The dark side of investor-driven housing

Real estate investment is a way of life in Vancouver, with investors – people who don’t reside in the homes they own – representing close to half of the condo market.

In recent years, Toronto has pretty much caught up, with a 28 per cent increase in all investor-owned condos from 2019 to 2022. Vancouver held steady, with a 10 per cent increase in the same time frame, according to new data from the Canadian Housing Statistics Program. In 2019, the CHSP began releasing data on properties that were “not owner occupied.” According to the new release, 43 per cent of Toronto condos are investor-owned. In Vancouver, it’s 46 per cent.