Welcome to the CRE podcast. 100% Canadian, 100% commercial real estate. What if the global geopolitical churn is actually creating opportunities to realign your portfolio?
In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, powered by First National, hosts Aaron Cameron and Adam Powadiuk are joined by Michael Lambert, President and Managing Partner at WHITNEY & Company Realty Limited, Brokerage, to explore how smaller markets across Southwest Ontario are becoming major opportunities for commercial real estate investment. The conversation examines how institutional capital is moving beyond the GTA, why municipalities are playing a larger role in shaping development, and what infrastructure challenges are impacting growth.
Michael shares insights on emerging secondary markets, shifting investor strategies, the rise of grocery-anchored retail, and how a regional water crisis has created uncertainty for development across Waterloo Region. This episode offers valuable perspectives for developers, investors, and brokers navigating Ontario’s evolving real estate landscape.
What you will learn:
- How to identify emerging markets before they saturate
- The demographic and infrastructure drivers unlocking smaller market growth
- Why less than 50 major players are controlling Southwest Ontario’s $20M+ deal flow
- The water crisis paralyzing Waterloo Region’s development pipeline
- How retail is becoming the hottest asset class despite e-commerce growth
- The municipal land strategy that could reset private land pricing
Michael Lambert is the President and Managing Partner of WHITNEY & Company Realty Limited, Brokerage, a fifth-generation family-owned commercial real estate brokerage based in Waterloo Region with over 100 years of market expertise. With a unique background transitioning from professional snowboarding, including World Cup competition and Olympic participation, to commercial real estate, Michael brings disciplined, process-oriented thinking to market strategy and development. His perspective is invaluable for investors, developers, and brokers seeking to understand market maturation, institutional capital influx, and strategic positioning in Canada’s dynamic commercial real estate landscape.
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