PROPERTY MARKET CONFIDENCE STOKES RISING OP TIMISM

Canadians are the most bullish on real estate in at least a decade, weekly telephone polling shows, helping to stoke consumer confidence. About 52 per cent of respondents see home prices rising over the next six months, according to a survey by Nanos Research Group for Bloomberg News. That’s the highest level for this question since regular polling began in 2008. Rosy views on the housing market have helped drive household sentiment back to pre-pandemic levels even with the country dealing with a second wave of COVID-19 cases and new lockdowns. That bodes well for a quick rebound once restrictions are finally lifted. The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, a composite gauge based on a rolling four-week average of poll responses, rose for a sixth-straight week to the highest since mid-february.