Tough times ahead, even for RBC

It may be cold comfort for brokers, but for what it's worth, RBC says its days of double-digit growth in mortgage originations are gone - at least for 2013.

It may be cold comfort for brokers, but for what it's worth, RBC says its days of double-digit growth in mortgage originations are gone - at least for 2013.

Gord Nixon, the head of Canada's largest bank, told a conference Tuesday that he expects the bank's growth in home loans to slow to mid-single digits this year.

The projections jive with the kind of moderate slowdown Realtors, most recently Royal LePage, are predicting, at least for the first half of 2013.

On Tuesday, the real estate giant suggested home sales would only start to gather steam in the final quarter.

In the absence of a serious economic event, many Canadians would adjust their short-term buying or selling to prevailing market conditions, says Phil Soper, Royal LePage president.

Still engaged, qualified families aren't likely to hold out for long, rather using their own personal needs around marriage, families, salary, etc. to determine when or if they'll enter the market.

Expectations are that year-over-year comparisons will begin to show improvement in the third quarter 2013, with sales volumes that are relatively flat versus 2012, and return to growth in the final quarter of the year., according to Soper.