Canadians ‘Obsessed’ With Real Estate, Poll Finds

A majority of Canadians have real estate on their mind on a regular basis, a new online poll has found.
Canadians ‘Obsessed’ With Real Estate, Poll Finds
According to a new survey, 84 percent of Canadians think about real estate on a regular basis. (Thinkstock Images/Photos.com)
Omid Ghoreishi
6/24/2013
Updated:
7/18/2015

A majority of Canadians have real estate on their mind on a regular basis, according to a new online poll.

The survey, which polled 1,000 Canadians, was conducted by Abacus Data on behalf of online and mobile real estate services company Zoocasa. It found that 84 percent of respondents across Canada think about real estate on a regular basis.

“In ever increasing ways, Canadians seem almost obsessed with real estate. And it’s understandable. For the vast majority of Canadians, their home is the largest purchase they will make in their lifetime,” Zoocasa president Carolyn Beatty said in a release.

“Because it’s such a big investment it has become part of our identity and even defines our sense of community,” Beatty added.

The survey found that 34 percent of Canadians identify themselves or a friend or family member as “real estate obsessed.” The proportion was found significantly higher in the greater Toronto area (GTA) at 47 percent.

In the GTA, the poll found, real estate is as common a topic of conversation as hockey, even during the playoffs season.

The survey also showed that 28 percent of Canadians have visited an open house in the last year, and 85 percent have looked at houses online.