One-in-10 Canadians plan to buy a home during the next 12 months, according to the latest survey commissioned by ReMax Canada, even as more than half of those people expect the economy will worsen in 2026.

Released Wednesday morning, the online poll of 1,537 adults conducted by Leger suggests a tempered resurgence in the housing market next year. A ReMax survey conducted earlier in the fall found seven per cent were considering buying a home in the next 12 months. 

Home sales are expected to increase by 3.4 per cent next year, according to the 2026 Housing Market Outlook, but prices are predicted to decline by an additional 3.7 per cent.

One quarter of those surveyed for the outlook expect the housing market in their region will become more affordable in 2026. A similar number (23 per cent) said they would be ready to buy a home if interest rates were to fall by another 0.5 to one percentage point.

“Amid looming economic clouds, Canadians are maintaining their interest in homeownership,” Don Kottick, president of Toronto-based ReMax Canada, said in the release accompanying the report. “The resilience that began to emerge in the fall is anticipated to continue into 2026, with first-time buyers in particular finding creative ways to save and enter the market.” 

First-time buyers paying attention to RTO policies

First-time homebuyers emerged as a notable group in the survey. Half of the 10 per cent considering buying a home in the next 12 months are first-time buyers, ReMax says. They are likely to be aged 18 to 34 and living with children. 

Return-to-office mandates were a particular concern for first-time homebuyers, with the demographic factoring it more in their decisions compared to other types of buyers. Almost half of all respondents said they do not believe return-to-office policies will impact their situation, while 17 per cent were concerned about such mandates.

Return-to-office is "beginning to weigh on first-time buyers’ decisions, prompting many to reconsider not just where they want to live, but how their daily routines, commute times, and lifestyle needs will fit into an in-person work environment,” Kottick said.

Transit access, for example, is an increasingly important element for such buyers.

The latest survey follows ReMax data that found a decline in home sales across the country in 2025. The real estate franchiser found home sales fell year-over-year in 32 of 38 Canadian markets between Jan. 1 and Oct. 31.

Listings increased year-over-year across all regions, rising by as much as 21 per cent in Ontario. Thus, the national housing market was more balanced for buyers in 2025. 

Mild housing market recovery anticipated in 2026

The ReMax survey joins another upbeat expectation for Canada’s housing market in 2026. The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) forecasts national home sales to rebound by 7.7 per cent in 2026, a more optimistic expectation than ReMax. 

Unlike ReMax, CREA predicts the national home price will increase next year, rising by 3.2 per cent from 2025 to reach $698,622 in 2026.

The association said demand for housing was pent-up in 2025 up due to economic uncertainty over issues such as tariffs. But with falling interest rates and prospective buyers increasingly pulling the trigger on purchases, it expects the trend to continue into 2026. 

Alongside its 2026 forecast, ReMax laid out its regional expectations next year.  An analysis of ReMax’s brokers and agents across Canada forecasts that over half of the country’s housing markets are expected to have balanced or mixed conditions, while 15.8 per cent will be sellers’ markets and 13.6 per cent will be buyers’ markets.