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Andrew Cranmer Has Built His Business on Community Connections

September 2, 2025 5 Minute Read

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Andrew Cranmer standing in front of painting

Andrew Cranmer has found success over two decades in real estate by adhering to a simple credo: the client comes first, community comes second.

“Most buildings and communities start from the same place, a land sale,” notes Cranmer, a CBRE Halifax-based vice president who marks 21 years in the real estate business this fall. “I feel that no matter what we do, community needs to be top of mind.”

In a smaller market like Halifax, brokers tend to be more generalist, so Cranmer’s focus on land sales sets him apart. Many of those land sales culminate in the development of multifamily rental buildings.

“The rapid rise in housing costs has made a lot of owners money, but it’s also causing a lot of distress,” says Cranmer. “We deal with a lot of residential developers, and you learn about where the housing needs are most acute and the challenges in delivering housing.”

Condo-mania never took hold in Halifax the way it did in Vancouver or Toronto. Halifax is instead dominated by private, often family-controlled development firms who favour multifamily rental for the long-term potential.

“Thankfully, Halifax has always prioritized rental housing, and most multifamily builders are not looking to flip the building for quick money,” Cranmer says, estimating that 85% of the housing starts in Halifax are rental.

“Local developers hold onto buildings and have a lot of pride in them. It’s not just economics driving these guys. And that’s been a source of inspiration for my own career.”

At 3765 Kencrest Avenue, Andrew Cranmer’s team was engaged to market two older six-unit buildings as an urban redevelopment site.
At 3765 Kencrest Avenue, Andrew Cranmer’s team was engaged to market two older six-unit buildings as an urban redevelopment site.

Multifamily Expertise

Halifax’s robust and locally supported rental housing market puts the city in a position of relative strength while other Canadian markets struggle to build rental projects to meet the insatiable demand.

“It’s still tough to build multifamily here,” Cranmer says. “Our rents and land rates are competitive with other markets in Canada, and our construction costs aren’t any lower. But the difference is that we have long-established family builders with the expertise and community at the heart of their business.

“We have a tight-knit real estate community and it makes all the difference at tough times like these.” 

Cranmer’s team recently brokered a sale of ~16 acres of residential development land in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia, to Elamir Investment, a family owned development firm. The site offers an excellent infill redevelopment of what was an automotive auction site offering little community benefit.

“The developers, an uncle/nephew team, are planning a mixed-use residential development with purpose built rentals and possibly new retail amenities in a growing neighbourhood,” Cranmer says.

Buyer Pool Shifting

Halifax land sales have dipped in the past two years, and the buyer pool has shifted.

Private families who’d bought up large swaths coming out of the pandemic, when interest rates were low, are now working through that supply and the number of acquisitions by private developers has slowed. This has been offset by acquisitions from government organizations and not-for-profit groups.

At 3765 Kencrest Avenue, for example, Cranmer’s team was engaged to market two older six-unit buildings as an urban redevelopment site.

Phoenix Youth Programs had interest in the existing buildings to serve as housing for their clients and their families. Phoenix Youth worked with the Affordable Housing Association of Nova Scotia to secure government funds for the purchase and renovation of the two buildings.

“Given the buyer profile, the transaction took longer than the typical market deal with a few additional conditions,” Cranmer says. “However my client, the vendor, was able to realize their sale price while the buyer was able to secure housing for their clients.

“And that means up to 20 at-risk youths will now have a place to live.”

Supporting the Next Generation

Having been in the real estate business for more than two decades, Cranmer is keen to support the next generation, which on his team includes Benson Auld and Breanne Hay.

“It’s good to have different connection points within an organization,” says Cranmer.

“Everyone brings their own strength and connection. Benson and Breanne can speak to the younger cohort in the development community and establish their own relationships on the client side, much like I did when I started out with (former CBRE Halifax Managing Director) Bob Mussett.”

“It’s all part of expanding that ecosystem of being engaged with our community.”

Andrew Cranmer standing in garden

Bright Future

Cranmer’s been through a few real estate cycles over the years, and current challenges don’t faze him.

“I’m not freaking out,” he says. “Challenging markets call for more creativity, good experience  and community connections. It’s not a hard sell when I speak to people, it’s usually more of a discussion, which might lead to a sale.

“It’s about checking in with groups and seeing what they’re looking for. It’s not simply selling a piece of land – it’s understanding the site, getting out in the community, understanding what the trends are, and being a resource for those buyers so they have comfort in knowing they have a good shot to achieve their goals.

“Even if there’s no deal that comes as a result,” Cranmer continues, “you’re still part of the community and so I’m happy to spend time discussing a situation until everyone is comfortable and the deal is completed.

“It’s about the community connection first, and if a sale comes as a result, then that’s a win for everybody.”

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