Canadians buying US homes top foreign list as global demand fades
Canadians are now the leading international buyers of US homes as foreign purchases fell 19%, according to the National Association of Realtors.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
Canadians buying US homes have moved to the front of the foreign-buyer pack, even as international demand for American real estate sinks, according to an annual report from the National Association of Realtors.
The trade group said international buyers purchased $45.3 billion worth of US residential property from April 2025 through March 2026. That was a 19% drop from the prior year.
The pullback was not just about dollars. Foreign buyers bought about 67,000 homes in the US over the 12 months that ended in March, a level described in the report as near a record low.
Why are international buyers buying fewer US homes?
The National Association of Realtors pointed to a tight supply of homes for sale, affordability pressures and an uncertain political climate as factors behind the slowdown.
Those forces are hitting a market that has already been tough for buyers. When listings are scarce and prices strain budgets, overseas purchasers have fewer chances to find deals that work.
Canada stands out in that cooler market. The Realtors group said Canadians have become the most dominant group of international buyers in US residential real estate.
The report did not change the broader picture: foreign buying is shrinking. The latest annual total shows fewer international purchases and less money flowing into US homes than a year earlier.
What does the NAR report measure?
The National Association of Realtors report tracks residential purchases in the United States by international buyers over a 12-month period. The latest window ran from April 2025 through March 2026 for dollar volume, with the home-count figure measured over the 12 months ending in March.
A near-record low means the latest count is close to the weakest level identified by the trade group’s tracking. The report figure cited by the Realtors group was about 67,000 homes.
- International residential purchases totaled $45.3 billion.
- That dollar volume was down 19% from the previous year.
- Foreign buyers bought about 67,000 US homes in the 12 months ending in March.
- Canadians ranked as the leading international buyer group, according to the National Association of Realtors.
The numbers show a split-screen housing story: Canadian buyers are out in front among foreign purchasers, while the overall international market is losing steam.
This story draws on original reporting from MarketWatch.