Rent increases in Quebec just got a major overhaul for the first time in decades, and this renewal season is the first real test. In this episode, Axel Monsaingeon sits down with Cory Friedman to break down what changed, what stayed the same, and where landlords and operators can get burned if their bookkeeping is not airtight. You will learn how the new framework uses a three year rolling CPI average, how capital expenses can now play a bigger role in allowable increases, and why taxes and insurance only help you when they rise faster than CPI. Cory also explains the real world problem behind the reform, the TAL backlog, and why today's leasing market makes renewals more strategic than ever. If you manage multifamily in Quebec, this is the renewal playbook to stay compliant, protect cash flow, and avoid expensive turnover.

Topics & Timestamps

📌 Why Quebec changed rent increase rules after 40+ years (00:01:55)

🧾 How the old rent increase calculation worked (00:05:31)

📉 The new CPI based approach and why it smooths volatility (00:06:27)

🏗️ CapEx now counts differently and why it matters for older buildings (00:07:21)

🧮 The unit by unit math that makes this harder at scale (00:09:38)

📚 Bookkeeping and unit costing: the hidden advantage in renewal season (00:11:09)

🧾 Taxes and insurance: when they actually increase your allowable rent hike (00:12:41)

📊 Where rent increase trends go from here and what macro forces matter more (00:14:11)

🏢 New construction reality: retention issues, promo hoppers, and vacancy pressure (00:18:48)

🛠️ Ops vs accounting: why renewals break when systems are disconnected (00:24:40)

🚀 Building Compass and scaling a Canadian property management platform (00:24:14)

🔗 Connect with Cory Friedman
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cory-friedman-cpa-77462b80/?originalSubdomain=ca
🏢 Kompas: https://www.kompaspm.com/

👤 Follow Axel Monsaingeon
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axelmonsaingeon

🌐 Explore more resources
📊 Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https://www.e5pace.com/

Montreal's office market is showing nearly a 17–18% vacancy rate. Landlords must offer more concessions, invest heavily in their buildings, and completely rethink their strategy. So how do you stay competitive in 2026?

In this episode, Laurence Binette, Director of Brokerage at AlFID, explains how an integrated real estate group with more than 350 employees manages 32 commercial buildings, 2,000 residential units, and 1,000 student housing rooms while continuing to innovate in a complex market.

We discuss major transactions, asset optimization, free rent concessions worth $100 to $125 per square foot, repositioning Class B buildings, decarbonization initiatives, and even in-house parking management to maximize revenue.

A practical episode for property owners, investors, and commercial real estate professionals who want to understand what is actually working in Montreal today.

Topics & Timestamps

🎙️ Laurence's journey into brokerage (00:01:54)
🏢 Integrated real estate operations (00:03:34)
💰 Record transactions & competitive bidding (00:12:50)
📊 Lease concessions & free rent trends (00:17:38)
🚗 Parking management innovation (00:20:15)
🌱 ESG & decarbonization in refinancing (00:22:59)

🔗 Connect with Laurence Binette
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurence-binette-73658995/?locale=en_US
🏢 ALFID: https://www.alfid.com/#dirigeants-section-anchor

👤 Follow Axel Monsaingeon
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axelmonsaingeon

🌐 Explore more resources
📊 Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https://www.e5pace.com/

Is the Montreal office market truly recovering, or is it just a temporary illusion? In this episode of Espace Montreal, Axel Monsaingeon sits down with André Plourde, Executive Vice President and one of the most influential brokers in the Montreal market, to break down 35 years of real estate cycles, crises, and comebacks.

From Cité du Multimédia to Place Ville-Marie and trophy office buildings, André shares a ground-level reading of the market, the mistakes property owners must avoid, the new expectations of tenants, and why some buildings are winning while others are falling behind. An essential episode for anyone who wants to understand where the office market in Montreal is really headed in 2026 and beyond.

Topics & Timestamps

🧑‍💼 Early career and cycles of the Montreal real estate market (00:01:03)
📉 Crises, vacancy, and the resilience of the office market (00:04:07)
🏙️ Cité du Multimédia and post-pandemic challenges (00:08:50)
🏢 Return to the office and new tenant expectations (00:16:10)
✨ Why trophy office buildings are outperforming (00:18:43)
🛎️ Services, employee experience, and asset repositioning (00:22:22)
💰 Rents, vacancy, and the future of office construction (00:24:38)
🔄 Converting Class B buildings into Class A instead of residential (00:27:07)

🔗 Connect with André Plourde
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andr%C3%A9-g-plourde-309378136/?originalSubdomain=ca
🏢 Colliers: https://www.collierscanada.com/en-ca/experts/andre-plourde

👤 Follow Axel Monsaingeon
💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/axel-monsaingeon-42577b28/
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/axelmonsaingeon

🌐 Explore more resources
📊 Market guides, data, and advertising opportunities: https://www.e5pace.com/