Guest: Dan Smith, Office Leasing Manager, Reliance Properties
Location: North Vancouver, Deep Cove
In episode 8 of Real-Steps, Dan Smith joins the show for a paddle boarding race while sharing a grounded update on Vancouver’s office leasing market as it shifts into a more balanced landscape. Dan explains how Reliance differentiates by delivering turnkey spaces that anticipate what typical tenants need, helping companies move faster in a market where decision cycles and lead times can drag. The conversation highlights a clear trend: tenants are spending on flexibility and experience, with hoteling, more meeting rooms, and heavier AV integration to support seamless hybrid collaboration. Dan also flags the pressure point landlords cannot ignore, tenant improvement and construction costs are rising faster than rents, making deal economics harder and forcing sharper choices on scope, materials, and timing. The episode closes on the development cycle, where high build costs and carrying costs are creating uncertainty around when the next wave of major office projects will truly pencil.