Canadian commercial real estate investment market gains traction

Strong appetite for retail properties and an active real estate investment trust sector has caused commercial real estate investment sales dollar volume in Canada to already exceed its 2009 year-end total. By the end of the third quarter of 2010, over $12 billion in commercial real estate assets had changed hands – up 57 per cent over the same nine-month period one year ago. While retail has been the most sought-after property type among investors, Toronto has been the most active and Vancouver the most expensive market.