Vancouver, BC – June 5, 2019. The BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator (CLI) rose by 1.3 points to 135.2 in the first quarter of 2019. Compared to this time one year ago, the index is 1.1% higher.

“While economic activity remained tepid at the start of 2019, a rebound in financial markets pushed the CLI higher,” says BCREA Deputy Chief Economist Brendon Ogmundson. “That signals a lower risk environment, but a slowing economy may impact future commercial real estate activity.”

Following several years of robust growth, the BC economy continues to slow in the early part of 2019. The economic activity component of the CLI posted a third consecutive quarterly decline. Employment in key commercial real estate sectors was mixed. The CLI measure of office employment now sits at an all-time high, which signals strong future demand for office space. Volatile financial markets led to recent swings in the underlying CLI index, but the trend remains flat, pointing to stable commercial activity in 2019.

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CLI Points to Stabilizing Commercial Activity in 2019 Q1