A Sensible Look at Real Estate in Uncertain Times

Why clarity, not prediction, is your best guide.

In investing, and in real estate, the hardest time to act is often when it makes the most sense. Prices are softening in some areas and holding steady in others. Interest rates remain elevated. Sales activity has slowed. And behind the housing numbers is a wider storm of uncertainty: tariffs, inflation, rising unemployment in some sectors, and geopolitical tensions that keep markets on edge. Add to that rate hikes, layoffs, and fading consumer confidence, and it’s no surprise that many people feel hesitant. Any rational person would.

The news isn’t built for clarity. It’s built to sell attention. Fear grabs attention faster than context. But good decisions, especially long-term ones, come from understanding what you can control and staying grounded in your own numbers.

No one can consistently predict where interest rates or markets are going. And most who try don’t have a record worth following. So instead of chasing forecasts, it’s better to ask: Where do I stand today? Can I afford this without stretching? Can I handle some volatility without panic? Does this decision match what I want five or ten years from now—not just five or ten months?

That kind of thinking—focusing on what you can control rather than waiting for certainty—is often what separates sound decisions from missed opportunities. Trying to time the market perfectly is nearly impossible. Most people only recognize the “right moment” in hindsight. As Peter Lynch put it, “Far more money has been lost by investors preparing for corrections, or trying to anticipate corrections, than has been lost in the corrections themselves.” It’s a reminder that discipline often beats delay.

Vancouver’s market is still shaped by fundamentals that haven’t changed. Geography limits supply. Demand, though sometimes slowed by policy, remains steady. People move here for lifestyle, not just economics. That doesn’t make prices predictable, but it helps explain their long-term resilience.

Rates are high. Whether they’ve peaked or not is anyone’s guess. What matters more is whether you’re making decisions based on today’s reality, not tomorrow’s hopes. If the math works now, that’s enough. If it doesn’t, that’s reason enough to wait.

Housing supply still faces structural bottlenecks. Permitting is slow. Zoning is complex. And while affordability is a political talking point, high property values benefit too many stakeholders—banks, municipalities, and homeowners—for the system to shift quickly. These aren’t inefficiencies. They’re baked-in incentives.

Much of today’s market softness is the result of direct policy: taxes, bans, and restrictions that have cooled demand. But those levers won’t last forever. When they shift, the market will adjust.

Meanwhile, buyers today have something rare—options. Inventory is higher than it’s been in years. That means more choice and often, more negotiating power. Unlike the frenzied years when homes sold in days and offers came without conditions, today’s market gives you space to think and time to plan. That kind of environment rewards patience and preparation, not urgency.

There’s no prize for being first. There’s no penalty for being last. The only timeline that matters is yours. If your decision is grounded in your finances and long-term goals, you’re already ahead.

Uncertainty never disappears. But it doesn’t have to stop you. The goal isn’t to predict the next move. It’s to make one that holds up—whatever comes next. And if you look past the noise, you’ll see that today’s buyer has real advantages: more inventory, more negotiating room, and more time to make a thoughtful decision. What feels like risk today often looks like opportunity in hindsight.