INDUSTRY: Toronto CREW Welcomes New Members To Board Of Directors

Government Incentive

Learn what government incentives are in Canadian real estate, how they support buyers, and what programs are available for cost savings and home ownership.

Government Incentive

May 22, 2025


What is a Government Incentive?

A government incentive is a program, rebate, or financial support offered by a federal, provincial, or municipal government to assist homebuyers, builders, or investors.

Why Government Incentives Matter in Real Estate

In Canadian real estate, government incentives help reduce the cost of homeownership, support first-time buyers, and promote energy efficiency or regional development.

Examples include:

Eligibility criteria vary by program and may include income thresholds, residency status, property type, and principal residence use. These incentives are often time-limited or budget-restricted.

Understanding government incentives helps buyers access financial support, plan budgets, and take advantage of cost-saving programs during a real estate transaction.

Example of a Government Incentive in Action

A first-time buyer uses the federal incentive program to reduce their mortgage payments and receives a $4,000 provincial land transfer tax rebate.

Key Takeaways

  • Reduces homeownership or renovation costs.
  • Offered by all levels of government.
  • Varies by region and buyer profile.
  • Requires meeting eligibility rules.
  • Must be applied for proactively.

Related Terms

Additional Terms

Rent Control

Rent control refers to government regulations that limit how much landlords can increase rent for residential tenants each year.. more

Receivership

Receivership is a legal process where a court or secured creditor appoints a receiver to take control of a borrower’s assets, such as property or. more

REALTOR

A REALTOR is a licensed real estate professional who is a member of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and adheres to its Code of Ethics and. more

Property Use History

Property use history refers to the documented past uses, functions, and occupancy of a property, which may affect environmental risk, zoning, or. more

Property Management

Property management is the oversight and administration of real estate assets on behalf of the owner, covering leasing, maintenance, financial. more

Property Maintenance

Property maintenance refers to the ongoing upkeep, repair, and management of a building or land to preserve its safety, functionality, and appearance.. more

More For You

A ‘Delayed Turnaround’? Canadian Home Sales See First Gain Since November

A ‘Delayed Turnaround’? Canadian Home Sales See First Gain Since November
Shutterstock

Although Canadian housing markets didn’t get the bustling start to spring that lower interest rates at one point seemed to promise, new national data shows that May brought a rally in activity. According to the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA), sales edged up 3.6% between April and May, marking the first rise since November.

“May 2025 not only saw home sales move higher at the national level for the first time in more than six months, but prices at the national level also stopped falling,” said CREA Senior Economist Shaun Cathcart in a press release. To Cathcart’s point, the national composite home price index slipped just 0.2% month over month, “on the heels of three straight month-over-month declines of closer to 1%.”

Keep ReadingShow less

Insider: Not A Bubble, But A Bottleneck. How Boomers Still Control Canada’s Housing Market

Insider: Not A Bubble, But A Bottleneck. How Boomers Still Control Canada’s Housing Market

Shutterstock

This month, instead of diving into the usual data and policy rants, we’re shifting the focus to home buyers and renters themselves — exploring how demographics might offer new insights into the housing crisis.

In 2013, I stood on a real estate conference stage and made what felt like a long-range, maybe-even-foolhardy prediction: the Canadian housing market would crash in 2025.

Keep ReadingShow less

Meet The Agent: Justin Bregman, RARE Real Estate

Meet The Agent: Justin Bregman, RARE Real Estate

Welcome to Meet the Agent, an ongoing series profiling real estate agents from across Canada. With more than 150,000 agents, brokers, and salespeople working in 75 different boards and associations across the country, we thought it was about time they had a place to properly introduce themselves.

If you or someone you know deserves the same chance, email agents@storeys.com to apply.

Keep ReadingShow less

Modular Housing Might Be The Way, But Governments Must Consult With Builders

Modular Housing Might Be The Way, But Governments Must Consult With Builders

Example of modular housing in Berlin

The prefabricated and modular housing industry is growing by leaps and bounds around the world. Canada is no exception.

The nation’s modular construction market is expected to reach a valuation of $16.5 billion by 2029, up 8.1% from 2024. The prefabricated home manufacturing industry has grown at an average annual rate of 5.2% over the past five years to reach $3.8 billion in 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less

Opulence Meets Ultimate Recreation At This 10.9-Acre Victoria Estate

Opulence Meets Ultimate Recreation At This 10.9-Acre Victoria Estate

Tucked away on 10.9 gated acres just north of Victoria’s core, 1708 Woodsend Drive is the kind of estate that feels pulled from another era — one where timeless design, artisanal finishes, and unshakeable privacy converge in singular fashion.

But make no mistake: while this estate speaks with the quiet confidence of old-world elegance, its bones and systems are anything but dated.

Keep ReadingShow less

Are Supertalls A Sustainable Way To Combat The Housing Crisis?

Are Supertalls A Sustainable Way To Combat The Housing Crisis?
19 Bloor/Arcadis

Build upwards not outwards has become the mandate of urban centres around the world, Toronto included. Population growth, increased housing demand, skyrocketing land values, and the perils of urban sprawl have necessitated increased density, and meanwhile, we've seen the emergence of innovative engineering as buildings stretched higher and higher into the clouds.

This combination of necessity and technology have led developers and architects to turn to more extreme heights in the form of aptly-named 'supertalls,' which, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), are buildings with heights of 300 metres (984 feet) or more.

Keep ReadingShow less

Vancouver Proposing Suite Of Changes To DCLs, CACs To Support Project Viability

​Construction at the Signal project by Oxford Properties and Intracorp in Vancouver.

Construction at the Signal project by Oxford Properties and Intracorp in Vancouver. / Axiom Builders

As the real estate market continues its downward turn, local governments across Metro Vancouver (and beyond) have shown a strong willingness to tweak their policies in an effort to provide some relief to homebuilders and to get shovels in the ground. The latest municipality to do so is the City of Vancouver.

"Development viability is under increasing strain due to a wide range of factors, such as construction cost escalation, impending tariff implications, an elevated interest rate environment, and recent changes to immigration policy, all of which have created greater uncertainty and dampened consumer and investor confidence," said the City in a report that will be considered by Council next week. "At the same time, the cost basis for construction – including land, labour, regulatory requirements, and government charges – has dramatically outpaced inflation since 2019, while home prices have approached affordability ceilings."

Keep ReadingShow less

Carttera Buys Queen Street W Project For $28M, Planning 27 Storeys

​Carttera acquired 1266 Queen Street West earlier this month.

Carttera acquired 1266 Queen Street West earlier this month. / Carttera

[Editor's Note: A previous version of this article incorrectly identified Republic Developments as the owner of 1266 Queen Street West. They were the developer of the property, but not the owners.]

A large high-rise project set for the Queen West neighbourhood of Toronto has changed hands, with real estate developer and investment manager Carttera acquiring the project after it was initiated by Republic Developments.

Keep ReadingShow less
Privacy PolicyAbout UsTerms of UseAdvertise with UsJobsContact UsRSS Feed
2025 © STOREYS Publishing Inc. | All Rights Reserved