British Columbia’s Housing Market Learns It Has Roommates

There are few things Vancouverites enjoy more than talking about real estate, except maybe complaining about it. So when a recent court decision reminded everyone that Aboriginal title is a real, legally recognised thing, the city’s reaction was less panic and more: “…Wait.”

Let’s start with a deep breath. No one is being evicted. No one is being asked to return their deck furniture. Your mortgage still exists. Property taxes remain enthusiastically unchanged.

You still own your home. You just discovered the land has a longer résumé than your realtor mentioned.

Vancouver: Where Even the Dirt Is Expensive

In a city where a modest house can cost the same as a small moon, the idea that land might come with history landed gently — like a yoga instructor placing a hand on your shoulder and whispering, “You’re holding a lot of tension.”

Listings haven’t changed much. Vancouver doesn’t panic — it quietly raises prices. But there’s a new undertone:

“Bright home. Ocean views. Updated appliances. Ongoing legal relationship with time immemorial.”

Buyers nodded thoughtfully and asked the only question that matters here: “Is there still a bidding war?” Yes. Always yes.

So What Actually Changed?

What’s different now isn’t chaos — it’s honesty. Ownership didn’t erase what came before it. It just layered over it. Land is no longer just a commodity; it’s a relationship.

And like any long-term relationship, it turns out communication matters.

The Market Will Be Fine (It Always Is)

Vancouver’s housing market has survived interest rate hikes, foreign buyer bans, empty-home taxes, and open houses where someone cried in the kitchen.

It will survive this too — slightly wiser, slightly humbler, and with a growing understanding that “location, location, location” has always included whose land it is.

Turns out, the land remembers everything — even if the listing didn’t mention it.