This article is part of our September special report on real estate in Canada.
A pied-à-terre in Paris? A villa in Sorrento? Or maybe a whole castle? For wealthy Canadians looking for a home abroad, almost anything goes. Sunshine still matters, but so does luxury, easy access to Canada and a property that’s enticing enough to lure the family down for a visit.
Interest in foreign property is surging. On JamesEdition.com, a global online marketplace for luxury real estate, demand from Canadians has increased fivefold since 2021. So far, 2026 has been the strongest year on record, with France, Italy and the U.S. drawing the most Canadian interest. What motivates these wealthy Canadian searchers?
“Recreation is No. 1,” says Eric Finnas Dahlstrom, CEO of JamesEdition. He says some ultra-wealthy Canadians have a secondary interest in diversifying their real estate portfolios beyond Canada, but the main drivers are lifestyle, luxury and recreation.
A home abroad can solve another problem: how to get the whole family together in one place. Toronto luxury realtors Paul Maranger and Christian Vermast say wealthy Canadians want properties that will lure adult children and grandchildren to visit, with sunshine, easy airport access and good connectivity for those who need to zip back to Canada for business.
Canadian users of JamesEdition search most often for houses and villas, followed by apartments—and the budgets are substantial. Houses average about €2.2 million (CAD$3.5 million), while apartments come in at €1.2 million (CAD$1.9 million). But plenty of shoppers are looking well above that price point: almost 40 per cent of Canadian inquiries are for properties over €3 million (CAD$4.8 million), and 17 per cent are looking above €10 million (CAD$16 million).
For some buyers, eight bedrooms and an infinity pool are just the starting point. “More people look for castles than penthouses,” Dahlstrom says.
Here are some of the places catching the eye of wealthy Canadians now.
France (Paris and the French Riviera)
France sits at the top of the list for wealthy Canadians looking abroad, with its share of Canadian searches on JamesEdition tripling since 2021. Within France, Paris is the clear favourite. The appeal isn’t a mystery. Show-stopping restaurants, world-class museums, beautiful neighbourhoods and relatively easy access from Canada make Paris an obvious second-home contender.
Canadians aren’t just window-shopping. In 2025, Sotheby’s International Realty France-Monaco recorded more than 30 sales in Paris and the surrounding region priced between €3 million and €10 million. Another 10 or so clocked in between €10 million and more than €40 million. The buyers? Primarily affluent Americans, Canadians and French nationals.
Paris may be the headliner, but breezy Mediterranean destinations are hardly a consolation prize. Beyond Paris, Dahlstrom says Canadian interest extends south to the French Riviera, including beautiful cities like Nice and Cannes.
Italy (Italian Riviera and Sanremo)
For Canadians with money to spend, la dolce vita has obvious appeal, and Italy ranks second among Canadian searches on JamesEdition. “Italy is the growing market,” says Dahlstrom, who points to the Italian Riviera and Sanremo among the places drawing Canadian interest. There’s an ease to life in Italy that’s very alluring: long lunches, lively town centres and a culture built around enjoying where you are.
But it’s not just sunshine and seaside villas drawing attention. Italy is actively courting the global wealthy with a flat tax on foreign income. For new tax residents arriving from 2026, the annual levy is €300,000, regardless of the amount of qualifying foreign income.
Dahlstrom says the policy is part of Italy’s growing appeal. While some European countries like Spain have pulled back incentives for international buyers, Italy has “moved in the opposite direction.”
U.S. (New York, Florida and California)
Given the current political friction between Canada and the U.S., some might be surprised that wealthy Canadians are still considering real estate south of the border. But the U.S. ranks third among Canadian searches on JamesEdition, with demand doubling since 2022. Dahlstrom says Canadians are sticking with the classics: New York, Miami and Malibu.
The appeal is largely practical. Some ultra-wealthy Canadians keep properties in New York predominantly for work, while Florida offers an easy getaway with a quick flight home.
“American destinations are still choice because our cultures are so aligned,” say Maranger and Vermast. “Not to mention easy airport accessibility, health care and security.”
Mexico (Los Cabos, San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta and Mayan Riviera)
Snowbirds flocking to Mexico are nothing new, but affluent Canadians are looking well beyond the resort pool.
Maranger and Vermast say dreamy Los Cabos and artsy San Miguel de Allende are “popping up on the radar” for ultra-wealthy Canadians. The latter tends to attract people prepared to settle in for longer stretches. “San Miguel de Allende, for example, is difficult to get to, so people who choose such destinations tend to stay a couple of months,” the realtors say.
On JamesEdition, Canadian interest in Mexican property has quadrupled since 2020, with demand concentrated in Puerto Vallarta and the Mayan Riviera, according to Dahlstrom.
That gives wealthy Canadians a surprisingly varied menu: Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast, Caribbean-facing Mayan Riviera, resort-heavy Los Cabos or the cobblestoned streets of inland San Miguel de Allende.
The up-and-comers
Beyond the established luxury enclaves, some less obvious destinations are starting to attract Canadian interest. JamesEdition is seeing significantly increased demand for Medellín, Panama City and Bali—all part of a group Dahlstrom calls “second-wave markets.”
Medellín has emerged as a modern, cosmopolitan destination, while Bali offers a different proposition: sun and sea, coupled with the wellness-focused lifestyle that the island is known for.
From Paris to Bali, with the occasional castle in between, wealthy Canadians are clearly willing to roam.
Cindy McGlynn is a Toronto-based writer and editor who frequently writes about business, culture and the arts. In addition to holding communications roles at tech startups and writing for consumer and B2B publications, Cindy has edited two national magazines and served as a long-time columnist for the Toronto Star’s Eye Weekly magazine. She has been contributing to Canadian Family Offices for four years.
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