East VancouverTight
Small bay availability remains thin under 5,000 sq. ft.
Functional grade-loaded options under 5,000 sq. ft. continue to lease quickly. Tenants who wait into Q2 face higher rents and fewer choices.
SupplyMay 12
Market commentary · Tenant + owner strategy
Market Notes.
Practical reads on the Vancouver and Lower Mainland industrial market. Specific, local, and built to be useful to operators making real decisions.
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Each new market note is summarized in The Vancouver Industrial Brief, the weekly market memo.
AllMarket UpdatesTenant StrategyOwner StrategyIndustrial ZonesLease RenewalsBuying IndustrialSelling IndustrialLower Mainland RelocationZoning and Redevelopment
Published
Recent market notes.
Tenant StrategyPublished
Vancouver Industrial Real Estate: What Tenants Need to Know in 2026
Vancouver industrial is tight, expensive, and decisions move faster than most tenants expect. A clear-eyed guide to leasing in 2026.
Read note
Industrial ZonesPublished
Mount Pleasant Industrial Real Estate: Scarcity, Demand, and Redevelopment Pressure
How Mount Pleasant became Vancouver's most contested urban industrial pocket — and what tenants and owners should know in 2026.
Read note
Industrial ZonesPublished
False Creek Flats Industrial Market Overview
The Flats is Vancouver's central industrial spine — strategic land, evolving zoning, and long-horizon ownership. A practical overview.
Read note
Industrial ZonesPublished
East Vancouver Industrial Space: What Businesses Should Know
East Van small bay is one of the most contested industrial segments in the city. A practical read for tenants and owner-users.
Read note
Lease RenewalsPublished
Industrial Lease Renewal Checklist for Vancouver Businesses
Your industrial lease renewal is a market decision, not a paperwork decision. A practical checklist for Vancouver businesses.
Read note
Market ReportPublished
Build-to-Suit Now Accounts for 80% of New Metro Vancouver Industrial Starts
Avison Young's Q1 2026 read of Metro Vancouver industrial: speculative and strata starts have collapsed, build-to-suit deals carry the construction pipeline.
Read note
Market ReportPublished
Metro Vancouver Industrial Absorption Doubled New Supply in Q1 2026
Colliers' Q1 2026 report shows net absorption above 1.1 million sq. ft. — nearly twice the new product delivered into the market.
Read note
Submarket ReadPublished
Where Metro Vancouver Industrial Tightens — and Where It Doesn't
A submarket-by-submarket read of Q1 2026 vacancy: North Shore at 1.6%, Maple Meadows at 6.5%, and a four-tenths-of-a-point regional compression in three months.
Read note
Lease MovementPublished
Large-Format Industrial Leasing Is Back — 100,000 sq. ft. Deals Lead the Recovery
After a year of soft large-format demand, twelve Metro Vancouver buildings over 100,000 sq. ft. moved into late-stage negotiations heading into 2026.
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Industrial OutlookPublished
CBRE's 2026 Vancouver Outlook: Industrial Leads the Recovery Narrative
CBRE Canada's 2026 Vancouver outlook reads industrial as the most stable corner of the commercial market — and the first to flip from softening to tightening.
Read note
Lease MovementPublished
Avison Young's Build-to-Suit Lease Named Western Canada Transaction of the Year
Connect CRE's 2026 awards recognized a major Metro Vancouver build-to-suit industrial lease — a clear marker of where the largest occupier commitments are landing.
Read note
Trade & LogisticsPublished
Port of Vancouver Hits Record 170.4M Tonnes — and the Industrial Map Reorganizes Around It
2025 cargo volumes through Vancouver Fraser Port Authority broke records. Tilbury, Delta, and Richmond industrial demand is being pulled along.
Read note
Policy WatchPublished
Metro Vancouver's Industrial Intensification Bet — What Owners Should Know
Colliers' intensification analysis lays out where Metro Vancouver's limited industrial land base is being asked to do more — stacking, multi-storey, lot densification.
Read note
Sector WatchPublished
Cold Storage in Richmond Is Tightening — and Speculative Supply Won't Catch Up
Grocery e-commerce, food-chain consolidation, and port-linked import volume are absorbing Richmond cold-storage faster than developers are willing to deliver it speculatively.
Read note
Policy WatchPublished
The Regional Industrial Lands Strategy — Why It Sets the Ceiling for New Supply
Metro Vancouver's Regional Industrial Lands Strategy and the new BC Industrial Land Office are reshaping how supply gets added — or doesn't.
Read note
Market watch
Editorial signals tracked across the market.
Short reads on what is actually moving — without republishing third-party listings.
South VancouverActive
Mid-size flex demand is holding above supply.
Tenants in the 8,000–15,000 sq. ft. band are competing for limited functional product. Older buildings with reliable loading are leasing faster than expected.
DemandMay 9
RichmondActive
Logistics requirements remain active across the corridor.
Distribution and food users are continuing to push for modern product with dock loading and 26 ft+ clear. Newer strata absorption is steady.
DemandMay 7
Mount PleasantWatching
Redevelopment pressure continues to shape lease decisions.
Tenants in older stock are increasingly asking about relocation options. Owners with redevelopment timelines should plan tenant communications early.
RedevelopmentMay 5
Burnaby BorderActive
East Van overflow is moving the Burnaby small bay market.
Buyers and tenants priced out of East Vancouver are absorbing Burnaby strata bays faster than the area typically clears.
Owner-user activityMay 3
Surrey & LangleyActive
Vancouver users are testing the relocation math more seriously.
Operators that previously rejected Surrey/Langley distance are revisiting the math as Vancouver and Burnaby renewals come in higher.
RelocationMay 1
DeltaActive
Yard-supported product continues to outperform.
Tenants requiring real trailer access and yard remain a thin buyer/lessee pool, but available product is leasing on disciplined terms.
Lease movementApr 28
StrathconaTight
Food and beverage users continue to anchor the cluster.
Existing operators are renewing rather than moving, which keeps net availability thin. New entrants face long search timelines.
SupplyApr 25
Editorial roadmap
On deck.
Notes in progress and planned. If you want one of these prioritized, reply to the Brief and say so.
Market UpdatesDrafting
Why Industrial Space in Vancouver Is So Hard to Find
The structural reasons behind Vancouver's industrial scarcity, and what it means for tenants and owners.
On the editorial roadmap
Industrial ZonesDrafting
South Vancouver Industrial Real Estate Guide
Vancouver's largest functional industrial land base, broken down by user type.
On the editorial roadmap
Lower Mainland RelocationDrafting
Vancouver vs Burnaby Industrial Space: Which Market Makes More Sense?
A clear comparison of supply, function, access, and economics.
On the editorial roadmap
Lower Mainland RelocationDrafting
Vancouver vs Richmond Industrial Leasing: Access, Cost, and Functionality
When the airport corridor wins the relocation conversation.
On the editorial roadmap
Tenant StrategyPlanned
When Should an Industrial Tenant Start Looking for Space?
A timing framework for Vancouver and Lower Mainland industrial tenants.
On the editorial roadmap
Buying IndustrialPlanned
Buying Industrial Property in Vancouver: Owner User Guide
What owner-users should evaluate before buying small bay or freestanding industrial.
On the editorial roadmap
Tenant StrategyPlanned
Small Bay Industrial in Vancouver: Why Demand Is So Strong
The structural drivers behind small bay demand — and what to watch for.
On the editorial roadmap
Owner StrategyPlanned
Why Industrial Owners Should Track Tenant Demand Before Selling
Owners who track demand directly often discover sale options they did not know they had.
On the editorial roadmap
Owner StrategyPlanned
How Loading, Power, Parking, and Ceiling Height Affect Industrial Value
A function-first view of what actually drives industrial value.
On the editorial roadmap
Lower Mainland RelocationPlanned
The Lower Mainland Industrial Relocation Map
When Vancouver tenants relocate, where do they actually end up?
On the editorial roadmap
Tenant StrategyPlanned
Why Contractors Are Struggling to Find Functional Industrial Space in Vancouver
A practical read for the trades.
On the editorial roadmap
Owner StrategyPlanned
What Makes an Industrial Building Valuable in Vancouver?
Function-first valuation framework for owners and buyers.
On the editorial roadmap
Buying IndustrialPlanned
Industrial Strata vs Freestanding Buildings in Metro Vancouver
Which structure makes more sense for owner-users.
On the editorial roadmap
Zoning and RedevelopmentPlanned
How Redevelopment Pressure Affects Vancouver Industrial Properties
Reading the redevelopment signal for owners and tenants.
On the editorial roadmap
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