Toronto-based software and data company Rentsync has announced its acquisition of Urbanation, bringing together two well-known players in Canada’s rental housing and real estate data ecosystem.
Rentsync shared the news Wednesday, January 14, explaining the move will significantly strengthen its market intelligence capabilities and deliver more comprehensive insights into Canada’s rental housing market.
Urbanation, founded more than four decades ago, is widely regarded as one of the country’s most trusted sources of real estate research and consulting, with a focus on rental housing and condos. Its data and analysis are used by developers, investors, lenders, operators, and policymakers navigating a housing market defined by supply constraints, affordability pressures, and shifting development cycles.
“I am pleased to announce the strategic sale of Urbanation, a company I founded and grew over the past four decades and has become the industry leader for real estate market data and insights,” Eve Lewis, Founder and CEO of Urbanation, said in a release. “I am confident that the strong foundation, values and integrity we established will lead to even more success as Urbanation combines forces with Rentsync.”
The two companies are not new to working together. Over the past three years, Rentsync and Urbanation have partnered to publish the monthly Rentals.ca National Rent Report, and to build a comprehensive rental market database covering the Greater Golden Horseshoe, Ottawa, and Montreal.
Under the new ownership structure, Urbanation President Shaun Hildebrand will continue to lead data and market analytics.
“The integration of Urbanation into Rentsync represents an important milestone for Canada’s residential real estate sector,” Hildebrand said in the release. “Purpose-built rentals and condominiums will take on an increasingly larger role in helping to expand housing supply and improve housing affordability across the country. Never has there been a greater need for transparent and accurate data, granular insights, and high-level market guidance to shape the future of how the market operates.”
Rentsync says the acquisition supports its broader goal of building an integrated platform that spans the full rental housing lifecycle. Together, Rentsync, Urbanation, and the Rentals.ca network of listing sites will combine market intelligence, renter demand data, digital marketing, and property management software to support investment decision-making, leasing, and asset performance.
“Canada is geographically massive and there is no single national source of truth for well-researched, reliable, housing real estate data,” said Max Steinman, CEO of Rentsync. “This acquisition brings us one step closer to solving that problem. Urbanation has an outstanding reputation and we will preserve that legacy while helping to grow the brand quickly across the country.”
The Urbanation deal follows closely on Rentsync’s December 2025 acquisition of Spacelist, and marks the company’s second acquisition since receiving investment from Silversmith Capital Partners in April 2025. Rentsync says it remains focused on growth — through product development and strategic acquisitions — as it works to simplify and optimize the leasing experience across Canada — and beyond.
