German buyers for property in Canada: what is allowed and how to reach them

British Columbia outside urban areas

The Kootenays, parts of Vancouver Island and the Okanagan outside city areas: popular for holiday homes. Whether a municipality lies in a covered area must be checked case by case.

Ontario cottage country

Lake regions such as Muskoka and Haliburton. Some towns lie within census agglomerations. Ontario charges foreign buyers 25% province-wide.

Atlantic provinces

Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island: rural coastal regions with lower prices. Some provinces have their own rules or taxes for non-residents.

Alberta Rockies

Holiday regions around the national parks, partly outside urban areas.

Foreign buyer ban

Non-Canadians may not buy residential property with up to three units in census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations. Breaches can lead to fines and a court-ordered sale; anyone who assists can also be liable.

What remains allowed

Residential property outside these areas, buildings with more than three units, commercial property and, since March 2023, vacant land and purchases for development, plus exemptions for certain permit holders.

Outlook

The ban currently runs until 1 January 2027. The federal budget of 5 November 2026 proposes extending it for existing homes to 1 January 2029 and exempting new builds. Current law applies until this is passed.

Provincial taxes

Ontario charges a 25% Non-Resident Speculation Tax on residential property; British Columbia a 20% Additional Property Transfer Tax in designated areas. Regular provincial land transfer tax comes on top.

Ongoing taxes

Municipal property tax, and in some provinces extra charges for vacant or non-resident owners. The federal Underused Housing Tax ends from 2025. How rental income is treated in Germany is governed by the double taxation treaty; a tax adviser should check.

Financing

Canadian banks usually require considerably more equity from non-residents. Many German buyers pay with equity or borrow against a property in Germany.

Guide values as of November 2026. Whether a property falls under the ban and which taxes apply depends on location, property type and buyer status. Federal and provincial law and advice from a Canadian lawyer are what count.

1. 1

   Check first, then advertise

   Before launch, a Canadian lawyer confirms whether your properties fall under the ban. We only advertise offers German buyers can legally acquire.

2. 2

   Audience: living in Germany, Austria, Switzerland

   German speakers living in the DACH region, and optionally a separate campaign for Germans with Canadian permanent residence.

3. 3

   Meta Special Ad Category: Housing

   Property ads can fall under Meta’s housing special ad category depending on the target region, with restricted targeting options. We set the category for every campaign.

4. 4

   Message: what is allowed

   German buyers have heard of the ban. Ads that state clearly that this property lies outside covered areas and can be bought address the main concern up front.

5. 5

   German landing page with legal notice

   A German page, real contacts, a GDPR privacy notice. As a provider outside the EU you fall under the GDPR once you target people in the EU.

6. 6

   Callback in German despite the time difference

   Canada is five to nine hours behind Germany, depending on the province. Calling back in your morning reaches German prospects in their afternoon or evening.

GDPR

Companies in the EU are subject to it anyway. Companies outside the EU, for example in Dubai, Turkey or the UK, are subject to it as soon as they target people in the EU (Art. 3(2) GDPR). Privacy notice and consent belong in the form, in German.

Consent to be called

Marketing calls to consumers in Germany are only allowed with prior express consent (§ 7(2) German Unfair Competition Act, UWG), and the consent must be documented and kept (§ 7a UWG).

Legal notice (Impressum)

A landing page aimed at people in Germany needs a full legal notice (§ 5 German Digital Services Act, DDG). For German buyers it is also the first sign of trust.

No yield promises

Fixed rental yields, capital growth or tax benefits without individual review are misleading and damage trust. Better: a worked example with open assumptions.

Campaign in your ad account

Meta campaigns on Facebook and Instagram run in your own ad account. Ads, audiences and all contacts belong to you.

German-language production

Ad copy, videos, form and landing page in German, written for German readers, not translated.

Exclusive enquiries

Every enquiry goes to you only. No reselling, no lead pool.

Handover to your CRM

Enquiries reach your sales team in real time, with form answers and fields for every stage up to the notary.

Where we stand

Our first campaign abroad, for a German-speaking buyer agent on the Costa Blanca, started in late 2026. Documented figures come from our investment property campaigns in Germany: about €7 to €30 in ad spend per lead, and at CD Immo Portfolio around 10–15% of leads reaching the notary on average.

• Your properties are residential property in areas covered by the ban. We do not market such offers to German buyers without Canadian status.
• Nobody on your team can call back in German.
• You have not checked whether your properties fall under the ban. See a lawyer first, then advertise.
• You want to advertise yields or tax benefits. We do not run that kind of advertising.