For some Americans who have found themselves in an increasingly concerning and hostile political environment as the US presidential election ramps up, the only way out is through... that is, through the border and into Canada.
According to data released Wednesday by Royal LePage, US-originated sessions to royallepage.ca more than doubled when the presidential race "unofficially" kicked off in June, and has remained higher than usual ever since.
The numbers reveal that, in the week of June 16, site visits from Americans looking at Canadian real estate leaped 104% week over week and 67% year over year — an increase that only intensified the next week following the first presidential debate between former-President Donald Trump and current-President Joe Biden. In that week, traffic jumped another 4%, bringing the week-over-week increase to 112% and posting a stunning 94% year over year jump.
Findings show that royallepage.ca also saw a spike in site visits on July 15, following Trump officially becoming the Republican nominee for the 2024 presidential election and two days after his attempted assassination.
But this is not the first time — or even the most notable time — Americans have digitally flirted with life in the Great White North in the face of political turmoil at home. Back in 2016, in the wake of Trump's divisive presidential victory, visits to the Canadian real estate site skyrocketed by 329% in the day following the election, and clocked a massive 210 year over year increase in the following week.
“Americans are a minority in the hundreds of thousands of new Canadians we welcome each year, yet around presidential election time, they get very, very interested in their neighbour to the north," says Phil Soper, President and CEO at Royal LePage. "Nothing like political and economic uncertainty to get people searching for greener grass!”
But Canadians need not fear an American invasion, says Soper. Not yet, at least. “Browsing online listings and moving to another country are two entirely different matters – given the rigorous application process and the federal government’s recent decision to reduce immigration targets, only serious and qualified candidates will actually relocate," Soper says.
Still, we should be flattered by our southern neighbour's interest in us. After all, "Canada’s relative political and social stability, high quality of life, and access to education and universal healthcare, make it a highly attractive country for newcomers from Europe, Asia, and around the world," says Soper. "For Americans, the transition is even easier, considering the proximity and lack of a language barrier in most provinces.”
Of the Canadian provinces Americans have their eye on, Ontario ranks first, garnering 38% of regional searches, followed by BC at 17% and Quebec at 16%. Expectedly, the majority of searches have been originating from traditionally blue states, but in an interesting twist, citizens from the historically red state of North Carolina have been the most frequent visitors to royallepage.ca since June 2024.
Though still higher than usual, site visits have been trending downwards since June. But with the historic November 5 election less than a week away, it might not be long before we see another surge in interest, pending the election of one candidate in particular.
