Building resilience in real estate: Insights from BOMEX 2025

Halifax hosted one of the largest BOMEX conferences to date, bringing together more than 650 commercial real estate leaders, managers, and advisors from across the country. Alongside an established presence of large REITs, there was a stronger mix of service providers, technology firms, and regional perspectives. The event had the feel of a sector-wide check-in, and offered a chance to compare experiences, share ideas, and look at what’s next for an industry that continues to evolve.

The conversations touched on some of the most pressing issues facing real estate today. Tariffs, sustainability, data transparency, and technology all featured prominently, not as abstract concepts but as challenges already shaping day-to-day decisions. The consistent theme was practicality. Attendees weren’t waiting for perfect certainty but looking for ways to plan, adapt, and keep moving forward.

Trade and tariffs shaping decisions

Several keynote speakers focused on the Canada-U.S. relationship, particularly the potential for tariffs to disrupt costs and supply chains. These issues may seem removed from everyday operations, but their impact is immediate. Developers and landlords are cautious about committing to budgets without knowing how tariffs might land, and some have already built new clauses into contracts to reduce the risk of cost spikes.

The conversations were less about predicting outcomes and more about preparing for them. Leaders talked about building flexibility into agreements, leaving room in budgets for volatility, and maintaining closer relationships with suppliers. A critical lesson that global shifts may be outside your control, but how you prepare for them is not.

Technology taking hold

Technology was a recurring theme throughout the conference. AI and digital tools are no longer viewed as distant possibilities. Predictive maintenance, smart energy systems, and tenant-facing apps are starting to show up in Canadian buildings, offering real savings and improved tenant experiences.

What stood out in the discussions was the balance between excitement and caution. AI can streamline operations, but it cannot replace the critical thinking and judgment leaders bring to the table. Several sessions reinforced the importance of having a strategy before adopting new tools: identify your pain points, get internal buy-in, and then decide how technology can help.

Cyber security also came into sharper focus. As buildings become more connected, they are also more exposed. Speakers stressed the importance of training employees, monitoring systems, and treating cyber risks as part of business planning rather than an afterthought.

Technology has become a non-negotiable. The challenge now is how to adopt it in a way that adds efficiency and reduces risk, without losing sight of the people and processes it’s meant to support.

One example is growing role of data in building trust between landlords and tenants. Sharing real-time information on water usage, energy consumption, and maintenance creates more efficiency, but also provides a foundation for collaboration.

Leaders described how open data can reduce costs, support capital planning, and extend the lifecycle of assets. More importantly, it helps align priorities over the long term, whether planning repairs, setting budgets, or making decisions about upgrades. In a sector where relationships matter, transparency is quickly becoming a differentiator, and technology it helping bridge the gap.

Sustainability evolving into accountability

Sustainability has been a fixture at BOMEX for years, but the conversation in Halifax reflected how much it has matured. Decarbonization, ESG audits, and the financial realities of efficiency upgrades all came through as priorities that can no longer be put off.

One of the strongest points of discussion was the disconnect between sustainability investments and how they’re demonstrated in property valuations. Owners may want to make upgrades, but if those investments are not recognized in fair market value, it is difficult to build the business case.

Auditing was another focal point. With Bill C-59 raising standards for corporate accountability, ESG audits are under more scrutiny. Businesses are being asked to prove real results rather than rely on surface-level reporting. Some companies are still hesitant about involving accounting firms in this work, but the expectation for transparency is rising.

Leaders also spoke about the challenge of long payback periods. Efficiency projects such as Existing Building Commissioning can produce significant energy savings, but the returns often stretch over ten years or more. Shortening those timelines and making the benefits clearer will be essential to keep projects moving.

The tone was grounded. Sustainability influences how projects are financed, how buildings are valued, and how companies are measured. This leads into the challenge of how to make the case in financial and operational terms.

Regional perspectives with national relevance

The Halifax setting gave the conference a local backdrop that highlighted broader national trends. Rapid immigration is bringing energy and density to the downtown core, but it’s also putting pressure on housing and transit.

Other regions highlighted similar balancing acts. Calgary continues to grapple with safety concerns and revitalizing its downtown. Toronto and Vancouver are managing the dual challenges of density and high vacancy rates. Each city has its own version of the same question: how do you encourage growth while keeping it sustainable and livable?

Hearing these perspectives together reinforced why national conversations like BOMEX matter. Local challenges may differ, but many of the solutions, such as better data, smarter technology, and transparent sustainability frameworks apply across the country.

What leaders can take away

Across a spectrum of topics, some common threads tied it all together:

• Tariffs and trade are uncertain, but leaders can prepare by adapting contracts and leaving flexibility in budgets.
• AI and digital tools are moving into practice, but they require clear strategies and strong oversight to succeed.
• Sharing data is becoming an essential part of strong tenant relationships.
• Cyber security must be built into any digital adoption plan.
• Sustainability is non-negotiable, but the focus is on closing the gap between investment, valuation, and payback periods.
• Regional experiences differ, however, each offers lessons the sector can use.

Looking forward

BOMEX 2025 showed a commercial real estate industry that is realistic about its challenges but committed to finding solutions. From tariffs to technology to sustainability, leaders aren’t waiting for certainty to respond, but they are adapting in ways that are practical, collaborative, and forward-looking.

For Canadian real estate businesses, the next step is to start building resilience using the resources and know-how already at your disposal. That means planning for multiple outcomes, using technology wisely, aligning sustainability with financial returns, and creating stronger partnerships with tenants and stakeholders.

The conversations in Halifax pointed to an industry that is still evolving, but also one that is ready to move forward with purpose.