As rhetoric rises in U.S., so do real estate searches

United States-originating searches for Canadian properties surge after major turbulent incidents in U.S.

We independently select everything we recommend. Buying through us may earn us a commission, which supports our work. Canada is increasingly on the radar of Americans.

That’s at least what the findings of a recent report seem to suggest regarding interest in U.S. citizens pulling up stakes and moving to Canada. Royal LePage released a study this year, based on traffic to its website by Americans, finding a surge of interest in Canadian listings. It’s likely that many Americans’ interest in Canada is politically motivated, says Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer of Royal LePage.

“Some are probably saying, ‘I’m really upset and it’s time consider a big change like moving to Montreal or elsewhere.’ ” The study looked at visits to royallepage.ca from May last year to May this year, finding soaring interest especially this year. Among its findings is that U.S.-based traffic grew 78 per cent week over week, and 65 per cent year over year from Jan. 11 to 14.

That was after protester Renée Good was shot by federal agents in Minneapolis. Then, a new record high was set the week of April 5 to 11, up 125 per cent week over week and 233 per cent higher compared with the same timespan last year. Royal LePage’s report notes this surge coincided with U.S. Pres.

Donald Trump threatening to destroy Iran’s civilization. These substantial bumps in visits are not a new phenomenon, Soper adds. Americans typically mull over the idea of relocating to Canada when U.S. political turbulence peaks.

Other past high points have been the lead-up to the 2024 U.S. election, and periods during Trump’s first presidency. Calgary and surrounding region could stand out as a particularly attractive destination, Soper notes, given its relative affordability compared with Canada’s best-known cities, like Toronto. Calgary Real Estate Board statistics from June 30 show the average aggregate price of a home in the city was about $669,000.

That’s compared with the Greater Toronto Area where the average price was about $1 million. Calgary may not have the high profile with Americans, but one outlying community has long captured the interest of high net-worth Americans: Canmore. There, the average home price is similar to Toronto at about $1.1 million, CREB statistics show.

Yet while their interest may be further piqued because of growing political unrest, the number of Americans moving to Canmore has not spiked, says local realtor Brad Hawker. “We have had plenty of inquiries, sometimes linked closely to the rhetoric rising in the U.S.,” says the real estate agent with Royal LePage Solutions in Canmore. Yet the federal government’s rule limiting foreign ownership, implemented in 2023, effectively prevents Americans from buying in Canmore.

“The foreign buyer ban limited non-Canadians to only buying land to build a home.” That could change, however, starting next year when the ban is set to end, Hawker adds. In the meantime, Americans considering the Canadian dream over the American one will have to keep daydreaming, Soper says.

“All that traffic on the website is really more a reflection of aspirations than anything else.”