Written by: Elliot Funt, Real Estate Advisor, Engel & Völkers Vancouver
Why I Often Lean Toward Older Concrete Condo Buildings in Downtown Vancouver
Spend enough time walking through downtown Vancouver condos, and you start to notice things. Not just the obvious details — finishes, amenities, marketing — but how buildings actually live. And over the years, I’ve found myself consistently drawn to a certain kind of building: older concrete towers that have quietly proven themselves over time.
This isn’t about nostalgia or writing off newer buildings. It’s more about experience — the kind that comes from being in these spaces, talking with the people who live there, and reading the stories between the lines of strata documents.
What follows isn’t a “top picks” list or sales pitch. It’s just how I think about older concrete buildings, and why they’ve earned a lasting place in my conversations with people figuring out where they want to be.
What I Mean by “Older Concrete Buildings”
For this kind of conversation, I’m usually thinking about buildings that:
Were built between the 1970s and early 2000s
Use cast-in-place concrete construction
Prioritize structure and longevity over flashy amenities
You’ll see them in Yaletown, the West End, Coal Harbour, Crosstown, and parts of Gastown and Railtown. They might not always grab attention on first pass — especially next to sleek new towers — but they’re worth a closer look for anyone thinking seriously about where they’ll live, not just what looks good online.
Why These Buildings Often Stand Out Over Time
There are a few things that tend to come up when I’m walking these buildings with people:
1. They feel different — and that matters
After visiting a few newer buildings, people often step into one of these older towers and pause. The floors are solid. The walls feel thicker. There's less echo. It’s not about charm — it’s about how the space functions and feels day to day.
It’s hard to describe until you’ve experienced it, but there’s a sense of calm and sturdiness that’s hard to fake.
2. The layouts were built for living
Bigger bedrooms. Dining spaces that actually fit tables. Logical flow.
A lot of these floor plans were designed before real estate became all about maximizing the photo gallery. And it shows in how livable the space feels months or years down the road.
3. There’s history you can actually see
One of the most valuable things about these buildings is the transparency.
You’re not guessing — you’re reading minutes, seeing completed projects, and getting a real sense of how the building has been looked after.
It gives you something rare in real estate: context and clarity.
What Newer Buildings Don’t Always Tell You
Something that surprises people — especially those focused on newer buildings — is how quickly that "new" feeling starts to fade.
The first few years of a building’s life are often framed as the safest: everything is fresh, the finishes are untouched, and the systems haven’t had time to wear down. But in practice, that early window often comes with a different kind of value shift.
Floors scuff. Fixtures loosen. Common areas show wear. And as more units become occupied, the reality of shared living settles in — noise, warranty issues, unexpected fixes. Even resale values can soften a bit once the developer shine wears off and a building becomes “just another five-year-old tower.”
It’s also a time when the strata is still finding its footing. There’s often no clear track record yet — just a budget, a contingency fund that’s still building up, and a lot of unknowns ahead. It’s not that these buildings are bad — they’re just still becoming what they’ll eventually be.
That’s why I often find more comfort in a well-run older building that’s already been through that chapter. The pipes have been done. The envelope’s been handled. The people running the strata know the building — and each other.
It’s not really about old versus new. It’s about knowing where a building is in its life — and whether that stage lines up with what you’re looking for.
The Questions I Ask When Looking at These Buildings
When I’m walking through an older concrete tower — whether for myself or with someone else — these are the things I tend to look for:
Has it tackled major projects? (Piping, envelope, elevators, electrical)
Are the strata fees realistic? Not artificially low, but well-calibrated to the building’s needs
Is there a pattern of planning ahead? (Instead of reacting when things break)
Does the building avoid unnecessary complexity? (Simple systems usually age better)
Do people live here — and care? Owner-occupancy tends to matter more than most people realize
None of these are dealbreakers on their own. They’re just clues. Clues that help you understand what daily life and future years might actually look like.
A Note on Red Flags
Just because a building is older doesn’t mean it gets a free pass. I still pause when I see:
Frequent special levies in a short window
Low electrical capacity (especially with EV needs rising)
Poor insurance history
Strata councils that avoid transparency
These aren’t automatic no’s — but they do signal a need for a closer look and a good conversation.
Micro-Location Still Matters
Even within the same construction era, location makes a huge difference.
Sunlight, noise, airflow, views — they all affect how a building ages and how a home feels. A well-built tower on a quieter street can be a completely different experience from a similar one a few blocks away.
Final Thoughts
I’m not saying older concrete buildings are always the answer. They’re not. But when you look past trends and start focusing on livability, predictability, and real long-term experience — a lot of them stand up surprisingly well.
These are the buildings that reward thoughtful questions and close attention. Not just about the structure, but about the people who’ve lived there, the choices they’ve made, and how the place has grown with them.
It’s those quiet patterns that tend to stick with me — and why I often lean toward these buildings when it comes to real-life decisions, not just real estate searches.
Contact me to get your search started today at Elliot@Funt.ca or (778) 991 - 3868 (text/phone).
Elliot Funt - Real Estate Advisor with Engel & Völkers Vancouver
