Investing in Alberta Real Estate | Calgary

Investing in Calgary Real Estate

Headquartered in Calgary, AB, Avenue Living is proud to own and operate approximately 3,800 multi-family units in the province’s largest city. In the last quarter of 2023, several acquisitions increased our total market share to an estimated 7.2% of the primary rental market and we closed on our largest acquisition in the city to date. 

In 2024 and beyond, the Calgary market is expected to benefit from significant, positive international and interprovincial migration. We are excited to continue to grow our operations in the city by acquiring high-quality assets while remaining focused on providing homes for the workforce housing demographic.  

Calgary Real Estate Market Facts

Promising Market Demographics: 

Calgary is Canada’s fourth-largest city and has experienced the most significant population growth in the country for the last 10 years. Between 2011 and 2022, the region sustained robust population growth of 23.9%, which strongly outpaced the national average of 11.10%. With a population of 1.6 million, the CMA region is expected to grow another 2.4% over the next four years, putting further pressure on supply constraints and exacerbating the need for high-density, multi-family homes.   

Calgary is also one of the nation’s youngest cities, with a median age of 38.2, bringing innovation and energy to the community and priming it for long-term growth.   

Industry & Employment  

Previously, the Oil and Gas industry drove the job opportunities attracting new Calgarians. However, in recent years, the economy has become more diversified, supported by stable sectors such as technology, energy, agriculture, healthcare, education, transportation & logistics, aerospace, and government. 

The tech sector grew 61% from 2017 to 2022, ranking Calgary second behind Vancouver for improvement in North America. Poised to become a major tech hub, these opportunities attract federal investment, and international and inter-provincial talent and exposure.  

Some of the largest employers based in Calgary include WestJet, Shaw Communications, and the Canada Pacific Railway, offering prospective Calgarians a diverse range of employment opportunities. 

The city is also home to several post-secondary education options, including three public universities — the University of Calgary, Mount Royal University, and the Alberta University of the Arts. Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is also an attractive option for students pursuing technical degrees. These post-secondary institutions employ several thousand Calgarians and are frequently ranked within Alberta’s top 100 employers. 

Culture & Recreation  

Calgary is Canada’s third most diverse major city, home to over 240 different ethnic origins, and there are 165 languages spoken here, lending to a rich and welcoming community.  

The city is also known for its Western culture. Calgary hosts the “Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth” — the Calgary Stampede, which runs for 10 days every July. The festivities include live music, rodeos, carnival attractions and more, seeing an average attendance of 125,000 people a day from all over the world. 

As the “Gateway to the Rockies,” the city is a central hub for outdoor enthusiasts, with globally acclaimed parks like Banff and Kananaskis being easily accessible. Tourists and locals alike can revel in having scenic hikes, lakes, and snow sports at their fingertips.  

There are also plenty of opportunities to explore the outdoors within city limits. After Rouge National Urban Park in Toronto, Fish Creek Park is the second-largest urban park in Canada, where visitors can enjoy over 100 KM of pathways, picnic areas and opportunities to spot wildlife.  

Overall, Calgary’s combination of economic opportunities, cultural attractions, outdoor recreation, and quality of life make it a desirable place to live and visit. 

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

The SunRise: Illuminating Edmonton’s Skyline with Renewal and Sustainability 

SunRise Apartments Edmonton

When we began reconceptualizing Capital Tower in Edmonton, we knew it was only fitting the renewed building would need a new name. We’re pleased to unveil a fresh identity for the property, now called The SunRise. This renaming marks a significant milestone in the building’s history, symbolizing its extensive renovation and revival. The SunRise reflects a new beginning, promising a fresh outlook and enhanced living experience for the building’s residents. The property will offer modern amenities and a renewed sense of vibrancy to its inhabitants and the surrounding Chinatown neighbourhood — which is undergoing a revival of its own.  

When selecting a name, we wanted to evoke a sense of optimism and positivity. Just as a SunRise marks the beginning of a new day, the name suggests a new beginning for residents who choose to make this apartment their home. Additionally, the imagery of a SunRise is often associated with warmth, light, and a welcoming atmosphere, all of which are qualities that many individuals seek in their living spaces. The name not only captures the essence of a new chapter but also conveys a sense of hope and inspiration, making it an appealing and meaningful choice for an apartment building. 

This name gains even more significance with the addition of a one-of-a-kind solar panel mural to the building’s North exterior. This building is a fixture of Edmonton’s iconic Chinatown, and the location of the SunRise is within the Treaty 6 territory. As such, the mural depicts the unity, coexistence, and cultural parallels between First Nations and Chinese cultures, incorporating imagery from the Cree seven sacred grandfather teachings and the Chinese zodiac. This impressive feature enhances the properties’ aesthetics and underscores Avenue Living’s commitment to sustainability. The mural, which collects solar energy, serves as a display that reflects the neighbourhood’s unique heritage but also demonstrates the building’s focus on harnessing renewable resources, making “SunRise” an apt name for this innovative apartment complex. 

To learn more about the project, check out our blog, ‘Capital Tower: A Beacon of Sustainability and Community Revival in Edmonton’ which outlines the building’s history and the outcomes of the renovation.  

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.   

Stability, Growth, and Sustainability: Avenue Living’s Themes for 2023

Themes for 2023

2023 was a challenging year for Canadians and the broader markets. While inflation has slowed and interest rates appear to have stabilized, the overall economic picture continues to fluctuate. 

“It’s been only one year, but we’ve seen changes that you don’t normally see within five,” says Gabriel Millard, Senior Vice President, Capital Markets – Equity and Research. “We’re still in the midst of digesting one of the fastest rate-hiking cycles in history, with a lot of variables in the macro environment.” 

In light of this, investors have expressed increased interest in alternative investments for stability and returns that are non-correlated to public markets. Against that backdrop, we’ve continued to invest in the everyday, striking a balance between defensibility, growth, and sustainability across our strategies. 

Multi-family and self-storage: from pause to growth 

“During the first nine months of 2023, we took a deliberate pause on acquisitions within both our multi-family and self-storage strategies,” Millard says. “Over that time, we saw material net operating income (NOI) improvements from rent adjustments enabled by heightened service standards and introducing new operational cost-efficiency measures.” 

Avenue Living shifted gears in the back half of the year, adding over 1,600 units to our multi-family residential footprint. In November, we finalized a deal with a large institutional investor for a 700-unit portfolio across five towers and a number of townhomes.  

“We’re seeing opportunities to acquire higher-value properties from institutional players, including pension funds, which weren’t available even two years ago,” Millard says.  

As borrowing costs accelerated, the importance of vertical integration, active property management, and managing rising costs in the real estate space became acutely clear. Across both the multi-family and self-storage markets, pure capital allocators struggled to sustain their investment returns, creating more acquisition opportunities. 

“We’re exiting 2023 at just over 17,000 multi-family units,” Millard says. “The Mini Mall Storage Properties fund also grew quite rapidly to almost 8 million square feet — including the largest acquisition in its history of almost 900,000 square feet across 19 properties — making Mini Mall the top 21st largest self-storage operator in North America by rentable square footage.”  

The multi-family Prairie markets are seeing growth from record net immigration, driven by households seeking affordability. A sizeable portion of these newcomers are coming from higher-growth markets like Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal where rent payments can take up 40% to 50% of households’ income.  

Historically, self-storage has proven to be a resilient asset class and remained stable even in times like the 2008 North American real estate crash. Robust consumer-driven demand continues to propel the investment class, painting a constructive picture.   

Strong tailwinds for Canadian farming 

Avenue Living’s two Saskatchewan-focused agricultural strategies, the Avenue Living Agricultural Trust and Tract Farmland Partners LP (Tract), have also managed well amid persistent demand for farmland investment from across Canada.  

In its mid-2023 report on farmland values, Farm Credit Canada saw Saskatchewan lead the nation with an average gain of 11.4%. Most locations in the province, the report said, saw increases between 7% and 11%. On the ground, Tract identified acquisition targets from word-of-mouth referrals within the farming community, a testament to its reputation as a trusted partner.

“It’s a consolidation play that’s still just in its early stages. An estimated 98% of transactions within the province remain outside of investment funds, and we’re continuing to acquire assets,” Millard says. “By the time we close a deal, we’re already seeing impressive appreciation.” 

ESG efforts coming to fruition 

Roughly two years after striking its partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), Avenue Living is moving forward on a number of energy retrofit projects across its multi-family residential portfolio, including work on large solar arrays, exterior renovations, and mechanical upgrades. 

“A large portion of the acquisitions in our self-storage fund are within the Sun Belt region of the United States. Our portfolio is made up of assets that are wide, not high,” Millard says. “That offers an abundance of roofline where we’re able to implement solar projects.” 

Avenue Living’s agricultural strategy also lends itself well to ESG, given Canada’s outsized role in producing staple grain products. 

“The opportunity to help improve food security for Canadians and other nations is something we’re very proud to be a part of,” he says. 

Avenue Living released its first full ESG report in 2023, with a second one set to come out this year. Beyond that, we’ve bolstered our commitment to responsible investing. In 2021, we became a signatory to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) and over the last year we furthered our commitment and became members of the Responsible Investment Association (RIA). 

Avenue Living continued its annual Avenue Giving campaign, bringing together donations from residents and staff to support local food banks. We also launched an Employer-Supported Volunteerism program in the last quarter of 2023. In three months, employees volunteered for over 160 hours with 10 organizations including local food banks, Canadian Blood Services, veteran and seniors’ resource centres, community kitchens, and drop-in centres across the Prairies.  

For 2024, a continued stewardship focus 

From the beginning, Avenue Living’s growth has been inextricably tied to its commitment to the customer. Millard says that focus will continue in 2024, along with a focus on ensuring defensibility across the organization.  

“Since 2020, it’s been a volatile period, and 2024 doesn’t appear to be any different,” he says. “As a responsible asset manager, we’re maintaining a leverage profile in the low 50%, and keeping over 10% of our NAV in liquidity to ensure defensibility.” 

Last year, Avenue Living acquired over half a billion dollars in multi-family assets. With a large pipeline of acquisitions, it’s pressing its growth advantage in 2024, allowing improvement of margins by spreading fixed head-office costs over a larger number of units. 

“We don’t grow for the sake of growth, but to improve our overall operations through accretive transactions,” Millard says. “Through technology and operational improvements, our focus is to continually level up our operations for the benefit of our residents, customers, and investors.”  

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.  

Capital Tower: A Beacon of Sustainability and Community Revival in Edmonton 

Capital Tower in Edmonton

On the periphery of Edmonton’s downtown core sits a 12-storey, 179-unit building that Avenue Living is transforming into a modern, affordable, and sustainable multi-family residential and commercial building. 

Built in 1970, Capital Tower is located at the gateway to the city’s Chinatown district. And as with so many buildings of its vintage, it’s due for a refresh. Upon completion, the building will provide warm, inviting homes to the vibrant surrounding community.  

Art Meets Sustainability 

Capital Tower’s revitalization focuses heavily on sustainability and reducing its environmental footprint — measures that will also provide an improved living experience for residents. Most notably, this project will include the largest vertical array of solar panels ever proposed in North America — one that also doubles as a stunning piece of art.  

The north face of the building will be home to a 26-metre (85-foot) tall mural designed and illustrated by Edmonton Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal. The mural represents the unity, coexistence, and cultural similarities between First Nations and Chinese Cultures using imagery from the Cree seven sacred grandfather teachings and the Chinese zodiac. Thanks to technology from solar panel innovator Mitrex, the landmark artwork also harnesses the energy of the sun to help power the building.  

Beneath the solar façade, new insulation on the building’s exterior walls — which will add an R-value of 12 — will improve the efficiency of the interior. Coupled with new triple-glazed windows, the measures will help keep residents comfortable year-round and allow the heating and cooling systems to run more efficiently. 

But the upgrades don’t stop with the building’s exterior. 

“We’re making improvements to almost every building system in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” says Neal Shannon, Avenue Living’s Senior Vice President, Capital Projects.  

A Broader Commitment to ESG 

These improvements are part of our broader commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives across our portfolio. This approximately $28 million project is made possible thanks to favourable financing terms with BMO. The arrangement allows us to access funds from both BMO and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to complete the green retrofits, which meet CIB’s Environmental Consumption Measures (ECMs).  

“This project is separate from Avenue Living’s partnership program with CIB,” notes Daniel Veniot, Associate Vice President, Capital Markets — Debt. “BMO has its own relationship with the CIB, allowing us to access advantageous lending terms through their programs. Together, these terms will allow us to offer residents upgraded suites at fair market prices, so we can continue to serve our target demographic.” 

Meeting the CIB’s ECMs also allows us to take part in the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) multi-unit loan insurance project, MLI Select. MLI Select is a points system that offers insurance incentives based on affordability, energy efficiency, and accessibility. “This project qualifies for MLI Select based on the environmental upgrades alone,” says Veniot. 

Building Comfort and Community 

The renovations and retrofits are designed to improve the experience for those who call the building home. The property will have features and amenities that foster community, including a rooftop garden, library, games and movie room, fitness centre, storage area, and refurbished commercial space on the main floor.  

The in-suite upgrades will provide increased comfort for residents while contributing to emissions reductions. Heat pumps in each suite — along with smart thermostats — will allow residents to accurately control the temperature of their environment through both heating and cooling. The addition of new makeup air units also helps improve air circulation throughout the building, eliminating cooking odours, improving air quality, and keeping temperatures more even throughout the space. These measures all contribute to improved health for occupants, according to the Canada Green Building Council. 

Other improvements include LED light fixtures in both common areas and suites, modernized elevators, and updated bathrooms and kitchens. Taken together, the renovations all contribute to an elevated experience for future residents.  

A Community on the Rise 

The result will be a high-quality, safe, affordable and comfortable property that contributes to the revitalization of the surrounding community. In recent years, the area has seen renewed education, hospitality, and entertainment options. The building is within walking distance of the ICE District (Edmonton’s entertainment hub), Epcor Tower (one of the newest AA office buildings in the city), and Grant MacEwan University. It’s also close to transit lines which gives residents easy access to the University of Alberta and other business districts. Nearby, the Station Lands development is revitalizing an underused part of the downtown core, transforming it into a vibrant, walkable community. 

The project, which is already underway, is set to be completed in late 2024. We’ll provide regular, more detailed updates here, so follow along for the full story as it unfolds.  

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://staging.avenuelivingam.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

Avenue Living passes $5B in Assets Under Management

Avenue Living passes $5B

Our CEO and Founder, Anthony Giuffre, sat down with Real Estate News Exchange (RENX) to discuss Avenue Living’s recent acquisitions, growth strategy, and how our expertise as property managers is helping us navigate the current market.

Read the Full Article

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

2023 Mid-Year Review: Laying the Foundation for Stability and Growth 

2023 Avenue Living Review

As our leadership team reflects on the first half of 2023, the theme is one of sustainability and continued growth for Avenue Living. As we progress throughout the year, we’re poised to reach new milestones given the strong foundation we have spent the last few years cultivating. Each of our funds has access to a robust vertically integrated platform with talented experts in finance, legal, marketing, technology, accounting, HR, and customer service to support their operations. As we grow, that platform scales with our different businesses, allowing us to maximize efficiency across the organization.  

Multi-Family 

This year, our Core Trust has sustained its steady growth trajectory, as the groundwork from previous years allowed us to find upside in constrained markets. Our approach as an active property manager, and the platform we have built to support our operations, has helped us deliver superior resident experiences and manage our assets while mitigating rising costs.  

“We remain focused on our defensibility and advancing our business for the rest of 2023,” says Avenue Living Founder and CEO, Anthony Giuffre. “We continue to be bullish on the Prairies given its population growth and affordability when compared to other markets.” Our multi-family acquisition pipeline includes over 3,000 units in the region which have the potential to close in the latter half of 2023 or early 2024, which could bring our portfolio to over 18,000 units.

“Our investments in people and technology have created the basis for us to support new acquisitions across our asset base without increasing management costs,” says Jason Jogia, CIO of Avenue Living. “This ability to scale, coupled with our ability to borrow strategically while taking advantage of the inverted yield curve, allows us to minimize our costs while investing in our assets and delivering a superior resident experience.”  

Sustainability remains a key cornerstone of our business, as we invest in capital improvements and strategically plan our projects to reduce greenhouse gas emissions across our portfolio. These projects — many of which will launch in the second half of 2023 and progress over the next four years as part of our landmark partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank — will improve the energy consumption of approximately 240 buildings and enhance comfort for around 10,000 Avenue Living Communities residents.  

Self-Storage 

Mini Mall’s focus on operational efficiency at the beginning of 2023 has been key to its growth. This approach has allowed the front-line customer service team to deliver a consistent experience at every location, bringing new acquisitions to the MMSP standard.  

“With over 100 stores coming online last year, we wanted to stabilize our operations and quickly produce consistent performance and results on these assets,” says MMSP CEO, Adam Villard. Mini Mall delivered on that by adding operational expertise to the executive team and focusing on efficiency, resulting in close rates increasing by 48% and delinquencies decreasing by 84% between January to June.  

“We’ve really been focused on ‘the three C’s’,” says Villard, “closing, cleaning, and collecting.” By putting strategic practices in place to help close leads, bringing facilities up to the Mini Mall standard for aesthetics and cleanliness, and lowering delinquencies, site managers and staff can concentrate on creating a seamless customer experience across the organization.  

Mini Mall also implemented new marketing and customer service strategies to refine its lead generation process, which doubled results between the end of March to the end of June. “Those efforts are really what’s driving our business right now,” says Villard. 

Going forward, Villard sees Mini Mall maintaining strong occupancy throughout the winter to balance the seasonal fluctuations the industry is known for, and continuing to drive targeted programs to build on revenue and occupancy numbers.  

Farmland 

2023 has been a notable year for our farmland investments as we developed and launched Tract Farmland Partners – building on the success of our Avenue Living Agricultural Land Trust. Interest in farmland as an investment gained traction during the pandemic and it shows no signs of slowing. In its first six months, Tract now holds 3,560 acres of arable land.  

CEO of Tract Farmland Partners and Agricultural Land Trust, Leif Snethun, credits the recent world events for the uptick in people’s interest in food supply, noting that the launch of the Agricultural Land Trust in 2017 was slower to get underway than Tract has been. There has always been interest in farmland, but since 2020 it has become more widespread among investors.  

“The farmland industry has always been a wonderful space to be in,” says Snethun. He sees Tract adding more assets to its portfolio for the remainder of 2023. “I’m eager to see the momentum build as people remain interested in the agricultural sector and want to know where their food comes from.” 

Our Path Forward  

The first half of 2023 has been significant for our investment vehicles, as we fostered our ground-breaking partnerships, launched new projects, and saw growing investor interest in our asset classes. Our active management model and platform of services — coupled with careful planning and analysis — will allow us to capitalize on a breadth of opportunities. We’re excited to continue driving our business forward and deliver a competitive advantage in these unique economic times.  

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

What is Workforce Housing?

What is Workforce Housing?

Workforce housing residents comprise a substantial part of an economy’s essential services, with studies suggesting they represent 40% of the renter population. Avenue Living’s strategic focus on multi-family residential, and specifically the workforce housing demographic, anticipates the growth of this important segment of the population and their increasing demand for high-quality, affordable housing.

Starting in the 1970s as an experiment in American ski towns, workforce housing provides affordable and conveniently-located housing options for individuals and families who are part of the local workforce. These homes, like those first developed in Colorado as described in the video, are available for people who work in the region but may have difficulty affording market-rate housing due to lower incomes and consistently increasing housing costs.

Over the decades, workforce housing has expanded well beyond purpose-built communities across North America. Similar developments and buildings can be found in various communities, and they continue to meet the needs of workers who earn moderate to middle-income wages (approximately $15-$50 in Canada).

As a crucial part of a well-functioning community, workforce housing offers many benefits for residents and the communities they live in. It supports local economies, job creation, and employee development. It reduces commute times and contributes to housing affordability. In addition, a community rich with workforce housing can see benefits such as increased access to healthcare and education, while promoting diversity and inclusion, and a higher quality of life.

Watch the video to learn more about the history of workforce housing and why it’s the focus of our multi-family investment funds.

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

What Investors Need to Know About Borrowing Amid Rising Interest Rates  

Borrowing Amid Rising Interest Rates

The past year has been punctuated with announcements of rising interest rates, as the Bank of Canada (BOC) redoubled their efforts to combat inflation with successive rate hikes. The latest, in July, brought the overnight rate up by 25 basis points to 5%, its highest since early 2001. Changes in interest-rate policy can have wide-ranging effects throughout the economy, and for real estate investors, it’s vital to interpret the different outcomes between long-term and short-term rates. Understanding the inversion of the yield curve — where long-term interest rates are lower than short-term rates — can help well-prepared property owners mitigate risk. 

Understanding the Yield Curve 

Figure 1 

During the period of rising interest rates, there has been a notable difference between prime-based borrowing rates and bond-based borrowing rates in Canada. While the prime rate has experienced significant increases (from 2.7% in March of 2022 to 6.95% in June of 2023), the Canadian 10-year bond rate has remained relatively stable over the same period. Whereas retail borrowing is often based on prime, commercial borrowing is traditionally based on long-term government bonds. Therefore, well-managed commercial borrowers will generally be less impacted — as compared to retail borrowers — by the recent rise in interest rates. One of the many upsides to indirect real estate investment through entities such as REITs is that investors are able to benefit from the relationships and knowledge of a team of experts. By indirectly investing in real estate, everyday investors can take advantage of bond-based borrowing rates through a strategic asset manager, without becoming a commercial borrower themselves. 

With the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) setting lending rates at a spread over the 10-year bond, those who have access to bond-based borrowing for long-term decisions have been in a more favourable position since the beginning of 2022. A visual representation of these trends can be observed in Figure 1. 

Figure 2 

As per Figure 2, during an inverted yield curve, where long-term interest rates are lower than short-term rates, long-term borrowing becomes cheaper than short-term borrowing. By securing financing at lower rates, long-term borrowers benefit from stability and predictability in their interest costs over an extended period. Conversely, short-term borrowers and those with variable rates may experience heightened volatility and financial strain as their borrowing costs increase in response to rising short-term interest rates. The inversion of the yield curve emphasizes how important it is for borrowers to consider duration and structure when interest rates are rising. 

Rental property owners facing rising interest rates can take advantage of the differences in duration between short-term leases and long-term debt. Using long-term debt instruments, such as a 10-year mortgage, alongside shorter lease terms, allows property owners to adjust to changing market conditions in real-time, counterbalancing the impact of higher borrowing costs. However, property owners should also consider market conditions and the resident experience before implementing this strategy. 

Interest Rates and Homeownership 

Rising interest rates — and the resulting increased cost of short-term borrowing — can have a negative impact on development projects, lowering construction activity and limiting the supply of housing units. With fewer developments, the cost of housing increases, leading to higher rents and housing prices. Scarcity of supply and increased borrowing costs compel developers to set higher prices for their projects, ultimately affecting affordability. 

A survey conducted by Chartered Professional Accountants Canada identified several barriers to homeownership among non-homeowners in the country. Rising interest rates were cited as the top obstacle by 89% of respondents, followed closely by the affordability of down payments (84%), necessary renovations (83%), and finding a home in a desired area (83%). Other challenges included taxes and mortgage payments (81% each) and income instability (69%).  

Existing homeowners also faced hurdles, with renovation costs affecting three out of five individuals, ongoing difficulties in affording home maintenance (46%), and challenges with mortgage payments, property taxes, and utility payments for varying percentages of respondents. These findings shed light on the financial obstacles Canadians encounter in their quest for homeownership, as well as the ongoing strains faced by prospective and existing homeowners. 

Navigating the Landscape 

Canada’s rising interest rates present distinct challenges for many sectors of the economy — but they also give rise to opportunities. It’s essential for borrowers to understand the benefits and drawbacks of short- and long-term interest rates and formulate their debt strategy accordingly. For property owners, understanding the interest-rate landscape, managing duration, and responding to local market conditions can help minimize borrowing costs and optimize revenue.  

Understanding how an asset manager uses different debt vehicles to mitigate risk and reduce borrowing costs allows investors to make informed decisions. Asset managers like Avenue Living, for example, can make strategic use of short- and long-term borrowing to potentially maximize returns and de-risk their portfolios. Considering an asset manager’s borrowing strategy — along with other factors — can help investors find the vehicle that’s right for them. 

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

Multi-Family Retrofits: The Case for Going Green

Multi-Family Retrofits

In June 2022, Avenue Living and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) joined forces to commit $162 million towards deep retrofits across our Canadian portfolio. The partnership will fund upgrades to 220 residential buildings, touching approximately 6,700 homes and helping lower the carbon emissions for nearly half of our Canadian portfolio.

As a key pillar of our ESG efforts and overall strategy, Avenue Living has always made responsible and impactful capital improvements — for example, installing a better-insulated roof, higher-efficiency windows, or a new boiler. These energy conservation measures (ECMs) extend the life of the asset and make living spaces more comfortable in summer and winter.

Our portfolio spans a region with some of the coldest weather in North America, and these upgrades help increase energy efficiency. A better-insulated building envelope, for example, keeps the building temperature more even year-round and allows heating and cooling systems to work more effectively. Upgraded high-efficiency HVAC systems, paired with better-insulated building envelopes, help reduce consumption.

In 2020, commercial and residential buildings accounted for 17 per cent of Canada’s GHG emissions (excluding construction and building materials, which pushes the number to 30 per cent). The Government of Canada is committed to reducing carbon emissions to below 45% of 2005 levels by 2030 and reaching net-zero by 2050 — and estimates that, to meet that goal, Canada needs to retrofit 600,000 homes and 750 million square feet of commercial space per year between now and 2040 to meet those commitments.

Avenue Living is doing our part while paving the way to setting a new standard in the multi-family industry. As an open-source advisor and collaborator, we are sharing how these retrofits can benefit investors, residents, and our communities at large. Our partnership with the CIB aims to reduce emissions from buildings in the program by 50 per cent, and pilot projects are already underway.

CHOOSING ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES (ECMS)

Retrofitting buildings to create the most energy savings is based on careful analysis, energy audits, and a well-developed strategy for capital improvements. As part of our current acquisition strategy, Avenue Living systematically determines which capital improvements will be the most impactful for each property. Deep energy retrofits are no different.

Before a property can be included in the CIB retrofit program, it must meet Investor Ready Energy Efficiency (IREE) Certification. IREE is a global framework that signals a building has undergone appropriate due diligence and the retrofit projects have been developed by qualified professionals who adhere to a series of protocols for assessing risk, comparing savings, and evaluating opportunities. This third-party certification reduces costs for transactions, capital, and due diligence and increases investor confidence through reliable and consistent projections.

Baselining is essential to determining the viability of any retrofit project, and as part of IREE protocols, our buildings have undergone multiple energy audits. When we examined our portfolio in search of the most impactful ECMs, we discovered our larger properties — those with more than 24 units — presented our best opportunity to reduce GHG emissions. Energy audits have also revealed that wood-frame buildings can be further optimized compared to brick or concrete buildings, which are already quite efficient. In addition, we closely evaluated other aspects of the building’s mechanical operations and construction for ways to increase efficiency — roofs, boilers, and exterior cladding, for example.

“As we were going through the program details, we looked at a number of factors to determine if a building would be a good candidate for upgrades, for example, will the improvements offset enough energy and emissions to be financially viable, or is the building equipment old or inefficient,” says Daniel Klemky, energy manager at Avenue Living. “If building equipment is reaching the end of its useful life, there may be an opportunity for us to modernize that property in a cost-effective way.”

Our retrofits include:

  • Upgraded heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) systems, which allow us to heat and cool buildings more efficiently and keep temperatures even throughout the property
  • An upgraded building envelope and roof, which improves insulation, eliminates the possibility of pipes freezing and improves aesthetics
  • Triple-glazed, high-efficiency windows, to reduce heat loss (or gain)
  • Low-flow water fixtures, to reduce water consumption and provide a better experience for residents
  • LED lighting and more efficient fixtures, for brighter, more effective lighting in common areas
  • Solar panels, where applicable, allow properties to generate their own power, reduce consumption, and offset operational costs

Implementing these retrofits requires coordination — and manpower. Our plan has incorporated a phased approach, which allows us to make as many updates as possible without overwhelming the trades in each city. This perfectly illustrates the combined benefit of environmental projects: job creation, and the need for expansion in the sector. Canada’s Green Building Council estimates that by 2030 the opportunities for growth in the green building sector could account for approximately 1.5 million jobs and contribute $150 billion in GDP.  

“It is difficult to retrofit multiple buildings in a single market at one time,” says Ward Woolgar, senior vice president, capital investment at Avenue Living. “We’ve planned out our retrofits with projected schedules and dates to make sure we have the tradespeople we need available at each phase to minimize delays.”

The solar project slated for Wetaskiwin Mall, for example, requires extensive work on the roof. “It’s not as simple as just putting solar panels on top of the existing structure,” says Klemky. “There’s a great deal of work that has to happen to the roof first, such as detailed design, structural reinforcement, electrical capacity considerations, and regulatory restrictions.” The mall’s solar retrofit, however, will also account for the biggest reduction in emissions.

BENEFITS BEYOND EMISSIONS REDUCTION

While reducing consumption and emissions is our primary goal, we know that these building improvements have other benefits for residents. As an active property manager, we recognize that happy residents stay in their homes for longer, and these upgrades will enhance the comfort and livability of their rentals. Studies show North Americans spend approximately 90 per cent of their time indoors, so air quality, temperature, and lighting are more important than ever.

These renovations require minimal disruption to residents’ lives or schedules, and in most cases happen outside the suites. Although retrofits like window replacement or upgrading water fixtures do require apartment entry, these jobs can be completed in just a few hours, like any regular maintenance task. That said, any construction work in a building has an impact on its occupants, and we’ve developed a plan to communicate with our residents early and often to ensure they understand the work schedule.

“These updates will have a noticeable effect,” says Woolgar. “For example, our upgrades to HVAC systems will mean there’s more even heating throughout the building, so we’ll avoid the problem with overheated hallways and common areas that a lot of apartment buildings have. New windows and fixtures will also mean residents can enjoy more even temperatures in their suites, better water flow and lighting, and improved aesthetics.”

A GREENER FUTURE FOR MULTI-FAMILY

The United Nations estimates that 80% of the buildings in cities today will exist in 2050. Reducing emissions through deep-energy retrofits is key to ensuring Canada — and the world — meets sustainability targets. For Avenue Living, the benefits of this retrofit project are very close to home: we see these retrofits as an opportunity to demonstrate to the industry what is possible. We aim to create a portfolio of properties that provide residents with safe, affordable, comfortable, and modern homes — ones that are well-equipped for a low-carbon future.

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.

Vertical Integration and Performance in Residential Real Estate

Vertical Integration Real Estate

We’re thrilled to share our newest piece of thought leadership that contributes to the research and best practices that shape our industry.   

The article explores vertical integration, a growth strategy where a company engages in multiple stages of the value chain — an approach Avenue Living has taken since 2006. Few studies have examined the effects of vertical integration in real estate. We aimed to fill that gap by surveying 1,251 renters in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada, exploring their perceptions of property managers’ downstream vertical integration and effectiveness. The results show that property managers’ vertical integration enhances their overall effectiveness, as perceived by their residents, leading to better residents, sustained real estate performance, and an overall competitive advantage.  

View our most recent paper in Critical Housing Analysis, a ranked peer-reviewed journal by the American Real Estate Society:

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://staging.avenuelivingam.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.

Investing and Connecting with a Community: Wetaskiwin Mall’s New Mural

Wetaskiwin Mall

Inclusivity can take many forms — the people who make up an organization’s team, the causes they support, and the principles they operate under. But it can also take the form of representation in other ways like in the case of Wetaskiwin Mall, an exciting piece of original art, painted by a local, renowned Indigenous artist.  

As property owners and operators, we know our investments have an impact on the people who live and work in the communities in which we operate. We invest in spaces — multi-family homes and commercial space — that people develop deep connections with. The mural at Wetaskiwin Mall aims to showcase the culture of the community and evoke the theme of “Healing Medicine.” 

Collaborating with a Local Artist 

Painted by distinguished Indigenous artist Lance Cardinal, the 50-foot mural in the north wing of the mall symbolizes many ways of healing: ceremonial, medicinal, cultural, and healing through dance — a fitting subject given its location right outside an Alberta Health Services office and the Care Gateway Clinic. Cardinal painted the mural over ten days, with the help of an assistant.  

Cardinal, from Big Stone Cree First Nation, is an artist and entrepreneur on the rise. In 2022, he collaborated with the Edmonton Oilers to write and produce the team’s new land acknowledgement and design their Turtle Island logo, which helped raise funds for Edmonton charities, while being one of the most popular and beloved alternate designs in the team’s history. His shoe collection with Kunitz Shoes, an Edmonton-based company, is set to launch this year and is currently on display at the Royal Alberta Museum.  

Wetaskiwin, Alberta, which is 70 km south of Edmonton, is a community of around 13,000. The city is located on Treaty Six territory, bordered by two of the four Maskwacis First Nations — the Ermineskin and Samson Cree Nations — and serving two others — the Louis Bull Tribe and Montana First Nation. Wetaskiwin has rich Indigenous history; its name (which means “the hills where peace was made”) is a direct reference to the outcome of a battle between the Cree and Blackfoot. 

Bringing People Together 

Our strategy with Wetaskiwin Mall has always been to create a “community hub,” a place that provides customers with the essential services they need all in one place. In addition to national retailers and locally-owned stores and services, the mall is also home to Alberta Health Services, a pharmacy, medical clinic, optometrist, and more. Avenue Living has invested in Wetaskiwin for over a decade, with a presence that includes 401 multi-family units and 158,000 square feet of commercial space. In keeping with a key tenet of our strategy as an active manager, we have developed a deep understanding of the market and its residents.  Since acquiring the shopping center in 2017, Avenue Living has carefully curated a roster of retailers and services that reflect the needs and wants of area residents.  

“You don’t usually see local art in a retail environment like this,” says Slava Fedossenko, Director, Commercial Asset Management for Avenue Living, “but we wanted to create something that reflects the culture of the community.” 

Avenue Living is immensely proud of our partnership with Lance Cardinal and the finished mural. While it is one of the first projects of its kind for us, we have plans to ensure it is not the last, and we look forward to working with local artists in other communities to showcase the places our residents and customers call home.  

Read more about Lance Cardinal and this exciting project in The Wetaskiwin Times. 

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

This Year’s Most-Read: Our Top Content in 2022

We’ve gathered the blog posts, articles, and white papers that garnered the most interest from our readers last year. They cover a diverse range of topics, from our partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to the complexities of the private rental housing market, but they all come back to one thing: understanding the real estate investment landscape. As investors seek opportunity in a changing market, it’s important to explore and analyze the fundamentals that impact our industry to refine our strategy and provide value for our residents, our investors, and the communities in which we operate.

PRESS RELEASE:  

CIB COMMITS $120 MILLION TO AVENUE LIVING — THE FIRST REIT ADDRESSING MULTI-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL RETROFITS AT SCALE

This announcement is the next step in our commitment to ESG — one we officially started when we began a relationship with PRI (Principles for Responsible Investing). Our partnership with Canada Infrastructure Bank will allow us to undertake capital improvements that reduce our carbon footprint and provide comfortable homes for our residents, without compromising affordability.

WHITE PAPER:  

RE-EXAMINING A HEDGE AGAINST INFLATION: Multi-family Residential Real Estate 

This paper examines the effects inflation and rising interest rates have on affordability, and how investors may find opportunities in multi-family real estate. 

PEER-REVIEWED WHITE PAPER: 

PRIVATE RENTAL TARGET MARKETS: A COMPREHENSIVE SPECTRUM 

Our founder and CEO, Anthony Giuffre, collaborated with the University of Regina’s Dr. Grant Wilson on this examination of the North American rental housing market, identifying the lifestyles, demographics, and value propositions that make up six major groups in the housing spectrum. The peer-reviewed paper was published in the International Real Estate Review in April 2022. 

WHITE PAPER: 

DIVERSIFICATION WITH AND WITHIN REAL ESTATE  

This white paper explores how diversification in real estate portfolios — across asset types and markets — can enhance value for investors, helping them minimize risk and maximize the potential for returns. 

BLOG:  

WHY WE SEE OPPORTUNITY IN THE WORKFORCE HOUSING MARKET 

We examined factors that make the workforce housing market an attractive investment opportunity and  why it’s the focus of our multi-family strategy.  

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them. 

Avenue Living’s 2022 Year in Review

In 2022, Avenue Living grew in more ways than one. In addition to expanding our footprint and operations with new offices in Toronto and Dallas, we improved our customer satisfaction through active management, invested in technology, and elevated our ESG efforts. We’re also entering our third year as signatories for PRI and since signing on, we have partnered with the CIB to sustainably retrofit nearly half of our multi-family portfolio. In 2023, we look forward to commencing phase one of the project and making a positive impact.

How Avenue Living’s formidable 2022 provides solid base for 2023

With a cycle-tested business model and a steadfast commitment to the everyday, Avenue Living continued to make great strides.

In 2022, accelerating inflation and rising interest rates created a challenging investment environment, with negative returns flashing across the asset spectrum. Still, that didn’t stop Avenue Living’s 16-year growth streak.

After ending 2021 with just over $3.1 billion in total assets under management (AUM), the organization grew by 48% to reach $4.6 billion AUM. It achieved broadly diversified growth across its multi-family apartment, farmland, and self-storage real estate portfolios — all while staying true to its strategy of investing in the everyday.

“It speaks to the durability of Avenue Living’s business model across multiple market cycles,” says Gabriel Millard, SVP, Capital Markets – Equity & Research. “2008 (GFC) and 2014 (Commodity Crisis) were lost years for many other players, but they were periods of growth for Avenue Living as we leaned into the opportunities. 2022 was another very formative year for us.”

A win-win in the multi-family residential space

Avenue Living entered the apartment space as owner-operators in 2006 with a relentless focus on the resident experience. The company has continued to grow while offering an institutional level of service to those who call its buildings home. A pivotal strategic development was the establishment of the Avenue Living Real Estate Core Trust, which has grown into the first North American Workforce Housing Fund in just five years. Today, Avenue Living’s residential portfolio includes over 15,000 multi-family suites across 3 Canadian provinces and 5 U.S. states.

While headlines around real estate investments tend to revolve around high-growth markets — the likes of Toronto and Vancouver — Avenue Living leans into moderate growth markets, such as the Prairie provinces, where assets are valued at a relative discount. Its vertically integrated business model has also allowed it to control operational costs.

Those factors have enabled Avenue Living to responsibly raise rents in pace with higher inflation and interest rates, without hurting residential stakeholders. “We’re achieving our targeted returns while still maintaining affordability for our residents,” Millard says. “We’ve seen collections improve, occupancy continued to tick up, and we have wait lists at over 100 of our buildings.”

Growing opportunity in Canada’s breadbasket

Meanwhile, Avenue Living’s farmland holdings have expanded from 49,000 acres of Saskatchewan farmland at the end of 2021, to over 83,000 acres today. 

In terms of global output, Canadian farmland represents a large portion of durum wheat, peas, and other important base crops. Saskatchewan is a big piece of the agricultural puzzle, as it accounts for approximately 40% of the cultivated acres in Canada.

“We’re witnessing a breakdown in the global food supply chain,” Millard says. “Canada has a real opportunity to be a world leader in ensuring food security.”

With a history of outperforming inflation over the past 30 years, farmland is also growing more attractive as a diversifying asset class. That’s bolstering Avenue Living’s bullish view on Saskatchewan farmland, which remains at a steep discount compared to neighbouring provinces.

Great strides in self-storage

The Mini Mall Storage Properties Trust has also cemented itself as a premier player in the secondary and tertiary markets of North America’s self-storage industry.
From just over 2 million square feet at the end of 2021, the trust has grown to nearly 6 million square feet of self-storage space. That expansion was partly driven by Avenue Living’s ability to introduce its proprietary technology stack and operating expertise into all the new locations it enters.

“A lot of innovation has happened in the primary downtown, new-development segment of self-storage over the past decade,” Millard says. “We’re taking that approach and applying it to older legacy-run assets that have traditionally operated as mom-and-pop, cash-and-paper businesses.”

Avenue Living is pushing for more growth through a new office in Dallas, where it has hired key industry leaders in the self-storage landscape.

“Our expansion into Texas has taken us from a smaller, scrappy Alberta-based company into a truly North American player,” Millard says. Mini Mall Storage is now a top 25 self-storage operator in North America.

More milestones

Above the 49th parallel, Avenue Living has arrived on Bay Street with a new Toronto office. With that new foothold in Canada’s financial hub, the company is positioned to further reinforce and broaden its capital base in the years to come.

With about $160 million in expenditures made toward capital improvements in its residential properties, Avenue Living is also sharpening its focus on maintaining a superior resident experience and providing great customer service.

After becoming a PRI signatory in 2021, the company is doubling down on sustainability through a partnership with the Canada Infrastructure Bank, which includes a $150-million co-investment on deep energy retrofits on its older-style multi-family assets.

“Real estate – especially older stock properties – represents a significant portion of GHG emissions in Canada,” Millard says. “Our goal is to reduce GHG emissions by at least 49% through deep energy retrofits”.

Leveraging its unique perspective on workforce housing, Avenue Living has also published industry-leading papers and research. That includes a peer-reviewed paper on the residential housing spectrum, which unpacks the nuances of typical renter demographics, as well as their needs in terms of rental housing.

“We’ve published a number of white papers on the importance of affordability, and how a changing cost of capital affects real estate across different markets and asset classes,” Millard says. “We’re really solidifying ourselves as thought leaders within the industry, while continuing to advocate for our residents and provide value for our investors.”

The way forward

Avenue Living has built a strong capital stack. Coupled with a diversified equity base and the use of longer term, fixed-rate debt instruments, Avenue Living is focusing on innovation and investment to ensure strong same-door performance and operations in 2023. It also plans to continue focusing on active property management to deliver the best possible results for residents and investors alike.

“We’re heading into a world with a lot of dark clouds, but we’re seeing opportunities in the market. We’re in a defensible position, and we are aiming to take advantage of any disruptions that may come,” Millard says. “2023 is going to be an interesting year globally, and a very exciting year for Avenue Living.”

This commentary and the information contained herein are for educational and informational purposes only and do not constitute an offer to sell, or a solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities or related financial instruments. This article may contain forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to information contained on our website at https://avenuelivingam.wpenginepowered.com/forward-looking-statements for additional information regarding forward-looking statements and certain risks associated with them.