SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust has announced its financial and operating results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2025.
“Reflecting on our 2025 results, I am pleased with our strong financial and operational performance,” said Mitchell Goldhar, CEO of SmartCentres. “Our net operating income has shown steady and consistent growth through the year fueled by strong leasing momentum in all retail categories, resulting in an industry-leading 98.6% in-place and committed occupancy rate at year-end. Same property NOI continued to deliver strong results, growing 3.7% over the year and 5.6% excluding anchor tenants. The strong interest from tenants resulted in leasing 430,000 square feet of vacant space with strong rent growth of 6.3% on lease extensions and an additional 125,000 square feet of new-build retail.
“Our mixed-use development pipeline continues to add to the bottom-line with the completion of three self-storage facilities in 2025 bringing the total to 14 operating properties with an additional four sites under construction and four in process of obtaining municipal approvals. During Q4, we opened the long awaited new Walmart store at our South Oakville shopping centre. We also strengthened our balance sheet by increasing the unencumbered asset pool to over $10 billion and extending the weighted average term of our debt.”
2025 Fourth Quarter Highlights
Retail Operations
- Industry-leading in-place and committed occupancy rate of 98.6% as of December 31, 2025.
- Robust customer traffic and a solid tenant base continued to drive Same Properties NOI(1) growth for the three months and year ended December 31, 2025, which increased by 2.9% and 3.7% (5.1% and 5.6% excluding anchors), respectively, compared to the same periods in 2024, primarily due to lease-up and renewal activities mainly from retail properties, as well as stabilization of occupancy levels in self-storage facilities and rentals apartments, partially offset by a higher provision for expected credit loss.
- Leasing momentum remained resilient, with approximately 35,500 square feet of vacant space leased during the quarter, resulting in a total of approximately 430,000 square feet leased in 2025. In addition, growing demand for new-build retail continues with approximately 33,000 square feet executed during the quarter, resulting in a total of approximately 125,000 square feet executed during the year.
- Lease extensions continued to perform well, with strong rent growth of 8.4% (excluding anchors) and 6.3% (including anchors).
Development
- Opened three new self-storage facilities in 2025 at Toronto (Gilbert Ave.), Toronto (Jane St.), and Dorval (St-Regis Blvd.), bringing the total number of operating self-storage properties in the portfolio to 14. Construction of self-storage facilities is underway at Montreal (Notre Dame St. W) and Laval E, Quebec, and at Burnaby and Victoria, British Columbia. The Montreal and Laval E facilities are expected to open in Q2 2026. Both British Columbia projects are expected to open in 2027. The Trust is also in the process of obtaining municipal approvals for four sites in Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta.
- Construction of Phase I of the Vaughan NW townhomes is now virtually complete, with seven units closed in Q4 2025. As at December 31, 2025, a total of 118 out of the 120 units in Phase I have closed.
- Construction of the ArtWalk condo Tower A in the Vaughan Metropolitan Centre continues to advance as planned, with approximately 93% of the 340 units pre-sold. The underground parking structure is progressing, the slab-on-grade has been completed, and the first section of the ground floor slab was completed during the quarter. Initial closings on completed units are expected to commence in 2027.
- Construction of the 200,000 square foot Canadian Tire flagship store on Laird Drive in Toronto continues on schedule, with possession expected in Q3 2026.
- Submitted for Site Plan approval in 2025, for a net new 85,000 square feet (17%) increase in the square footage of Toronto Premium Outlets, for which construction is planned to commence this summer and includes a new four-storey parking garage.
Financial
- Net rental income and other for the three months ended December 31, 2025 was $143.6 million, representing an increase of $2.0 million or 1.4% as compared to the same period in 2024. The increase was primarily from lease-up activities and higher net recoveries, partially offset by lower residential sales caused by fewer townhomes closings.
- FFO per Unit(1) for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $0.54 compared to $0.53 for the same period in 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher NOI from lease-up activities and higher net recoveries as well as changes in fair value adjustment on TRS resulting from fluctuations in the Trust’s Unit price, partially offset by higher interest expense, and higher general and administrative expense. FFO with adjustments per Unit(1) for the three months ended December 31, 2025, was $0.54 compared to $0.56 for the same period in 2024. The decrease was mainly attributable to higher net interest expense and general and administrative expense, partially offset by higher NOI.
- Net income and comprehensive income for the three months ended December 31, 2025, decreased by $11.7 million as compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease was mainly attributable to a $6.3 million decrease in fair value adjustment on financial instruments for the period, primarily due to mark-to-market adjustments for interest rate swaps and a fair value change in units classified as liabilities due to a decrease in the Trust’s Unit price and a $4.1 million decrease in the fair value gain on investment properties.
SmartCentres is one of Canada’s largest fully integrated REITs, with a best-in-class and growing mixed-use portfolio featuring 198 strategically located properties in communities across the country. SmartCentres has approximately $12.1 billion in assets consisting of income producing value-oriented retail, purpose-built rental, first-class office and self-storage properties. SmartCentres owns 35.6 million square feet of leasable space with 98.6% in place and committed occupancy, on 3,500 acres of owned land across Canada.
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