CEO Video With Trevor Koot

Featuring BCREA CEO Trevor Koot, this monthly video series offers a unique look into both BCREA and the real estate and housing sectors at large.

A Place to Share Ideas

Once a month, BCREA CEO Trevor Koot steps in front of the camera to discuss housing and real estate topics relevant to both REALTORS® and the public. These videos are available on our YouTube channel playlist, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

Check out the series below.

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Why BC Housing Policy Could Lead to Another Price Surge

April 21, 2026

BC housing taxes and policy choices could be setting the province up for another cycle of rapid price increases. In this video, BCREA CEO Trevor Koot explains what needs to change to avoid repeating past mistakes.

Transcript

Every March, the BC Real Estate Association hosts our annual Government Liaison Days conference, which brings together REALTORS® from across the province to learn about Government Relations work and speak to elected officials about key housing policy issues.

At the March 2026 edition of the event, delegates made three asks of government:

First, review the Strata Property Act.

Second, unlock British Columbia’s prefabricated housing potential.

And third, repeal costly Budget 2026 real estate-related tax increases.

That last one wasn’t initially part of the plan, but the timing made it hard to ignore.

In the budget, the provincial government announced plans to raise school taxes on development lands, apply PST to professional housing-related services, and increase the Speculation and Vacancy Tax from three to four per cent for foreign residents and others.

These measures will only make an already challenging development climate more difficult. And to understand why that matters, we need to look at what’s happening in the housing market today.

But you might be asking. “Aren’t BC home prices leveling out?”

It’s true that prices have begun to dip, and that homes are sitting on the market longer than we’ve seen in recent years. But history shows us that these situations won’t last forever.

According to a recent BCREA Market Intelligence report, what we’re seeing in the market now closely resembles what happened after the Global Financial Crisis of 2008. Uncertainty rose, buyers remained on the sidelines, and projects stalled.

Of course, we all know what happened next. When demand returned, supply wasn’t there to meet it. This led to rapid and unsustainable price growth towards the end of the decade.

Now, just imagine if that same trend plays out today. BCREA’s Economics team estimates prices could rise up to 27 per cent inflation-adjusted by 2032, making homeownership unattainable for an even greater number of British Columbians.

To avoid this kind of increased unaffordability, we need to keep building. And to keep building, we need a stable environment for development and investment. And that doesn’t include higher housing tax burdens.

The broader business community agrees with these sentiments. BCREA recently joined a coalition, including the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, to denounce the recent PST expansion.

BCREA and our coalition partners respect the fact that the government is running a deficit. But to manage it, elected officials should focus on reining in spending, not increasing barriers to creating more housing supply in British Columbia.

If we don’t take steps to improve things now, we risk repeating
past mistakes. When supply falls short, prices surge, and homeownership moves further out of reach for many British Columbians.

Past Videos

2026 2025 2024

2026

2026
2025
2024

May 19, 2026 – How Does BCREA Work With the Regulator?

April 21, 2026 – Why BC Housing Policy Could Lead to Another Price Surge

March 24, 2026 – What Hasn’t Changed in BCREA’s 50 Years

February 17, 2026 – Why BC Strata Councils Need Mandatory Training

January 20, 2026 – How AI is Changing the Real Estate Sector

December 16, 2025 – What to Expect for the BC Real Estate Sector in 2026

November 18, 2025 – BCREA’s New Vision: Connecting Communities, Enriching Lives

October 21, 2025 – Why BC Needs a Permanent Housing Policy Roundtable

September 24, 2025 – Redefining the REALTOR® Value Proposition

August 19, 2025 – How to Fix BC’s Short-Term Rental Legislation

July 22, 2025 – Preparing BC Real Estate for a Changing Climate

June 17, 2025 – How Offsite Construction Can Speed Up BC Housing Completions

May 20, 2025 – What’s Stopping BC From Building More Homes?

April 22, 2025 – Changing the Conversation About “Fixing” Housing Affordability

March 18, 2025 – How BCREA Advocates for a Better Housing Ecosystem

February 18, 2025 – Drug Home Remediation: Why BC Needs New Standards

January 21, 2025 – What You Need to Know About the BC Home Flipping Tax

December 17, 2024 – What to Expect for the BC Real Estate Sector in 2025

November 19, 2024 – How to Be the Voice of 26,000+ REALTORS®

October 22, 2024 – Radon Awareness: What Every BC Homeowner Needs to Know

September 17, 2024 – Three Key Housing Issues for the 2024 BC Election

August 20, 2024 – Why Canadian Housing Needs Speculators

July 23, 2024 – Guiding Success: The Vital Role of Managing Brokers

June 25, 2024 – The Need for Innovation in Canadian Real Estate

May 22, 2024 – BCREA CEO Trevor Koot on Collaboration in Canadian Housing

April 18, 2024 – BCREA CEO Trevor Koot on Accessibility and Affordability

March 22, 2024 – BCREA CEO Trevor Koot Reflects on State of Housing in BC

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CEO Video With Trevor Koot

A Place to Share Ideas

Past Videos

CEO Video With Trevor Koot

A Place to Share Ideas

Past Videos

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