{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Montreal CRE 2026 Outlook: Office Comeback, AI, Housing Policy, and Where Capital Is Moving","description":"Montreal commercial real estate is entering 2026 with a very different set of tailwinds and constraints. In this episode, Axel Monsaingeon sits down with James Papadimitriou, Senior Partner at McCarthy T\u00e9trault and a long-time governance leader, to unpack what is actually changing beneath the headlines. They cover why \u201calternative\u201d real estate is increasingly an operating business (hotels, senior living, data centers, student housing), how AI and automation could reshape industrial and construction productivity, and what programs like Canada Builds Homes could mean for financing, land, and delivery speed. They also dig into the macro shifts that matter for Montreal: defense and infrastructure momentum, immigration resets and rental dynamics, the return of in-person work and what that does to Class A office, and why boring and stable is still Canada\u2019s biggest advantage for global capital. Expect a grounded, optimistic, long-term lens on where the puck is going and how to position for it. &amp;nbsp; Topics &amp;amp; Timestamps \ud83c\udf99\ufe0f Intro and James\u2019 path to leading in real estate law and governance (01:03) \ud83e\udd1d Relationship advantage: empathy, humility, and understanding counterparties (02:31) \ud83c\udfe8 Alternative assets surge: senior living, hotels, data centers, student housing (03:50) \ud83e\udde0 \u201cStay calm and carry on\u201d: cycles, resilience, and the long game in CRE (05:25) \ud83e\udd16 AI and robotics: legal guardrails, industrial automation, \u201cdark factories\u201d (07:39) \ud83c\udfd7\ufe0f Why construction still lags, and what prefab could finally unlock (10:18) \ud83c\udfe0 Housing urgency and delivery: what Canada Builds Homes is trying to solve (12:05) \ud83e\udde9 Canada Builds Homes toolkit: land, loan guarantees, lending, partnerships (13:05) \ud83d\udee1\ufe0f Defense and infrastructure: where Montreal-area real estate opportunities may emerge (15:58) \ud83c\udf0e Immigration reset, rent plateaus, and the pendulum effect (18:55) \ud83c\udfe2 2026 theme: the return of office and the value of in-person community (20:36) \ud83d\ude86 Transit and downtown recovery: REM, foot traffic, and the payoff of disruption (22:36) \ud83d\udcb0 Foreign capital and \u201cvibe vs fundamentals\u201d: why investors never really left (24:55) \u26a1 Canada\u2019s edge: energy, resources, and renewed confidence (27:28) &amp;nbsp; \ud83d\udd17 Connect with James Papadimitriou \ud83d\udcbc LinkedIn:https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jamespapadimitriou\/ \ud83c\udfe2 Avison Young: https:\/\/www.mccarthy.ca\/en &amp;nbsp; \ud83d\udc64 Follow Axel Monsaingeon \ud83d\udcbc LinkedIn: https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28\/ \ud83d\udcf8 Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/axelmonsaingeon &amp;nbsp; \ud83c\udf10 Explore more resources \ud83d\udcca Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https:\/\/www.e5pace.com\/ ","author_name":"Espace Montr\u00e9al Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/www.e5pace.com\/","html":"<iframe title=\"Libsyn Player\" style=\"border: none\" src=\"\/\/html5-player.libsyn.com\/embed\/episode\/id\/39664405\/height\/90\/theme\/custom\/thumbnail\/yes\/direction\/forward\/render-playlist\/no\/custom-color\/395868\/\" height=\"90\" width=\"600\" scrolling=\"no\"  allowfullscreen webkitallowfullscreen mozallowfullscreen oallowfullscreen msallowfullscreen><\/iframe>","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/assets.libsyn.com\/secure\/item\/39664405"}