Jamie Squires - Real Estate Specialist

08/04/2026

Far too often, unit mixes are determined by copying a neighboring project that launched two years ago, or by pushing for whatever configuration maximizes the absolute unit count on paper or simply gives the best exterior aesthetics and meets municipal criteria.

Determining the unit mix for a new multi-family project is one of the highest-stakes decisions a developer faces. Lean too heavily into high-density one-bedrooms, and you risk a sluggish launch if the investor market cools. Over-index on large three-bedrooms, and you face a pricing ceiling that your local buyer demographic simply cannot afford.

Finding the "sweet spot" in your unit mix requires balancing municipal housing mandates with real-time consumer data. When you align your proforma with the exact missing inventory actual buyers are looking for in a specific sub-market, your project sells faster, carries lower financing costs, and hits its revenue targets, reducing your overall risk.

Far too often, unit mixes are determined by copying a neighboring project that launched two years ago, or by pushing for whatever configuration maximizes the absolute unit count on paper or simply gives the best exterior aesthetics and meets municipal criteria. Determining the unit mix for a new mul...

07/23/2026

Managing the tail-end of a major multi-family development requires a specialist who understands construction logistics, developer financing, and project-level marketing in addition to understanding the difference between presale campaigns and move-in ready campaigns as well as how the sales process and tactics differs for each.
As project marketing experts we understand every single month a completed multi-family unit sits vacant, it directly erodes a project's viability.

While pre-sales fund initial construction, many developments today are having pre-sale buyers’ default at completion and need to resell the now move-in ready inventory to repay construction loans and cover other carrying costs. But in shifting markets or highly competitive corridors, sales velocities for completed units can hit an unexpected plateau.

When traditional marketers and brokerages see stagnant inventory, they recommend a price drop.

We see a positioning misalignment.

Managing the tail-end of a major multi-family development requires a specialist who understands construction logistics, developer financing, and project-level marketing in addition to understanding the difference between presale campaigns and move-in ready campaigns as well as how the sales process....

07/03/2026

For more than two decades, I’ve had the privilege of helping developers bring major residential portfolios to market across British Columbia.

From my vantage point leading project marketing at ReMax Treeland Realty, I spend a lot of time analyzing consumer absorption, interest rate movements, and economic recovery projections pointing to 2028 as our next major sustainable upward cycle. But there is a massive elephant in the room that has absolutely nothing to do with mortgage rates or buyer sentiment.

It’s infrastructure.

Sitting on the Urban Development Institute (UDI) Fraser Valley Committee, I have a front-row seat to the deep operational hurdles facing our local development community. Week after week, the consensus among industry leaders is clear: we can design beautiful, phased, ground-oriented townhomes and row homes all day long, but if a municipality cannot service the dirt, those homes aren't getting built.

Right now, municipal infrastructure bottlenecks are the single biggest hidden threat to the Fraser Valley’s housing supply pipeline. Here is why local city halls hold a key to our next economic recovery, and what developers must watch for when evaluating land.

For more than two decades, I’ve had the privilege of helping developers bring major residential portfolios to market across British Columbia. From my vantage point leading project marketing at ReMax Treeland Realty, I spend a lot of time analyzing consumer absorption, interest rate movements, and ...

06/22/2026

Yes, there are completed condos sitting on the market right now.

They are real and they are selling slower than they did during the peak years. But that is not the system problem being addressed. This is not just a housing issue. It is a system under pressure. Weak presales, stalled construction, slowing employment, and population outflow are all connected.

This is not just a housing issue. It is a system under pressure. Weak presales, stalled construction, slowing employment, and population outflow are all connected. The issue is not just vacant homes—it’s that the underlying economic model is no longer functioning the way it once did due to government policy so the government is now saving face by stepping in to buy blocks of presales so construction can commence. By hacking away at upfront municipal infrastructure fees, the senior governments are effectively trying to restart the heart of BC’s employment ecosystem before widespread bankruptcies take hold while helping ensure there isn’t a huge supply and demand gap 2 to 4 years from today due to a lack of actual housing starts today.

If you watched Mark Carney and Premier David Eby stand at the podium recently, you heard a very specific message: the government is stepping in to buy vacant homes and fix affordability. It sounds simple.

06/17/2026

We are currently navigating a deeply cautious, highly selective environment. Buyers aren't suffering from FOMO anymore; they are paralyzed by conservative market sentiment, flat pricing, and the sheer anxiety of ex*****on risk.

In a market defined by hesitation, developers simply can't just lower prices or throw blanket incentives at the wall and hope for the best. We have to fundamentally change the psychology of the sale.

We must pivot from selling a speculative future to building radical consumer trust.

We are currently navigating a deeply cautious, highly selective environment. Buyers aren't suffering from FOMO anymore; they are paralyzed by conservative market sentiment, flat pricing, and the sheer anxiety of ex*****on risk. In a market defined by hesitation, developers simply can't just lower pr...

06/13/2026

We’re throwing a party. And you're invited.
Saturday June 20th, Highstreet Village is hosting its first-ever Village Block Party — and we're going all out. Food truck on site, frozen treats, colouring contest with prizes for the kids, and a carrom tournament you're going to want to show up for.

Over $5,500 in prizes and giveaways up for grabs.

Spots are limited. But here's the part that really matters - bring a friend or family member who's been thinking about buying, and if they purchase, you walk away with $2,500 in your pocket. They get a discount on their home. Everyone wins.

This is what Highstreet Village is about. Not just the homes - the people in them. West Abbotsford's newest community is filling up fast, and this is your chance to come feel it for yourself.

Saturday, June 20th 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM
30484 Cardinal Ave, Abbotsford
RSVP For The Highstreet Village Block Party!

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/the-village-block-party-tickets-1991716311102?utm_experiment=test_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios&sg=5ec00f8bb30cabd4aaf3b77783d7b20d91d90552bccde8b9beca23b9f58dc65313bee96193606073c4bed14b946c8b827050a55d9672bd71092f3bed8f6c11a6bcd6d28b22b3e3754f9be82aea

06/09/2026

Something to think about, if you haven't already: The shift toward townhomes and ground-oriented housing in Surrey, Langley, and Abbotsford isn't a lifestyle trend.

It's a direct response to broken development economics.

Here's what's actually happening:

→ Concrete high-rises and most wood-frame condos don't pencil out right now
→ 61% of active presale units are stuck below the financing threshold lenders require
→ Zero new concrete project launches in Q1 — compared to 152 the same period a year prior
→ Regional monthly absorption is so thin, it wouldn't satisfy the presale requirement for a single major tower

Meanwhile, phased townhome developments are moving. Because the math works.

Check out my full breakdown in the article!

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/pre-sale-financing-reality-why-fraser-valleys-shifts-rooted-squires-svu9c

For more than two decades, I’ve had the privilege of helping shape the residential new home landscape across British Columbia. From my years leading project strategy to my focus today at RE/MAX Treeland driving real estate excellence by advising on new project launches and engineering strategic tu...

06/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/18vfcmMZLj/