In Canada, a nation of realtors braces for the end of the boom

Ottawa

CANADA'S long housing boom has drawn thousands into the sector, from realtors and home stagers to construction workers, and a looming slowdown threatens to trigger an exodus that could wipe out many of those jobs and force the economy to shift down.

While housing has long been the main engine of Canadian growth, economists say a drop in home sales has already started to weigh on the economy and if price declines follow, consumer spending and jobs will suffer.

"To a lot of people, it is a get-rich- quick scheme," Toronto realtor David Fleming said about the real estate market. "But history shows when the market t…