BC Commercial Leading Indicator Investment Real Estate 2011 Investment Commercial Industrial - Raymond MAASKE

For a PDF version of this news release, including data table, follow this link: www.bcrea.bc.ca/news_room/2011-05-31CLI.pdf. For immediate release BC Commercial Leading Indicator Pauses in Q1 Vancouver, BC – May 31, 2011. The British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) index of Commercial Leading Indicators (CLI) was virtually unchanged in the first quarter of 2011, albeit down 0.1 points to 108.6 from 108.7 in the fourth quarter of 2010. This is the first decline registered by the CLI in almost two years. The CLI peaked at a level of 115.5 in the second quarter of 2007 before the onset of the financial crisis pushed it to a low of 97.7 in the first half of 2009. At its current level, the CLI is 6 per cent below its peak, but still relatively strong compared with past levels of the index. The pause in the CLI in Q1 is largely attributable to unexpectedly weak employment to begin the year as well as softer retail sales activity. However, this weakness was largely offset by very strong provincial manufacturing activity as well as a high degree of liquidity in financial markets. “The BC economy lost a little momentum in the first quarter of the year,” said Brendon Ogmundson, BCREA Economist. “While the CLI did decline slightly to begin 2011, the underlying trend in the index remains very strong and continues to signal a robust environment for commercial investment and activity this year.” - 30 - The full BCREA Commercial Leading Indicator index is available at: www.bcrea.bc.ca/economics/CLIReport.pdf. For more information, please contact: Brendon Ogmundson Damian Stathonikos Economist Director of Communications and Public Affairs Direct: 604.742.2796 Direct: 604.742.2793 Mobile: 604.505.6793 Mobile: 778.990.1320 Email: bogmundson@bcrea.bc.ca Email: dstathonikos@bcrea.bc.ca BCREA represents 11 member real estate boards and their approximately 18,000 REALTORS® on all provincial issues, providing an extensive communications network, standard forms, economic research and analysis, government relations, applied practice courses and continuing professional education (cpe). To demonstrate the profession’s commitment to improving Quality of Life in BC communities, BCREA supports policies that encourage economic vitality, provide housing opportunities, respect the environment and build communities with good schools and safe neighbourhoods. To change your email address or subscribe to more BCREA publications, click here.

Kind Regards,

Raymond

Raymond MAASKE, BBA, CCC, ATM-B
Owner/Agent
5707 Impett Place,
Summerland, BC
V0H 1Z4 Canada

Website: http://www.HomeStarRealty.ca
E-mail: raymond@HomeStarRealty.ca
Phone: 250.488.8764