Buying off-plan in Canada: what to check

Step 1: Who is selling: the company behind the project

Ask for the developer’s full legal name and registration number, not only the brand, and look the company up in the official register. The company that signs your contract should be the one that holds the land or the approvals.

What the rules and registers say

• Look up the developer company in the corporate register: Corporations Canada for federal corporations, or the register of the province where it was incorporated. Check that it is active and that its name matches the contract.Corporations Canada: search for a federal corporation (opened 14 November 2026)

In our data

7 of 15 projects we track in Canada name the developer by its legal company.

Examples

• 6080 Yonge: developer named as Residences Of 6080 Yonge Inc.
• Queen Church: developer named as Residences Of Queen Church Inc.
• Forma (East Tower of the Mirvish+Gehry complex): developer named as GG Duncan Inc.

Step 2: The land and what you will own

Find out exactly what you are buying: freehold, leasehold or a right of use, who holds the title today and what charges sit on it. Ask for the official registry extract, not a copy prepared by the seller.

What the rules and registers say

• Since 1 January 2023 a non-Canadian may not buy residential property in Canada, directly or indirectly, unless an exception applies, for example certain temporary residents and protected persons (section 4 of the Act).Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act, section 4 (Justice Laws, current to 19 Oct 2026) (read 14 November 2026)
• The prohibition covers property in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations; property outside them is excluded by the Regulations (section 3). Both texts were current to 19 October 2026 when we read them.Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Regulations (SOR/2022-250), section 3 (current to 19 Oct 2026) (read 14 November 2026)

In our data

6 of 15 projects we track in Canada publish an address or location precise enough for a map pin.

Freehold and leasehold in off-plan property

Step 3: Permits and approvals

Ask for the permit number and date and confirm them with the authority that issued them. A company licence or a sales registration is not a building permit.

In our data

4 of 15 projects we track in Canada publish a permit or licence number.

Examples

• 6080 Yonge: permit or licence number HCRA licence B62460 published
• Queen Church: permit or licence number HCRA licence B61250 published
• Forma (East Tower of the Mirvish+Gehry complex): permit or licence number HCRA licence B61261 (as published by developer) published

Step 4: Where your money goes

Before each payment, know which account it goes to and what protects it if the project stops. Pay only into the account named in your contract, never into a personal account or a broker’s.

In our data

0 of 15 projects we track in Canada state how buyer payments are protected (escrow, bank guarantee or insurance).

Escrow and deposit protection in off-plan property · Payment plans and deposits in off-plan property

Step 5: Recording your purchase and the contract

Check how your purchase is recorded before completion and what the contract says about delays, changes and refunds. Have an independent local lawyer or notary read it before you sign.

Step 6: Handover dates and progress on site

Compare the handover date you are promised with the record: earlier dates for this project and how the developer’s other projects went. Then check progress on site before each staged payment.

In our data

0 of 15 projects we track in Canada have a handover date on record that has passed; 0 had the date moved later.

Examples

• Forma (East Tower of the Mirvish+Gehry complex): handover date on record 2028, no change so far