Is Montreal really "in decline"… or are we just stuck in a negative narrative?
In this episode of The Espace Montreal Podcast, host Axel Monsaingeon talks with Luciano D'Iorio, Regional President of CDNGLOBAL Québec, about why he's so relentlessly positive about Montreal's future – and what he sees on the ground every day in commercial real estate.
They dig into:
The real stories behind downtown landmarks like Peel Street and the Sun Life Building
How local landlord families went from one building to owning major downtown portfolios
Why relationship-based ownership still matters more than AI, data and distant asset managers
What makes it so hard to lose a good tenant—and so easy if you neglect them
How small and medium businesses drive the downtown ecosystem
Elections, policy, safety, homelessness and cleanliness as core CRE issues, not side topics
The tension between heritage preservation and development (from churches to silos and conversions)
If you're in commercial real estate, urban planning, brokerage, investing or entrepreneurship and you care about downtown Montreal, this conversation will give you a nuanced, optimistic and practical perspective on where the city is headed – and how to create value in it.
📌 Timestamps
0:00 Montreal's negativity problem & why Luciano started telling positive stories
3:45 Peel Street, the NHL, Sun Life Building legends & downtown fun facts
8:00 Local landlord families, long-term portfolios & relationship-based leasing
13:30 Tenants, employees and the "upmarket" office race
17:10 Elections, downtown priorities & building a business-friendly Montreal
21:40 Pride, cleanliness, safety and the "broken windows" effect
24:30 Heritage vs development: churches, silos and conversions
25:50 Why real estate is the most dynamic "static" asset class
29:00 Final thoughts: why you should still bet on Montreal
Get in touch with Luciano D'Iorio on Instagram and LinkedIn.
Visit https://www.e5pace.com for more resources, market guides, data, and advertising opportunities.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Bobby Bones Show
Listen to 'The Bobby Bones Show' by downloading the daily full replay.