Inside the agenda: Canadian Apartment Investment Conference 2026

At a glance: Canadian Apartment Investment Conference 2026

• Who: Over 500 senior executives from Canada's multifamily real estate sector, including REITs, institutional investors, developers, property managers, lenders, capital markets professionals, policy advisors, urban planners, and technology vendors.
• What: A full-day conference addressing capital markets volatility, construction cost management, affordable housing solutions, AI-driven operations, and 2027 investment positioning across Canada's primary markets.
• Where: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, North Building
• When: Wednesday, September 9, 2026

What is the purpose of the Canadian Apartment Investment Conference 2026?

The conference delivers actionable intelligence on navigating volatile capital markets, construction financing challenges, and technology integration in multifamily operations. It addresses interest rate forecasts, immigration policy impacts, affordable housing mandates, and investment strategies for 2027, providing data-driven insights for developers, investors, lenders, and operators across Canadian markets.

What are the key topics covered?

• Economic outlook & capital markets: Inflation trends, bond yields, interest rate forecasts, policy impacts, REIT evolution, private investor activity, valuation/cap rate dynamics, and geopolitical influences on investment strategies.
• Construction cost optimization: Modular and prefab construction methods, advanced cost estimation technology, contract negotiation best practices, labor shortage mitigation, and pro forma viability analysis.
• Affordable housing development: Government incentive navigation, public-private partnership frameworks, demographic shift impacts, developer-friendly processes, and evolving affordability definitions for 2026.
• Infrastructure & urban development: Reduced development charges, HST rebates on new builds, labour shortage solutions, modular construction adoption, and future-proofing infrastructure strategies.
• Land & debt financing: Lender activity levels across primary markets, underwriting criteria shifts, valuation trends, construction financing conditions, CMHC alternatives, and bridge financing solutions.
• Technology & AI integration: AI applications in leasing automation, tenant management, predictive maintenance, operational cost reduction, PropTech solutions, and AI-related risk mitigation.
• Property management & tenant experience: Retention strategies amid new supply competition, amenitization ROI for older inventory, cost reduction solutions, resident events as investment, and immersive tenant experience best practices.
• Provincial market analysis: Buying activity, market dynamics, and valuations across Toronto, Vancouver, Montreal, and Calgary; price transactions, proforma viability, and bulk condo deal implications.
• Leadership & succession planning: Transitioning leadership strategies, exit planning for legacy assets, liquidity blueprints, corporate governance frameworks, and protecting long-term asset value.
• Demographic dynamics: Aging population impacts on senior housing, immigration policy effects on student housing supply, and the "missing middle" gap (households earning too much for subsidized housing but unable to afford market-rate).

Why is this conference important for multifamily professionals?

• Regulatory & policy clarity: Understand how reduced development charges, HST rebates, and immigration policies reshape project feasibility, entitlement timelines, and underwriting assumptions.
• Capital access: Connect with institutional investors, CMHC, private lenders, and alternative capital sources to structure joint ventures, secure construction financing, and optimize capital stacks.
• Operational efficiency: Learn AI-driven maintenance strategies, technology-enabled cost reduction, and tenant-centric approaches to maximize NOI and retention amid new supply competition.
• Construction optimization: Gain insights into modular construction adoption, supply chain management, and cost mitigation strategies to deliver projects on time and within budget.
• Strategic networking: Engage with REITs, institutional investors, developers, lenders, and technology vendors to accelerate project pipelines and portfolio scaling.
• Future planning: Prepare for 2027 investment outlook, evolving affordability mandates, demographic shifts, and macroeconomic volatility impacting capital deployment strategies.

Who are the key participants?

• Conference leadership: Jason Castellan (Co-Founder & CEO, Skyline) and Alexandra Khazzam (Managing Director, Hines Canada) serve as conference co-chairs.
• REITs & institutional investors: Brad Cutsey (CAPREIT), Samantha Adams (Boardwalk REIT), William Logar (KingSett Capital), Michael Tsourounis (Hazelview Investments), Tyler Seaman (Oxford Properties Group), and Meaghan Peloso (Dream Unlimited).
• Developers: Jacob Cohen (The Daniels Corporation), Jamie Cooper (Dream), Jeremy Reeds (Windmill Developments), Matt Young (Republic Capital), Greg Jones (SkyDev), and Valesa Faria (Build Canada Homes).
• Property managers & operators: Jenny Chou (CAPREIT), Chad Davidson (Traine & Mainline Living), Sean Ingraham (FirstService Residential), William Lépine (Lépine Apartments), and Carolyn Poirier (Fengate Real Estate).
• Lenders & capital providers: Caroline Sanfaçon (CMHC), Eric Horie (Trez Capital), Christian Oliver (Canada ICI), Jen Harrop (Peakhill Capital), Paula Gasparro (CMLS), and Nurit Altman (RBC Capital Markets).
• Capital markets professionals: Peter Senst (CBRE), Cynthia Jagger (CBRE), Michael Betsalel (JLL), Kellie Speakman (JLL), David Bloomstone (TD Securities), and Aik Aliferis (Marcus & Millichap).
• Technology vendors: Jeff Mziray (DashQ), Jeffrey McCann (APOLLO Insurance), Parisa Vafaei (Yardi Canada), Sarah Segal (simplyDBS), Jonathan Carrière (Wifiplex), and Peter Hass (Stemular).
• Policy experts & urban planners: Mary Rowe (Canadian Urban Institute), Vic Gupta (CreateTO), Yves Cheung (Toronto Community Housing Corporation), Tony Irwin (Rental Housing Canada), and Jenn Podmore Russell (Nch'ḵay̓ Development Corporation).
• Economists & advisors: Benjamin Tal (CIBC Capital Markets), William Jegher (EY-Parthenon), Derek Lobo (Rock Advisors/National Apartment Council), and Jim Dimanis (National Apartment Council).
• Marketing & leasing specialists: Chrystal LeBlanc (BGO), Riz Dhanji (RAD Marketing), Paul DeYoung (Apartments.com), and Nathan Walters (Fares & Co. Development Inc.).
• Architects & consultants: Jon McGinn (Chamberlain Architect Services), Adrian Rocca (Fitzrovia), Randy Gladman (Colliers), Steve Keyzer (Colliers), and Brandon Imada (Avison Young).

The Canadian Apartment Investment Conference equips multifamily professionals with the capital market intelligence, construction cost strategies, and technology frameworks needed to navigate volatile economic conditions and position portfolios for 2027 growth. From AI-driven operations to affordable housing solutions, attendees gain the actionable insights and strategic partnerships required to optimize investments across Canada's primary markets.