Office tenants making demands on landlords and more of this week’s top real estate stories

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Here are The Globe and Mail’s top housing and real estate stories this week, with the lowest mortgage rates available in Canada today, commentary from our mortgage expert, and one home worth a look.

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Office tenants are looking for concessions from landlords, beyond deals on rent: survey

Office tenants are already getting great deals on rent as vacancy rates remain high, but a new survey finds many want much more from their landlords, reports Jameson Berkow. More smart building features, flexible lease terms and decarbonization strategies are among tenants’ key demands. Landlords, the survey found, are making little progress toward meeting them.

Canada’s real estate market eases back into balance after summer slowdown

Despite the Bank of Canada’s interest rate hikes putting a damper on the housing market rebound this summer, new listings have surged 24 per cent since April, RBC economists Robert Hogue and Rachel Battaglia say. These changing conditions have brought supply and demand back into balance after tightening surprisingly quickly in the spring, Carolyn Ireland reports.

This week’s lowest available mortgage rates

If mortgage terms were a popularity contest, the three-year would get first prize. People are flocking to these middle-of-the-road terms for three main reasons, writes Robert McLister in his weekly column. If you decide to hop on a three-year, you’ll currently pay over 6 per cent (uninsured) or just under 6 per cent (insured). That’s quite a departure from 24 months ago when you could snag one for 1.99 per cent or less.