Political uncertainty in the United States is prompting many Canadians to sell their homes south of the border, according to a new Royal LePage survey.
The survey, conducted by Burson, found that more than half (54 per cent) of Canadians who own residential property in the U.S. plan to sell within the next year. Of those, nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) cited concerns about the current U.S. administration as their main reason.
“The polarizing political climate in the United States is prompting many Canadians to reconsider how and where they spend their time and money,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO of Royal LePage. “Canadians have been the most important foreign investors in America’s residential real estate market for years, and a significant wave of property sales would leave a noticeable mark on the regional economies that snowbirds support.”
Other sellers pointed to personal and financial reasons (33 per cent) or worsening weather conditions, such as hurricanes and flooding (five per cent).
Investment patterns shifting
Canadians have consistently ranked among the top two foreign investors in U.S. residential real estate over the past two decades, according to the National Association of Realtors. But transactions have slowed in recent years, and Canadian sellers now make up a large share of international property sales.
“Not every decision to sell is politically driven,” Soper said. “For many, the decision to divest will be due to changing personal circumstances, from reprioritizing financial goals to the simple decision to invest closer to home.”
Statistics Canada reports Canadian residents made 6.1 million trips to the U.S. in the first quarter of 2025, down 10.8 per cent from a year earlier. Spending fell nearly eight per cent, totaling $5.7 billion.
Domestic reinvestment coming?
Nearly one-third (32 per cent) of respondents who have sold or plan to sell their U.S. property said they intend to reinvest the proceeds in Canadian real estate, with many considering recreational properties.
“Across sectors, Canadians are increasingly choosing to support domestic businesses, prioritize homegrown products, and invest in their own communities,” said Soper. “Many who are selling their U.S. properties are opting to bring that capital back home.”
Royal LePage also reported a surge in U.S. traffic to its website during key political events, including the 2024 presidential election and major protests in 2025, reflecting growing American interest in Canadian housing.
Many Canadians are moving to Texas, Florida and Mexico as they are not happy with where the last 12 years of Federal government has taken Canada. I think Royal LePage needs a bigger sample size as most people we know do not agree with their findings. Elbows -up-Phil-soper needs to check the data.
I left Canada permanently and moved to Mexico 13 years ago and believe me… I would NEVER even think of moving back there. I really don’t think in reality some Canadians selling there “snowbirds” homes is really a problem for the US or Mexico… as you may or may not know the US has a population of 350 million and Mexico 130 million.
Most that I have seen return have done so for health reasons or to be near the grandchildren… the healthcare here is wonderful and my kids and grandkids can come and visit anytime they want.
Quite a few years ago a younger brother of mine lived (full time) in Las Vegas… something was going on and Canadians got their drawers in a knot and were told not to visit Las Vegas… when I told my brother about that he laughed and said “Vegas won’t be weeping over the 1% of business they might lose over that.
Hasta la vista!
It is quite possible this is accurate but the data I have seen is also somewhat varied to these findings. The Fraser Institute reported that over 125,000 people a year are moving to the US alone (some are Canadian citizens, some are Americans going back). They also report some 3 – 7 million (govt data is spotty) Canadian born citizens are living abroad, and the trend is definitely away from Canada for the exact reasons cited in this article – a polarizing political climate.
Investor dollars are also moving out of Canada due to the unfavorable investment climate.
The difficulty lies in the politicizaton of some much news media these days, and finding the truth often requires extra work.
The article may be correct that Canadians are looking to sell their properties, but it doesn’t go insofar as to state why. Is it the insinuated support of the Canadian government, or is it because the Canadian government financial ruined them into a need to sell. That’s open for debate.