Welcome to the CRE podcast. 100% Canadian, 100% commercial real estate. What if international pension fund investment could unlock Canada’s housing crisis?
In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, hosts Aaron Cameron and Adam Powadiuk are joined by Mark Siezen, CEO of Bouwinvest, to unpack why Dutch institutional investors are increasingly focused on Canada, and what’s holding back higher investment inflows. The conversation explores the structural tax and regulatory barriers that prevent deeper cross-border real estate investment, despite strong alignment between Canadian and Dutch pension fund objectives.
Mark explains why the U.S. captures the vast majority of Dutch pension capital in North America, how administrative tax interpretations, not new legislation, are the real bottleneck, and what pragmatic changes could unlock billions in long-term housing investment. The episode also explores the opportunity for reciprocal capital flows, with Canadian pension funds looking to the Netherlands’ resilient residential market, as well as the role of ESG, long-term asset durability, and modular timber construction in future-proofing housing supply.
What you will learn:
- Why the U.S. captures 95% of the Dutch pension fund’s North American investment
- How to reframe pension fund tax policy as an interpretation, not a legislative issue
- The case for Canadian pension funds diversifying into Dutch residential assets
- Why ESG and future-proofing matter more than current rental premiums
- How modular timber-based housing can position Canada as a global leader
- The three outcomes that would signal successful cross-border investment momentum
Mark Siezen is an international real estate investment executive and CEO of Bouwinvest, one of Europe’s leading institutional real-asset platforms. He leads diversified portfolios across residential, retail, office, healthcare, and global real estate markets on behalf of pension funds and institutional investors. Mark focuses on aligning strategy, governance, and culture to deliver sustainable long-term performance while connecting capital with societal outcomes.
Deeply engaged in housing, healthcare, and ESG, Mark actively bridges investors, policymakers, and developers to address affordability, sustainability, and structural housing shortages.
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