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Many Canadian offices are empty. It could be the economy’s ‘canary in the coal mine’
interest rates are putting stress on Canadian real estate — but it’s not just homeowners feeling the pinch.Experts are warning that Canada’s commercial real estate sector could be a “canary in the coal mine” for a steeper downturn in the economy as an uncertain return to the workplace leaves many office landlords in a precarious position.Much of the fears for commercial real estate — a sector that includes office towers, retail spaces, warehouses and production plants — stem from the United States and recent instability in the banking industry.First Republic, a regional bank that catered to a wealthy clientele, was the latest casualty of the instability that has seen shockwaves spread beyond the U.S. to global banking institutions.It was Charlie Munger, vice-president of Berkshire Hathaway and right-hand man to investment magnate Warren Buffett, who rang alarm bells over the weekend about the state of U.S.