The survey of more than 240 major real estate investors included 26 large Canadian institutional property investors, most of whom indicated they would be making Canadian purchases this year.
Photograph by: National Post , National Post .
OTTAWA — Real estate investment is ready for a rebound, according to an international survey that suggests both real estate investors both in Canada and abroad are ready to put some faith — and some money — in the market.

Respondents to the 2010 Global Investor Sentiment Survey said access to financing was becoming easier, and the majority of private and institutional Canadian investors plan to use that money at home, according to Colliers International, a global real estate services company which conducted the survey.

Responses to the survey suggest that activities will start to pick up in the third quarter of this year.

“Cautious optimism is the prevailing wind across Canada,” wrote report authors Wayne Duong, Canadian director of research, and Milton Lamb, chair of Colliers Canada’s national investment team, adding that now is the time to buy, before interest rates go up as expected this summer.

While Canadian investors don’t believe the market has bottomed out yet, 65% of them plan to make real estate purchases in the next year; 64% of global investors signalled their intention to do the same.
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