Most Quebecers believe there is no perfect time to enter the housing market
For most Quebecers, the search for the perfect moment to buy a home may be a search without an end.
New polling from Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), found that 61% of Quebec respondents believe there is simply no ideal time to enter the housing market — a sentiment shaped by economic uncertainty, rising costs, and a province simultaneously gripped by urgency and doubt.
The RBC 2026 Home Ownership Poll surveyed 1,753 Canadians, including 392 Quebecers, between April 23 and May 3, using Leger's online panel.
The results reveal a market where the barriers to homeownership have not so much disappeared as changed form, shifting from the rate shock of recent years to a deeper psychological freeze driven by macroeconomic unpredictability.
"Rising costs and shifting economic conditions have made every step of the homebuying journey feel higher-stakes, and the pressure of whether to act is weighing on Quebecers," said Janet Boyle, senior vice president of home equity finance at RBC.
"While the barriers to home ownership have always existed, how they look has shifted. What hasn't changed is the importance of knowing what's right for you, and it starts with having an honest conversation with an expert who knows your full financial picture."
A seller's market with few confident buyers
Quebec occupies a peculiar position within the national picture. While 36% of all Canadian respondents describe today's environment as a seller's market, that figure climbs to 57% among Quebecers, one of the highest readings of any region in the country.
Yet despite that broadly shared perception of seller-favoured conditions, provincial prospective buyers are not rushing to transact. Just 26% of Quebecers who intend to purchase within two years say now is the right time to buy, compared with 45% for the same cohort nationally.
A competing sense of urgency runs beneath the hesitation, however. More than half of Quebec prospective buyers (53%) believe there is only a small window of opportunity before prices climb again, and 49% expect interest rates to rise before the year is out.
As Montreal's residential market has been showing unmistakable signs of a slowdown, that combination — a perceived seller's market, prices expected to rise, and rates expected to follow — is pulling prospective buyers in opposite directions at once.
"Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions my clients will ever make, and in a market like Quebec's, it's natural to have questions about timing," said Pascal Berger, senior mortgage specialist at RBC in Quebec.
"My focus is on helping each person understand their options and what they can control — their budget, their timeline, their goals — so that when the right opportunity comes, they're ready to move forward with confidence."
| Statement (% agree) | Quebec | National |
|---|---|---|
| Market perception | ||
| We are in a seller's market | 57% | 36% |
| We are in a buyer's market | 12% | 27% |
| Home prices will rise this year | 70% | 58% |
| Interest rates will rise this year | 44% | 50% |
| Timing & opportunity | ||
| You can never really know when the right time is to buy | 61% | 64% |
| Now is the right time to buy | 26% | 27% |
| There is only a small window to act before prices rise again | 29% | 39% |
| Lower home prices will allow me to buy my first or next home | 28% | 34% |
| Lower interest rates will allow me to buy my first or next home | 23% | 30% |
| Current conditions give first-time buyers a chance to enter the market | 19% | 30% |
Quebec column reflects all Quebec respondents. National column reflects all Canadian respondents.
Source: RBC 2026 Home Ownership Poll — 1,753 Canadians including 392 Quebecers surveyed April 23–May 3, 2026, via Leger's online panel
Financial trade-offs mount as uncertainty deepens
Seventy-four per cent of Quebec respondents say economic uncertainty is making it hard to know when the right time to buy is, and 78% believe homeownership demands more sacrifice today than it did for previous generations.
As economic uncertainty has emerged as the dominant force shaping Canada's mortgage decisions in 2026, Quebec is firmly in the grip of that trend.
Among prospective buyers nationally, the scale of financial concessions required to reach homeownership has grown sharply since January 2026. Nearly seven in ten (69%) say they are delaying major purchases such as a vehicle or home renovations, up from 54% at the start of the year.
Sixty-two per cent are postponing or scaling back vacations, up from 55%, while more than half (53%) say they are redirecting retirement savings toward a down payment, up from 49% in January.
Nationally, 71% of those who intend to buy within two years say inflation is causing them to save less for a home altogether.
Seventy-six per cent of Quebec respondents believe most buyers experience some level of financial shock when purchasing their first property, consistent with the 74% recorded nationally.
Nationally, 82% of prospective buyers and homeowners approaching renewal say expert advice is essential when navigating major homeownership decisions.
Elan Weintraub, a Toronto-based broker with Mortgage Outlet who spoke to Canadian Mortgage Professional in June 2026, offered a measured read of the period ahead.
"I don't think a lot is going to change for the rest of the year," he said, a view consistent with the poll's broader finding that buyer confidence remains fragile heading into the second half of 2026.
For brokers advising Quebec clients, the poll's message is direct: the question of timing is unlikely to resolve itself on its own. Boyle, speaking to CMP earlier in May 2026, urged buyers not to wait for certainty that may never arrive.
"The single biggest piece of advice I give to people is start that conversation early and don't be shy about it," she said.
"Be very transparent about exactly what your situation is, because there are so many ways that banks and lenders can help support those situations once we have all the information about the client."
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