Americans look north as Canadian real estate website sees massive spike: Royal LePage

A for sale/sold sign stands in front of residential homes in the Riverside South neighbourhood of Ottawa on Friday, Aug. 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

OTTAWA – A growing number of Americans are searching for properties in Canada as they consider seeking refuge north of the border.

A new report from the Canadian real estate company Royal LePage says U.S.-originated sessions on the company’s website have spiked throughout the first half of 2026, with traffic surging during periods of economic and geopolitical uncertainty.

The company says the first major spike to its website from U.S.-based users happened between Jan. 11 and 17, days after 37-year-old Renée Good was fatally shot by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent in Minneapolis, Minn.

During that period, Royal Lepage says traffic to its website rose 78 per cent week-over-week, and 65 per cent year-over-year.

A second spike, which set new records, occurred between April 5 and 11 following heightened geopolitical tensions surrounding the war in Iran. In the days leading up to the spike, Iran shot down a U.S. combat aircraft that led to a risky operation to capture a stranded crew member.

That week, U.S. President Donald Trump took to Truth Social, warning “a whole civilization will die tonight” if a ceasefire with Iran was not reached. Those threats were later pulled back, and a temporary ceasefire agreement was reached.

In that timespan, U.S.-originated traffic to royallepage.ca surged 125 per cent week-over-week, an increase of 233 per cent compared to the same period in 2025.

Additional spikes by U.S. based visitors were seen April 26 to May 2 and May 10 to 16.

While the company admits it has no way of knowing whether any of the U.S. visitors to its website ended up moving to Canada, Royal LePage’s president says similar patterns were seen during the lead up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election and in its aftermath.

“The first months of 2026 have been marked by a relentless cycle of breaking news and unsettling headlines, from war and economic volatility to growing political and civil unrest,” said Phil Soper, president and CEO, Royal LePage.

“During periods like these, we often see Americans revisit the idea of relocating to Canada as a way to distance themselves from the turbulence surrounding U.S. politics and public life.”

U.S. interest in Canadian citizenship has surged since the federal government passed a new law clarifying citizenship rules. Bill C-3, which took effect last December, allows someone who was born outside of Canada to a Canadian parent also born outside Canada to file a citizenship claim under certain circumstances.

• Read more: U.S. leads interest by wide margin in getting Canadian citizenship by descent

Nearly 2,500 Americans filed applications in January alone. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada received more than 12,000 citizenships by descent applications between Dec. 15, 2025 and the end of January.

According to data obtained by Reuters, a total of 4,075 individuals from all over the world were granted citizenship between Dec. 15, 2025 and March 31, nearly half of them being Americans who can trace their lineage to Canadian ancestors.

With files from The Canadian Press and Reuters