The foreign buyer tax in Toronto and Vancouver has meant that many Chinese buyers prefer to buy at Montreal. According to a report from Juwai.com, a Chinese website for buyers of overseas property, Chinese buyers inquired about US$1.45 billion worth of Canadian properties in 2017.

Interest in Montreal grew by 84.5 percent in 2017 and 43.3 percent a year earlier, the report said. This increase is directly linked to the foreign buyer tax in Vancouver and Toronto, experts said.