PUBLICATIONS
RENX ARTICLES
Derek Lobo
Founder and CEO, SVN Rock Advisors Inc.
The societal impacts of Canada’s housing crisis
Lack of homes young people can afford to own contributes to lower birth rates, extended adolescence. But there is a solution…
June 17, 2024
Montreal: The model for Canadian residential rents?
Montreal is an attractive and unique Canadian city for many reasons – from its French-Canadian culture to its festivals and thriving universities.
Fabruary 27, 2024
Engaging the Next Generation in your Real Estate Business
Over my many years of working closely with successful apartment developers across the country, I have had a front-row view to the family dynamics that accompany a prosperous real estate business, especially as new generations come into the picture.
November 22, 2023
The return of the vendor takeback
Over the past seven to 10 years, it seemed as if the market had forgotten how to spell VTB. With interest rates as low as they were, the vendor takeback mortgage was essentially an unnecessary device that sat unused.
August 30, 2023
How will my children afford a house in today’s market
It’s no surprise housing affordability is a major concern for young Canadians. Due to rising house prices, high interest rates and stagnant wage growth, many young adults perceive home ownership as an unattainable goal.
August 18, 2023
Alberta’s emergence as Canada’s premier apartment market
The current economic landscape has once again revealed that apartments are a resilient and attractive asset class, weathering economic storms and political interference.
July 21, 2023
Apartment buildings and the value of community
Everyone can agree that establishing a feeling of community in your building is a worthwhile goal, but creating those bonds of friendship between neighbours can be challenging, not to mention a burden on regular property management responsibilities.
April 23, 2023
There’s opportunity in Canadian student housing
In 2003, I did a cross-Canada student-housing needs study for both universities and colleges. The results were extraordinary, and I took them to my client at the time. I told them there was a pan-Canadian business opportunity for them in this industry.
Mar 28, 2023
Vertical villages can help solve affordable housing crisis
With my work in the apartment industry and more recently my book The Self Funding House, I’ve developed a real passion for solving the affordable housing crisis. I’ve come to recognize this is a huge multi-faceted problem with no single solution.
Mar 20, 2023
The rise of the permanent renter
More and more today, we are seeing people being blocked out of the housing market by increasing home prices.
Jan 24, 2023
An invitation: Make a 2023 longevity resolution
During the past four months, myself and about 20 others in the real estate industry have gotten together for an hour one Sunday morning each month to talk about our health and longevity.
Dec 29, 2022
Projecting rents, cap rates and some advice from Conrad Black
A client recently retained us to help determine the feasibility of a project that won’t be ready for occupancy until 2027. While we have assisted hundreds of developers in determining the feasibility of future apartment buildings, these are typically one to three years out.
Dec 19, 2022
My moonshot could solve affordable housing
It was a bold claim in May 1961 when President Kennedy said he was going to put a man on the moon before the end of the decade. We all know he went on to succeed in that mission, and the idea of a moonshot was born.
Dec 8, 2022
TCU Development founders graduate from hockey to housing
A story is often an indicator of the foundation of the principles that a company is founded upon.
Oct 19, 2022
Why a developer’s time is worth $667 per minute
Something that I’ve always watched, but recently become more focused on, is time management.
Sept 21, 2022
Canada – It’s time to build more apartments!
Today’s economic climate is placing the Canadian real estate market on a wild roller-coaster ride.
July 29, 2022
Key takeaways for office conversion to apartments
Earlier this year, we ran a two-day online event on the conversion of offices to rental apartments. We had a range of speakers, from Canada and the U.S., including developers, architects and municipal government representatives.
July 21, 2022
Condo and home builder development uncertainty?
A challenged condo or home development project warrants that the developer investigate rental development as an alternative exit.
July 13, 2022
Ontario guideline rent increase 6.2 per cent for 2023?
Will we see an Ontario guideline rent increase of 6.2 per cent for 2023? We should, but it won’t happen.
The annual guideline is well below the pace of inflation and owners and property managers shouldn’t expect any relief coming soon!
June 27, 2022
Lights Out! Landlords face a larger challenge today
The recent power outages created by a weather disturbance passing through Ontario were a good lesson for apartment landlords in terms of disaster preparedness and disaster recovery…
June 15, 2022
Real estate developers live longer lives
After having conversations with hundreds of real estate developers, and non-developers, and comparing their thinking, attitudes and courage, I am confidently making this statement: “Real estate developers live longer than most people.”
May 19, 2022
The progressive nature of the Town of Shediac
In our 35 years of consulting and brokerage, we have never been retained by a municipality.
March 18, 2022
Multi-generational families need asset and property management
For multi-generational families owning apartment properties, there can be many difficulties, competing factors and points of view brought to the table when it comes to management of property.
February 17, 2022
Art of the flip: Converting office buildings to apartments
The far-reaching effects and opportunities of the pandemic are countless, and doubtless, you have probably educated yourself on the ones that are relevant to you. In this article, I’d like to highlight one which we think is a major opportunity globally for apartment developers…
February 9, 2022
Perspectives and frustrations of apartment development
Residents fall in love with their communities. They love the parks, the memories, and the housing they have…
January 31, 2022
Renters often pay higher municipal taxes than homeowners
I was recently interviewed by Steve Paikin on TVO’s The Agenda about a little-known disparity between municipal taxes charged to homeowners and residential tenants in Ontario…
December 16, 2021
Forward sales of multiresidential properties: A win-win
Over the years, we have worked with countless apartment developers across Canada…
November 29, 2021
O’Toole, Singh, Trudeau Miss the Mark on Affordable Housing
Each of the three main candidates vying for prime minister in the next election have highlighted this: Canada needs more affordable housing. Each one has different ideas as to how to address this growing need, and each one suggests it is a complicated and complex process…
September 8, 2021
Immigration, Housing and the Private Development Industry
In the 20-year period around 1966, 500,000 apartments were built and that allowed many immigrants to come here, settle and subsequently thrive. This good-quality rental housing was part of the foundation of our Canadian experience…
August 19, 2021
When Real Estate is a Family Affair (and sometimes, a Family Feud)
The Apartment Building Expert by Derek Lobo, Founder and CEO , SVN Rock Advisors Inc. — Wow, the recent news surrounding the Libfeld v. Libfeld dispute is getting a lot of attention! This raises the profile of intergenerational real estate to a new level, as internal matters do not often make their way to a public audience…
Why Women Make Great Commercial Real Estate Brokers
Commercial real estate, like some other fields in business, has been historically male-dominated, but that statistic is changing and for good reasons…
June 23, 2021
Perspectives on Multi-generational Family-owned Real Estate
Multigenerational real estate is anything but simple. Complex portfolios with complex family dynamics can often multiply as assets are transferred from generation to generation. Discover how other families have accomplished their goals when dealing with complex situations…
June 9, 2021
Anatomy of an Apartment Market Downturn
During an economic downturn it is crucial for owners and developers of purpose-built rental product to consider the intricacies of our industry and the multivariate nature of rental demand: Buildings exist within communities, and every community experiences the effects of a recession differently…
May 1, 2020
A Record Transaction, a $1M Gift and a Funeral for a Friend
February 21, 2020
IN THE NEWS
Canadian Real Estate Forums
Derek’s new hardcover book The Future Apartment Developer is featured on Informa’s website. “This industry manual is filled with decades of insight, strategy, wisdom, and processes covering the complete project cycle from feasibility to sale.”
July, 2021