After Premier David Eby’s longstanding battle against speculators and real estate investors in BC, he made a surprising pivot at the BC Real Estate Association’s Government Liaison Days (GL Days) conference in Victoria earlier in March 2025. Speaking to BC REALTORS®, the Premier admitted that investors who buy and sell real estate for profit in British Columbia are actually useful to the economy and the housing sector. 

This pivot comes after the NDP government has implemented the Speculation and Vacancy Tax, the BC Home Flipping Tax, and other regulatory and legislative measures meant to curb real estate investment and speculation.  

The Premier went on to explain that his government is now aiming to harness the investor spirit previously viewed as capitalist greed to move their affordable housing goals forward. His government is looking at ways to channel this enthusiasm for investment into the facilitation of more housing for people in this province. How such new initiatives will operate, given the BC Home Flipping tax that came into effect on January 1, 2025, remains unclear. 

BCREA promotes the important role of investors and risk-takers in improving housing supply, with the recognition that loopholes must be addressed to ensure those people cheating the system or taking advantage of loopholes for their own personal gain at the expense of others are unable to do so.  

As BCREA CEO Trevor Koot highlights, “Call them investors, call them speculators, call them entrepreneurs. The reality is someone has to assume a variety of high-stakes risks to build more housing in this province. It is unreasonable to think that the government should or could build the necessary housing in the degree of supply needed to positively influence affordability, nor is it an expectation of any housing advocate.”

As such, we need people willing to invest the funds necessary to construct these much-needed units.

We are encouraged by the Premier’s willingness to reconsider the role of investors in housing affordability and change his government’s approach in the face of looming economic threats, and more importantly, sound evidence. 

Rob Shaw and Frances Bula have written extensive pieces on these new NDP government directions announced at BCREA’s GL Days event. We encourage readers to review these pieces for more details. 

BCREA will continue to advocate for thoughtful and evidence-based policies that can genuinely improve housing attainability for British Columbians. 

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