Getting Too Expensive to Buy Commercial Property in Vancouver

Valuations are getting so high in Vancouver’s commercial market it is starting to affect deal flow, says a new report.

RealNet Canada Inc. says capitalization rates — the implied rate of return on a property — in British Columbia have gone so low that a 13% decline in sales in the first quarter can be attributed to the drop. The lower the cap rate, the more a property is worth.

“Transaction volumes experienced declines as the general market adjusts to changing value expectations in a record low cap rate environment,” said Paul Richter, director of research with RealNet, in the report. “Investment activity experienced a decline, however, demand for quality assets and development sites remains high.”

RealNet said there was 217 transactions of more than $1-million in the Vancouver market in the first quarter which amounted to $1.06-billion in activity. That was sharply down from the more than $1.2-billion in activity in the fourth quarter of 2012 but still 10% above the long-term quarterly average.