Snowbirds flying home: Canadians want to sell their U.S. homes

A aerial view of Florida. (Mikhail Nilov/pexels.com)

Many Canadian snowbirds say they may soon stop vacationing each year in the United States, according to a recent survey for Royal LePage.

The poll finds that 54 per cent of Canadians who own property in the U.S. are considering selling their homes within the next year.

In fact, 62 per cent of respondents say they are second-guessing their annual vacation plans “because of the current political administration,” in reference to President Donald Trump.

“The polarizing political climate in the United States is prompting many Canadians to reconsider how and where they spend their time and money,” Phil Soper, president and chief executive officer of Royal LePage, told Noovo Info.

One-third of respondents say they want to sell for personal or financial reasons, while five per cent say they want to leave because of “increasingly extreme weather conditions, such as hurricanes, floods and forest fires.”

Buying Canadian

Nearly one-third of respondents (32 per cent) who recently sold or plan to sell say they would like to reinvest their proceeds in the Canadian real estate market.

“Canadians play a major role in foreign investment in the U.S. real estate market, particularly in recreational areas,” said Dominic St-Pierre, executive vice president of business development at Royal LePage. “A significant withdrawal from property ownership would have a real impact on key economies in the Sun Belt, such as Florida, Arizona and California.”

The company points out, for example, that in the first quarter of 2025, Canadians made 6.1 million trips to the United States, down 10.8 per cent compared to the same period last year.

This decrease led to a 7.9 per cent drop in spending during this period, totalling $5.7 billion, a trend that experts say could last quite a while longer.

“‘As uncertainty continues to loom over the American political landscape, we expect more Canadians to redirect their capital to domestic real estate, strengthening long-term confidence in the Canadian real estate market and creating new opportunities for growth closer to home,” Soper predicted.

The exodus of so many Canadians from the United States is likely to have a significant impact on the economies of certain American regions, according to Royal LePage.

The company notes that, unlike wealthy buyers from other countries, Canadians “actually live in the neighbourhoods they buy in.”

“They shop locally, dine out, volunteer and join pickleball leagues,” said Soper. “States such as Florida, Arizona and California stand to lose millions in economic activity each year – and thousands of neighbours – if Canadian homeowners withdraw their capital from the American property markets.”

Americans flying north

Canadian snowbirds aren’t the only ones wanting to leave the United States, the survey finds.

Royal LePage notes that visits to its website increased from U.S. citizens during major American political events in 2024 and 2025.

“We are seeing a clear and growing trend: moments of political turmoil in the United States are directly correlated with increases in interest from American visitors,” said Soper. “Whether it’s protests, presidential debates or elections, these spikes suggest that a growing number of Americans are exploring Canadian real estate as a safe and stable alternative – even if the reality of obtaining residency is more complex than simply looking for a place to live.”

Methodology

Some 2,500 residents across Canada were surveyed by Burson on behalf of Royal LePage.

The survey was conducted between Aug. 4 and 9, 2025, encompassing a variety of ages, genders and other representations in line with the 2021 census.

No margin of error can be associated with a non-probability sample.

For comparison purposes, a probabilistic sample of 2,500 respondents would have a margin of error of ±2 per cent, 19 times out of 20, and results from smaller subsamples should be interpreted with the understanding that their associated margin of error increases.