Living in Florida has long fascinated Canadians, but new analysis shows that they rarely see it as a destination.
The number of Canadians looking for homes in Miami and Orlando fell by about 30% in each region compared to the previous year in May, and Fort Lauderdale saw a 21% DIP, according to data compiled by Redfin, a real estate service and data provider.
And “Before the US sets sudden tariffs on Canada, fewer Canadians are looking for homes in the US than in early 2025,” Redfin said.
Shortly after the Trump administration implemented a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, the number of Canadians looking for homes in the US began to drop significantly in February. Some real estate experts believe that the relationship between Canada and the US overall suffering may also contribute to the decline.
For example, President Donald Trump commented on making Canada the 51st state, saying that Canada “does not exist as a country” without US trade. However, the prospect of disbanding the border between the two countries is not very popular among many Canadians.
“Unfortunately, we don’t see many Canadian buyers this year,” Scott Jerrow, luxury sales director for the CBG Luxury Team at Boca Raton Compass, wrote in a text message to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
“It’s definitely a noticeable change since the election.”
Among the Canadians’ declined interest in Florida homes is consistent with some of those disillusioned with the United States. Tourism figures also show this change.
Over three million Canadians visited Florida last year, representing the top international tourist sources and making a significant contribution to the province’s economy. However, the total number of international visitors to Florida fell in the first few months of the year.
“Any Canadian with national pride should rethink US travel plans as a simple middle finger gesture to Trump,” Toronto-area real estate agent Tim Bishop told the Orlando Sentinel in February.
At the time, Bishop was also part of a social media movement urging Canadians to avoid spending money on the US or its products. Over the past few months, people have used these moves to provide tips on how to avoid buying American products and how to use it as a platform to express their anger at Trump’s actions.
Florida housing market
Redfin’s analysis relies on the number of Canada-based Redfin.com users, looking for homes for sale and rentals in the US. The data was based on the number of different people visiting the list of homes on redfin.com.
Redfin said Florida’s overall market trends could also contribute to a reduction in Canadians’ search for sunshine.
“It is worth noting that the Florida housing market, popular with Canadian buyers, is cooled down to American and foreign buyers. Few people are interested in buying homes in Florida, particularly in the state’s coastal areas,” said a researcher at Redfin.
Due to these external factors, including mortgage rates and issues in the condo market, the supply of available homes is rising locally and prices are still high but somewhat stable, which is good news for Indigenous peoples in Florida.
Earlier this year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he doesn’t think Canadians will be moving away from Florida. “We will continue to be our destination,” he said in April.
Original issue: July 9, 2025, 5:23pm EDT
