How far would Canadians move to find a home they can afford? For nearly half, the answer is up to an hour away.
Others would go further still, including eight per cent who would consider leaving their province altogether.
According to the Remax Canada 2026 Fall Housing Market Outlook, released Wednesday, affordability continues to be the top factor influencing Canadians’ calculations around homeownership. Affordability was still the most commonly cited consideration when choosing where to buy, at 60 per cent. Neighbourhood safety came next, at 47 per cent.
Sixty-three per cent of respondents said they would relocate for a home that better meets their needs.
“There’s a difference between compromising and settling,” says Don Kottick, president of Remax Canada.
“Rather than giving up on homeownership, Canadians are making different choices about how to get there. For some, that means looking outside their current community or reconsidering the type of home they buy. For others, it means making different financial choices. Buyers are identifying what matters most and where they have room to be flexible.”
How far would buyers go?
Thirty per cent of respondents would move up to 30 minutes from their current community, while 17 per cent would go between 30 and 60 minutes away.
Five per cent would move one to two hours away, three per cent would go more than two hours and eight per cent would consider moving to another province.
The willingness to compromise shows up in other ways, too. Thirty-one per cent would live farther from a city centre and 21 per cent would live farther from restaurants, shops and other amenities.
Twenty per cent would buy an older home or one requiring renovations, another 20 per cent would accept a smaller yard or outdoor space and 18 per cent would consider a different type of home. Fifteen per cent would take on a longer commute to work or school.
There are limits. Eighteen per cent said they wouldn’t make any of the compromises listed in the survey.
Making the finances work
For other buyers, the compromise would come out of the household budget.
Forty-one per cent said they would cut discretionary spending such as travel and dining out to afford a home. Nearly one-quarter would extend their mortgage amortization period.
Twenty per cent would accept financial help from family, while 17 per cent would take on a second job or another source of income. Another 17 per cent would delay retirement or other long-term savings.
Buyers gaining ground in some markets
At the same time, conditions in parts of the country are becoming more favourable to buyers.
Home sales declined year over year in 81 per cent of the markets analyzed by Remax between Jan. 1 and July 31. Average residential prices, however, rose in 56 per cent.
Remax expects the national average residential price to finish 2026 about 2.3 per cent below 2025 levels, with sales approximately two per cent lower.
Based on broker and agent outlooks, 32 per cent of the markets analyzed are expected to be firmly in buyers’ territory this fall, up from 15.2 per cent a year ago.
But the national numbers mask some very different regional markets.
Greater Vancouver remains firmly buyer-favourable. Calgary is more divided: detached and semi-detached homes are generally balanced, while elevated condo inventory has pushed that segment into buyers’ territory. Saskatoon remains seller-favourable.
In Ontario, the Greater Toronto Area remains a buyers’ market, with the average residential price down 5.1 per cent year over year and sales essentially flat. Kitchener-Waterloo and Niagara are also buyer-favourable.
It is a different story in Thunder Bay, where limited inventory has kept conditions in sellers’ territory and pushed the average price up 10.5 per cent year over year.
Atlantic Canada has also held up differently. Average residential prices rose year over year in every Atlantic market analyzed, even as sales declined across the region.
Greater St. John’s remains seller-favourable, while Halifax, Truro-Colchester and Greater Moncton are balanced. Charlottetown is in buyers’ territory.
Montreal remains seller-favourable overall. Remax says buyers there have become more open to condos and smaller spaces, as well as looking outside their original search areas.
Policy measures having limited effect
The report also looked at whether recent federal measures are changing the affordability picture.
Three-quarters of Canadians surveyed were aware of the federal first-time homebuyers’ GST/HST rebate. Forty-five per cent said it is helping some buyers and 16 per cent said it is making homeownership more attainable for first-time buyers. Fourteen per cent said the rebate had influenced their own purchase plans.
In a separate survey, Remax brokers and agents said the rebate has been useful for qualifying buyers but is mostly helping people who were already close to purchasing. Its reach is also limited in communities where new construction is scarce or out of reach for first-time buyers.
The federal foreign homebuyer ban received a more muted assessment. In 79 per cent of market responses, brokers said it has had little impact on either affordability or new construction development.
When Canadians were asked what would make the biggest difference for first-time buyers, 21 per cent chose more affordable housing programs and another 21 per cent chose lower mortgage interest rates. Fourteen per cent pointed to increasing housing supply.
“Canadians are showing that they’re prepared to adapt, but buyers can only control so much,” says Kottick. “Rebates and other measures can help, but affordability ultimately depends on a combination of factors, including supply, financing costs and having the right mix of housing available. Buyers are focused on decisions they can control but broader affordability challenges remain.”
The online survey of 1,532 Canadians aged 18 and older was conducted by Leger between July 17 and 19, 2026.
