How Retail Became the Quiet Winner in Montreal’s Real Estate Market

Описание: What does it take to stay competitive in today’s commercial real estate market?

In this episode of the Espace Montreal Podcast, Axel Monsaingeon interviews Ian Quint, President of Brasswater, about how the company navigates a shifting commercial real estate market across Quebec and the U.S..
Learn how boutique office design, build-to-suit industrial strategy, and value-add retail investments drive long-term success. Discover why service-based retail centers continue to outperform and how relationships, trust, and quality define Brasswater’s philosophy.

If you want to understand how to invest, scale, and stay competitive in today’s real estate market, this episode is a must-watch.

What you’ll learn:
Office: How boutique, amenity-driven buildings outcompete Class-A towers — and why renewals now cost as much as new leases.
Industrial: What’s driving the rent reset (~$12–$14 vs. $16–$17 before), the oversupply of 100k+ sq. ft. spaces, and how to position quality assets.
Retail: Why service and grocery-anchored retail continues to outperform despite construction headwinds and limited new supply.
Investment Strategy: When to go build-to-suit instead of spec, and how to define a buy box focused on cash flow and below-market rents.
Relationships: How cultivating trust and long-term partnerships can still beat institutional competition.

Topics & Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:03 Competing in the office market with superior product
05:11 Industrial: from spec to build-to-suit
07:13 The rent reset reality (~$12–$14/sf)
11:22 Retail resilience and population-driven demand
18:04 Why U.S. markets offer fresh opportunities
24:12 Renewals, relationships, and real returns

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