Canada’s healthy economy, effective infrastructure, and multicultural diversity place it among the top liveable and real estate investment destinations in the world. There are several legal structures available for investment in Canadian real estate. Foreign investors can invest in Canadian real estate through personal ownership, joint venture, general partnership, limited partnership, corporation, trust, or a combination of any of the foregoing. Determining the legal structure appropriate for real estate investment in Canada will depend upon a variety of factors such as liability concerns, tax planning requirements, business considerations, and each foreign investor’s rules and regulations. It is very important for foreign investors to familiarize themselves with the legal structure regarding real estate investment in Canada to ensure that the process flows seamlessly.

Foreign investors have a prominent and growing influence in the luxury real estate markets of Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and Calgary (also known as Canada’s “Quartet” cities). There is also a rising demand from foreign investors for commercial properties such as offices, shopping malls, hotels, and factories. This positive rising demand is based on a number of factors, including Canada’s growing infrastructure spending, new efforts to bolster tourism by the Canadian Tourism Commission and strong urban strategies being implemented; placing Canada’s “Quartet” cities on the global stage and attracting more capital from foreign real estate investors.

Foreigners buying luxury homes in Toronto usually gravitate to wealthy enclaves like Rosedale, Forest Hill, Briddle Path, Annex, Hoggs Hollow, Lawrence Park, Bedford Park, Willowdale, and South Richvale. Foreigners buying commercial properties usually gravitate to the urban core in Greater Toronto. Our firm’s extensive insight in the wealthy enclaves and urban core of Toronto, our understanding of the current international market condition, and our experience with re-assignments and flips, allows us to provide foreign investors with the necessary tools in order to make suitable and fruitful investment in Canadian real estate.