The data, published by the federal statistics agency on Dec. 3, tracks the number of investment buyers in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and British Columbia over three years. 

Nova Scotia had the highest volume of investor buyers of residential property in that time, with an average of 28.2%. 

In neighbouring New Brunswick, investor buyers averaged 20.3% in the same period, and in B.C. they averaged 24.8%. 

Statistics Canada defines real estate investors as buyers of at least one residential property that is not used as their primary residence. 

In rural areas, investors represented 37% of buyers in Nova Scotia and 34% in B.C. The report attributed this to buyers being drawn to tourist areas, including cottage areas and ski resorts. Nova Scotia’s South Shore and Inverness — a community in Cape Breton — attracted buyers, as did Whistler and other Interior ski resort areas in B.C.

Meanwhile, the highest rate of investor buyers in urban areas was in B.C., with several purchasing residential properties in Vancouver, Kelowna, Victoria and Abbostford-Mission. 

Immigrants were also overrepresented among investors in large urban areas in 2019, with the highest discrepancies between Canadian-born residents and immigrants in Vancouver and Abbotsford-Mission. Immigrants in these areas represented 67 and 60.8% of buyers, respectively, despite making up just 41.8 and 26.1% of the population.

In Halifax, immigrants made up 11.2% of the city’s population but accounted for 21.4% of buyers. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 7, 2024.

Atlantic british columbia investment properties investors new brunswick Nova Scotia Regional statistics canada The Canadian Press

Last modified: December 8, 2024