Ottawa Real Estate 2026 Outlook: Market Insights & Buying Strategies

Join Ottawa real estate professionals Greg and Luka as they break down the biggest challenges of 2025 and share their predictions for 2026. This honest, no-BS conversation covers what's actually happening in the Ottawa market versus what you're hearing in the media.

In this episode, we discuss:

1. Why 2025 was harder than expected and the obstacles agents faced getting deals closed
2. The feedback problem: why agents aren't leaving showing feedback (and why they should)
3. How buyer power is shifting in Ottawa's balanced market
4. The gap between listing prices and actual sale prices
5. Why some townhomes and condos are seeing significant price drops
6. Interest rate impacts and what spring 2026 might look like
7. The myth of waiting for the "perfect moment" to buy
8. Why listing now might be better than waiting for spring
9. 
   

Greg and Luka share real examples from recent deals, including a bank sale that sold $50,000 under asking and how one family found their perfect home by trusting their gut. They also tackle the challenge of navigating media narratives versus on-the-ground reality, and why established agents are seeing renewed trust from clients.

Timestamps:

[0:14] 2025 Challenges & Market Obstacles

[11:18] Client Success Stories

[14:10] Buyer Preparation & Due Diligence

[20:38] Market Shifts & Pricing Realities

[22:13] Deals That Fell Apart & Lessons Learned

[30:38] Future of Housing & Economic Outlook

[35:37] Building Trust in the Digital World

[40:39] Empathy & Communication in Real Estate

[51:49] The Myth of the Perfect Moment

[53:41] Final Thoughts for 2026

Whether you're thinking about buying, selling, or just want to understand where Ottawa's market is headed, this episode gives you the straight goods on what to expect in 2026.

Episode 2 — Ottawa’s Rental Reality: Rising Rents, Scams, Pets & the Path to Homeownership

In this episode of Real Estate Reality, we sit down with Chantal Lafontaine of eXp Realty Ottawa, one of the city’s most experienced rental specialists, to unpack what’s really happening in Ottawa’s rental market.

From uneven vacancy rates and investor pullback to tenant screening, rental scams, and the myths surrounding landlords, this conversation goes far beyond headlines and social media hot takes.

We cover:

• Why some rental pockets are flooded while others are ultra-competitive

• How new construction and demand shifts are impacting supply

• Why many landlords are actually losing money

• How rental scams are getting more sophisticated, including a real case study

• How tenants can stand out and protect themselves

• The truth about pets, screening, and common misconceptions

• How renters can realistically transition into homeownership

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction & Guest Welcome

00:57 - Ottawa Rental Market Overview

02:08 - Vacancy Rates & New Construction

04:48 - Rental Affordability & Embassy Tenants

07:45 - Impact of Interest Rates & Investor Pullback

10:28 - Landlord Challenges & RTA

13:06 - Investor Types & Market Trends

16:06 - Renting vs. Home Ownership

21:00 - Landlord Best Practices

24:00 - Tenant Screening & Common Mistakes

28:00 - Rental Scams & How to Avoid Them

34:00 - Pets in Rentals: Myths & Realities

39:00 - Turning Renters into Homeowners

44:00 - Final Tips, Myths, and Closing Thoughts

If you’re navigating Ottawa’s rental market or thinking about making the jump into homeownership, reach out to Chantal Lafontaine or our team and we’ll help you build the plan.

Real Estate Reality — Episode 1

Balanced Market, Brutal Reality: Why Buyers Quietly Have the Power

Greg and Luka kick off Episode 1 with a deep, boots-on-the-ground breakdown of what’s actually happening in the housing market, beyond the headlines, beyond the noise, and definitely beyond last year’s comps.

From buyers returning, to sellers holding unrealistic expectations, to investors recalibrating, this episode digs into the truth behind Canada’s shifting real estate landscape.

Episode Summary

The market feels “balanced” on paper, but on the ground it’s anything but. Greg and Luka unpack:

- Why buyers suddenly (and quietly) have more leverage

- Why sellers who “try a price” are losing tens of thousands

- The psychology of buyer hesitation when inventory spikes

- Real examples of clients selling at a loss — and others adapting smartly

- How interest rates, renewals, and 2026 could shape the next decade

- The media narrative vs true boots-on-the-ground experience

- Why Ottawa remains more stable than nearly every major Canadian market

- Investor confidence, modular homes, and the future of densification

- The hard truth about new builds, price drops, and rental economics

Practical, unfiltered insight for anyone trying to buy, sell, invest, or just make sense of today’s unpredictable market.

Timestamps:

Here’s a YouTube-friendly chapter list you can copy and paste into your video description:

00:00 Intro / Opening

00:14 Real Estate Market Overview

01:29 High-End Listings & Price Reductions

06:28 Conditional Offers & First Refusals

09:40 Price Stability & Market Trends

14:34 Media Narratives vs. Agent Reality

21:04 Interest Rates & Future Outlook

25:08 Investor Confidence & Opportunities

37:01 Housing Supply, Inventory, and Builders

51:12 Creative Solutions: Modular Homes & Densification

57:48 Advice for Buyers & Sellers

1:09:36 Wrap-Up & Next Episode Preview

Next Week’s Episode

Greg and Luka sit down with Chantal LaFontaine, Ottawa’s rental-market expert, to unravel skyrocketing rents, tenant challenges, landlord trends, and everything happening behind the scenes in the city’s shifting rental landscape.