real Estate group. “Historically, it’s been a conservative industry, but companies can no longer afford a wait-and-see approach. If you’re not already embracing digital technology and leveraging data, you run the risk of either losing market share or experiencing revenue income erosion or both.”
Technology – from blockchain, green tech, the Internet of Things, deep data, artificial intelligence and augmented reality applications – is disrupting and improving how real estate companies buy, rent, sell, design, construct, and manage residential and commercial property.
“There are several ways to try out PropTech solutions, whether on a large or a small scale,” says Burns. “You won’t be successful with everything you try, but that’s what innovation is all about. Like any significant change, it will feel uncomfortable.”
The report notes that all of the real estate companies surveyed in Canada have appointed a digital leader to oversee their technology efforts, which encouragingly demonstrates that they understand the importance of a digital approach. However, only 28 per cent come from a technology background, comparatively similar to 30 per cent globally.
In terms of cyber preparedness, while 70 per cent say they feel prepared for a potential cyberattack, only 39 per cent have formally tested how they’d handle one.
The report highlights a number of bold steps Canadian real estate companies can take to embrace the technological revolution, including:
Hiring leaders with digital/technology backgrounds to lead the transformation, rather than appointing real estate leaders from within
Embedding data and analytics into how they run their business
Building a company-wide digital strategy
Partnering with PropTech companies to co-create solutions
Looking beyond streamlining operations and cutting costs to find ways to use technology to improve engagement with tenants, customers, and customers’ tenants
Assessing their cyber security readiness to ensure their data is well protected
“Canadian real estate companies are awakening to the digital era, albeit a bit slowly. Now’s the time for them to really dive in,” says Saqib Jawed, Partner and the PropTech Lead for KPMG’s Building, Construction and Real Estate group. “This’ll look different for every company, of course; large companies with deeper pockets will explore technology in different ways than smaller companies will. But, the only way to find what works for your business is to get started.”
KPMG LLP, an Audit, Tax and Advisory firm (kpmg.ca) is a limited liability partnership, established under the laws of Ontario, and the Canadian member firm of KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”). KPMG has more than 7,000 professionals/employees in over 40 locations across Canada serving private- and public-sector clients. KPMG is consistently recognized as an employer of choice and one of the best places to work in the country.
The independent member firms of the KPMG network are affiliated with KPMG International, a Swiss entity. Each KPMG firm is a legally distinct and separate entity, and describes itself as such.
SOURCE KPMG LLP
For further information: Caroline Van Hasselt, National Communications, KPMG in Canada, Toronto, Ontario, T: 416 777-3288, [email protected]
TORONTO – One expert predicts Ottawa‘s changes to mortgage rules will help spur demand among potential homebuyers but says policies aimed at driving new supply are needed to address the “core issues” facing the market.
The federal government’s changes, set to come into force mid-December, include a higher price cap for insured mortgages to allow more people to qualify for a mortgage with less than a 20 per cent down payment.
The government will also expand its 30-year mortgage amortization to include first-time homebuyers buying any type of home, as well as anybody buying a newly built home.
CIBC Capital Markets deputy chief economist Benjamin Tal calls it a “significant” move likely to accelerate the recovery of the housing market, a process already underway as interest rates have begun to fall.
However, he says in a note that policymakers should aim to “prevent that from becoming too much of a good thing” through policies geared toward the supply side.
Tal says the main issue is the lack of supply available to respond to Canada’s rapidly increasing population, particularly in major cities.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17,2024.
OTTAWA – The Canadian Real Estate Association says the number of homes sold in August fell compared with a year ago as the market remained largely stuck in a holding pattern despite borrowing costs beginning to come down.
The association says the number of homes sold in August fell 2.1 per cent compared with the same month last year.
On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, national home sales edged up 1.3 per cent from July.
CREA senior economist Shaun Cathcart says that with forecasts of lower interest rates throughout the rest of this year and into 2025, “it makes sense that prospective buyers might continue to hold off for improved affordability, especially since prices are still well behaved in most of the country.”
The national average sale price for August amounted to $649,100, a 0.1 per cent increase compared with a year earlier.
The number of newly listed properties was up 1.1 per cent month-over-month.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2024.
MONTREAL – Two Quebec real estate brokers are facing fines and years-long suspensions for submitting bogus offers on homes to drive up prices during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Christine Girouard has been suspended for 14 years and her business partner, Jonathan Dauphinais-Fortin, has been suspended for nine years after Quebec’s authority of real estate brokerage found they used fake bids to get buyers to raise their offers.
Girouard is a well-known broker who previously starred on a Quebec reality show that follows top real estate agents in the province.
She is facing a fine of $50,000, while Dauphinais-Fortin has been fined $10,000.
The two brokers were suspended in May 2023 after La Presse published an article about their practices.
One buyer ended up paying $40,000 more than his initial offer in 2022 after Girouard and Dauphinais-Fortin concocted a second bid on the house he wanted to buy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 11, 2024.
