Foreign buyers fuel surge in Canadian office building sales

Foreign buyers are helping to drive a jump in sales of top-tier Canadian office buildings, industry players say, with a soft currency and the country’s relative stability helping attract interest from abroad. While the Canadian economy is struggling with the drag from weak oil prices, global events like Britain’s vote to leave the European Union have increased its appeal. “Foreign buyers view these assets as safe bets as they look to diversify their global real estate portfolios,” said Ashi Mathur, head of North American real estate investment and corporate banking at BMO Capital Markets. So-called Class A office buildings are high-quality properties in prominent locations that tend to draw the best tenants and command higher rents.

Read more: Economic Times