By Jersey Li, REALTOR® (PREC) at Sutton Group — 1st West Realty. Burnaby-based, SFU-trained, and Medallion Club (top 10%) in 2024 and 2025.
Guest Post Disclosure: This post was written by Jersey Li, a licensed REALTOR® (PREC) at Sutton Group — 1st West Realty. As an active real estate professional in Burnaby, Jersey has a financial interest in real estate transactions and market activity in this area. His analysis and market predictions are his professional opinion and do not constitute a guarantee of future market performance. Real estate markets are inherently uncertain; past performance does not predict future results. VanPlex publishes guest posts to provide diverse expert perspectives on BC multiplex development. The views expressed are the author’s own and do not constitute VanPlex endorsement, financial advice, or legal advice. Consult a real estate lawyer, tax accountant, and financial advisor before making investment decisions based on market forecasts.
Burnaby is entering a new chapter. For years the growth story here was mainly towers — Brentwood and Metrotown going vertical. Over the next three years I think the quieter shift matters more: multiplex and missing-middle housing spreading into streets that have only ever held single houses.
I’ve lived in Burnaby for almost 20 years and built my whole business around this city. My read is simple. Not every detached lot suddenly becomes a gold mine. But the right lots become a lot more valuable. Location, lot shape, frontage, slope, lane access, transit distance, and resale demand decide who wins.
TL;DR (Key Takeaways)
- Burnaby has four official town centres — Metrotown (the regional city centre), Brentwood, Lougheed, and Edmonds. Royal Oak and Highgate are designated urban villages, not town centres
- My three-year call (2026–2029): the market is selective, not explosive. Multiplex zoning supports detached land values, but only the right lots earn a real premium
- The best multiplex opportunities near Brentwood aren’t in the tower core — they’re in the residential pockets near Brentwood, Holdom, and Gilmore SkyTrain stations
- Highgate and Royal Oak may be the underrated winners — quieter streets, family livability, better value than the tower districts
- Winning lots: flat, good frontage, easy lane access, near transit, near schools and shopping, priced on realistic build costs. Losing lots: steep slope, poor shape, hard tree retention, weak access, or a seller pricing land like a future tower assembly
- My ten-year call: multiplex becomes a normal, standard housing choice in Burnaby — the option that sits between a condo and a detached house
Burnaby North: Brentwood stays the premium brand
Brentwood remains Burnaby North’s strongest centre. Towers, shopping, the SkyTrain, restaurants, rental demand — all of it keeps pulling people in. That isn’t changing by 2029.
For multiplex, though, the best opportunities probably aren’t inside the tower core. They’re in the surrounding residential pockets near the Brentwood, Holdom, and Gilmore stations. Close enough to use the urban energy, still suited to ground-oriented homes with a yard and a front door.
Jersey Li’s take: Brentwood stays a premium name, but buyers get more selective. The multiplex homes that sell well here will need practical layouts, real parking, outdoor space, and genuine family function. A clever floor plan that ignores how families actually live won’t command the premium.
Burnaby South: Metrotown anchors the demand
Metrotown is Burnaby’s regional city centre and its downtown. Strongest name recognition, SkyTrain access, the shopping, Central Park next door, and years of density momentum behind it. That gravity is real.
For multiplex, the streets surrounding Metrotown and out toward Royal Oak could get very attractive — especially for families who want more room than a condo gives but can’t reach a detached house.
Jersey Li’s take: Metrotown stays the demand anchor of Burnaby. But the land price has to make sense. If every old house gets priced like a future tower assembly, the builder can’t make the numbers work, and nothing gets built. Realistic land pricing is what unlocks this market, not zoning alone.
Highgate and Royal Oak: urban villages with quiet upside
Here’s where I’ll correct a common slip, including in my own first draft of this piece. People call Highgate and Royal Oak “town centres.” Officially they aren’t — Burnaby’s four town centres are Metrotown, Brentwood, Lougheed, and Edmonds. Highgate and Royal Oak are designated urban villages: mixed-use neighbourhoods of moderate density with shops and services close to home.
That designation is exactly why they’re interesting. They’re more residential, more community-focused, and still close to transit, shopping, and schools. They fit what a lot of buyers actually want — a practical home, a quieter street, better value than the tower districts.
Jersey Li’s take: Highgate and Royal Oak may be the underrated winners. Not everyone wants to live on the 40th floor. A well-designed multiplex here hits the sweet spot between a condo and a detached house — and the entry price is friendlier than Brentwood or Metrotown.
How Burnaby’s centres stack up for multiplex
| Burnaby area | Official designation | My multiplex outlook |
|---|---|---|
| Metrotown | Regional city centre | Demand anchor; works if land is priced realistically |
| Brentwood | Town centre | Premium brand; best multiplex sits in the pockets near Holdom and Gilmore |
| Royal Oak | Urban village | Strong family value, transit-close, underrated |
| Highgate | Urban village | Livability sweet spot between condo and detached |
Designations per the City of Burnaby Official Community Plan. Outlook is my own opinion as a Burnaby realtor, not a forecast of guaranteed returns.
My three-year prediction (2026–2029)
Selective, not explosive. That’s the whole forecast in three words.
Multiplex zoning supports detached land values across Burnaby, but only the right properties command a strong premium. The gap between a good lot and an average one widens. Here’s who lands on which side.
| Lots that win | Lots that struggle |
|---|---|
| Flat lots | Steep slope |
| Good frontage | Poor or irregular shape |
| Easy lane access | Weak or no rear access |
| Close to transit | Far from a station |
| Near schools and shopping | Isolated from services |
| Priced on realistic build costs | Seller expects tower-assembly land value |
If you own a lot in the left column, the next three years are good to you. If you’re in the right column, the zoning changed but your economics may not have — and that’s the part most sellers haven’t priced in yet.
My ten-year prediction
Over ten years, Burnaby becomes a more layered city. High-rises in Brentwood and Metrotown. Mid-rise along the major corridors. Multiplex homes filling in former single-family streets. More family-oriented housing around Highgate and Royal Oak.
My long-term call is this: multiplex becomes normal in Burnaby. Today people still argue about it at the dinner table. In ten years I think buyers just see it as a standard choice — the housing form that sits between a condo and a detached house, the way a townhouse already does.
Where I see Burnaby going
Burnaby’s future isn’t only going higher. It’s also going smarter.
I’m rooted here, trained in real estate at UBC Sauder, in home inspection at BCIT, and in negotiation at Harvard Business School. I work with sellers, buyers, and developers every week. My honest belief is that the next decade rewards the people who understand land use early — before the rest of the market catches up.
Brentwood and Metrotown stay the power centres. Highgate and Royal Oak may become the quiet family winners. Multiplex is the bridge between affordability, density, and livability.
That’s where I see Burnaby going.
Common questions about Burnaby multiplex in 2026
Is my Burnaby lot eligible for a multiplex?
Most single-family lots in Burnaby gained multiplex options under BC’s provincial housing legislation, but the unit count depends on lot size, transit proximity, and Burnaby’s own bylaw — which adopted the provincial minimum rather than pushing past it. Run your specific address before assuming a number.
Which Burnaby areas are best for a multiplex?
In my view, the residential pockets near Brentwood, Holdom, and Gilmore stations for the premium end, and the urban villages of Highgate and Royal Oak for family-oriented value. Metrotown’s surrounding streets work when the land is priced realistically.
Will multiplex hurt my detached home’s value?
The opposite, on the right lot. Multiplex zoning adds an option that supports land value. The risk isn’t the zoning — it’s overpricing the land as if every lot is a tower assembly when it isn’t.
Want to know what your specific Burnaby lot can do? VanPlex screens lot size, frontage, slope, transit distance, and zoning against 86,000+ properties and runs the multiplex math in about two minutes. Start with your address.
— Jersey Li, REALTOR® (PREC) | Sutton Group — 1st West Realty. Burnaby-based, SFU Beedie BBA, BCIT home inspection training, Harvard Business School negotiation training, and Medallion Club (top 10%) in 2024 and 2025. Learn more at jerseyli.com.
