Redfin Reports The Number of Canadians Searching For U.S. Homes Is Down 20% From Last Year

Canadian searches for U.S. homes dropped off when the White House announced steep tariffs on Canadian goods in the spring. The decline is especially steep in West Palm Beach, FL, a popular second-home destination for snowbirds.

SEATTLE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The number of Canadian Redfin.com users searching for homes to buy or rent in the U.S. dropped 19.5% year over year in August, according to a new report from Redfin, the real estate brokerage powered by Rocket. For comparison, the total number of prospective buyers and renters searching on Redfin.com declined, too, but by a fraction of the amount.

The number of Canadians searching for U.S. homes started dropping significantly in February, when the White House implemented 25% tariffs on imports from Canada.

The steepest decline was a 34.2% year-over-year drop in April, the month the Trump administration announced its global tariff policy. The declines have shrunk since then as the initial shock of the tariffs wears off, but are still notable.

This is according to an analysis of the number of Redfin.com users based in Canada searching for homes for sale and for rent in the United States. The data is based on unique users, i.e. the number of different people who access U.S. home listings on Redfin.com or the Redfin app within a defined period; that user is counted only once for the period.

The drop in Canada-based searches for U.S. homes comes as some Canadians grow weary of American politics. Research shows that Canadians’ opinions of the U.S. and its president are near historic lows. In addition to instituting tariffs, President Trump has several times called for Canada to become the “51st state.”

It’s also important to note that the Canadian dollar has been fairly weak this spring and summer, which makes it more difficult to afford U.S. homes. The Canadian dollar started declining against the U.S. dollar in late 2024, mostly because of uncertainty about trade policies.

“One Canadian client is in the process of selling his last U.S. property because he no longer sees it as a good place to invest or vacation,” said Cheryl Van Elsis, a Redfin Premier agent in Las Vegas. “He used to own four homes in the Las Vegas area, which he mainly rented to fellow Canadians here for casinos or poker events. But now, he no longer wants ties to the U.S.”

Historically, Canadians have made up the largest portion of international homebuyers in the U.S. In 2024, they made up 13% of foreign buyers, buying $5.9 billion worth of U.S. real estate.

Fewer Canadians Are Searching For Homes in All But 4 Major U.S. Metro Areas

Canadian searches for U.S. homes have fallen in 46 of the 50 largest U.S. metros.

West Palm Beach, FL saw the biggest decline, with a 26.6% year-over-year drop in August. Two other Florida metros, Tampa (-23.1%) and Orlando (-23%) are also among the 10 metros where the number of Canadians searching for U.S. homes fell most. It’s worth noting that Florida is historically the top U.S. destination for foreign buyers, so the declines in Florida are especially significant.

Anaheim, CA (-26%) saw the second-biggest decline, followed by Columbus, OH (-26%), Detroit (-25.5%) and Los Angeles (-25.5%).

Florida has historically been a popular place for snowbirds from Canada and northern U.S. states to have second homes. But homebuying demand in the Sunshine State has dropped across the board over the last several years amid surging insurance, HOA and property-tax costs, along with an increase in natural disasters.

The only major metro areas where more Canadians are searching for U.S. homes this year than last year are Kansas City, MO, Nashville, TN, Jacksonville, FL and Fort Worth, TX.

To view the full report, including charts and additional metro-level data, please visit: https://www.redfin.com/news/fewer-canadians-searching-for-homes-united-states

About Redfin

Redfin is a technology-driven real estate company with the country's most-visited real estate brokerage website. As part of Rocket Companies (NYSE: RKT), Redfin is creating an integrated homeownership platform from search to close to make the dream of homeownership more affordable and accessible for everyone. Redfin’s clients can see homes first with on-demand tours, easily apply for a home loan with Rocket Mortgage, and save thousands in fees while working with a top local agent.

You can find more information about Redfin and get the latest housing market data and research at Redfin.com/news. For more information about Rocket Companies, visit RocketCompanies.com.