Newcomers buy 1 in 5 homes in Canada, Royal Lepage survey finds 680,000 homes could be purchased by newcomers to Canada over next 5 years

  • Home
  • Latest News
  • Record-Breaking Number of Invitations to Apply made on January 4th for Express Entry program

According to the survey commissioned by Royal Lepage , 1 /5 sold properties are purchased by New immigrants in Canada. It is projected that over the next 5 years if the immigration levels to the country are maintained over 680,000 homes will be purchased by newcomers in Canada.

The online survey queried 1,500 newcomers who arrived in Canada within the last 10 years. Respondents included immigrants, students, refugees and those temporarily in Canada to work.
While only 32 per cent of all survey participants reported owning a home, 86 per cent said they see real estate as a good investment and 75 per cent arrived in Canada with savings to help them to pursue their goal to purchase a home.
Of those who owned their home, the average amount of time that passed between their arrival and purchasing property was three years.
The survey also found that 82 per cent of all respondents were still living in their first city of residence. This proves the fact that property purchase will create a strong financial tie to stay in the city of arrival.
Provincial / regional highlights
Of the newcomers interviewed, those in Alberta and the Atlantic Provinces had the highest rate of homeownership, at 45 per cent and 44 per cent, respectively. Newcomers in the Prairie provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba had the third-highest rate of homeownership, at 41 per cent.
The percentage of newcomers who rented their first home in Canada was highest in British Columbia, at 72 per cent, followed by Quebec at 71 per cent due to higher property purchase price.
Newcomers in Saskatchewan and Manitoba represented 41 per cent of all homebuyers in those provinces, the highest share in Canada, with newcomers in the Atlantic Provinces second at 31 per cent of all homebuyers in that region.
At 86 per cent, newcomers to British Columbia were the most likely to still be living in their first city or region of residence, followed by newcomers to Ontario (84 per cent), Quebec (83 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (81 per cent).

Archive