High property prices in Western Canada will help spur international investment in downtown commercial markets across the country, say real estate industry leaders.
"We're going to see more pools of capital ... heading to the West, depending on the requirements or the nature of the investor," said Avtar Bains, senior vice-president with Colliers International in Vancouver, at a recent real estate forum in that city.
But Bains indicated it's also common for investors to look at Alberta and Central Canadian properties instead of Vancouver, because of the West Coast city's high property prices and low profit margins.
Downtown property prices and rental rates in Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton have risen dramatically, while Ontario's growth has been much slower.
