American interest in Canadian real estate peaks ahead of U.S. election: report

With Americans set to elect a new president Tuesday, new data shows there's a spike in interest in Canadian real estate.

With Americans set to elect a new president Tuesday, new data shows there's a spike in interest in Canadian real estate.

Data published Wednesday by Canadian real estate company Royal LePage, found visits to its website from our neighbours to the South, have risen significantly since the U.S. presidential election campaign unofficially began.

According to Royal LePage, U.S.-originated sessions to royallepage.ca more than doubled, surging 104 per cent week over week (67 per cent year over year) in the week of June 16, prior to the first presidential debate.

The following week, after the debate between President Joe Biden and then-presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump, traffic peaked with an additional four per cent increase in visitors over the week prior, an increase of 112 per cent week over week and 94 per cent year over year.

Phil Soper, the CEO of Royal LePage, said trends were similar in 2016, prior to Donald Trump being elected.

“It’s not surprising in this incredibly divisive American presidential election that they are attracted, at least emotionally, to the concept of getting away from it all,” he said. “I think that's probably the biggest message in this surge in American interest in Canadian properties. Call it internet therapy.”

Soper said most of the visitors to the site came from Democratic states, but interest from a Republican-leaning state, South Carolina, was also prominent.