British Columbians voted for change, and the results are resounding.

Based on preliminary results from the October 24, 2026, British Columbia election, the Conservative Party of BC is leading in 63 of the province’s 93 electoral districts, comfortably exceeding the 47 seats required for a majority. The BC NDP is leading in 28 electoral districts, and the BC Green Party is leading in two.

David Eby has already announced his resignation as leader of the BC NDP, following his significant blunder in calling an early election.

Preliminary turnout of eligible British Columbians who voted is estimated to be 48 per cent, compared with 58 per cent turnout in 2024, possibly due to “voter fatigue,” with the local government elections having taken place only seven days prior.

The movement between the parties is revealing. Based on the current count, the NDP received about 274,000 fewer votes than in 2024. The Conservatives won substantially more seats despite receiving approximately 22,000 fewer votes province-wide. The Green Party, meanwhile, gained about 30,000 votes compared to 2024.

The overall message is clear: This election was shaped in large part by previous voters staying home.

What does this result mean for BC real estate?

A change of government in BC is significant; it will be the first time the BC NDP has not held government since 2017. This will inevitably bring changes in priorities, personnel, and approach. For the BC Real Estate Association (BCREA) and REALTORS®, the immediate questions are which policies will remain and how effectively the new government can translate campaign commitments into more homes and greater housing attainability.

The BC Conservatives campaigned on cuts to construction taxes and charges, as well as shorter approval times to bring homes to market. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson said that his government will “bring down the cost of building and buying a home so more homes get built.”

BCREA supports these objectives and is ready to offer the new government practical, evidence-based recommendations on how to accomplish them. This includes recommendations to:

• review all real estate and housing-related taxes to ensure they align with the goal of achieving more attainable housing for British Columbians, 

• establish a permanent provincial housing policy roundtable, 

• review the Strata Property Act, and  

• unlock BC’s prefabricated housing potential.  

Local input matters, but so does getting homes built

The Conservatives also promised to return more decision-making authority to local governments, including greater influence over where new density is located.

There is a legitimate principle behind that position, given that BC is a large and diverse province. The housing needs of downtown Vancouver are not the same as the housing needs of the Cariboo Regional District, where Premier-designate Doerkson is from.

Having said that, local flexibility should not become a euphemism for preventing homes from being built. While far from a panacea, Bill 44, the Housing Statutes (Residential Development) Amendment Act, 2023, and Bill 47, the Housing Statutes (Transit-Oriented Areas) Amendment Act, 2023, were introduced to address real barriers in BC’s housing system. The provincial framework is intended to move communities away from lengthy, site-by-site rezonings and towards proactive planning for additional housing.

The objective of the government should not be a contest between provincial direction and local knowledge. BC needs both. Municipal governments should have meaningful input into how growth is accommodated, but the province should ensure that local processes do not become vehicles for indefinite delay, exclusionary zoning, or myopic opposition to new neighbours.

BCREA will work with the new government 

BCREA is non-partisan. We will work with whichever party British Columbians elect, support good housing policy regardless of which side of the legislature proposes it, and hold government accountable for its housing policy and decision-making.

BCREA continues to support policies that provide more housing options, for more people, in more places.

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Photo credit: RoyalObserver / CC-BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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