Money · 1 of 5
What real estate investors make
Typical first rental
$0
Most new investors
$0
Owner of several paid-down rentals
$60,000
No survey measures this cleanly, so this is our estimate from the math. At today's prices, a rental bought with 20% down in most Canadian cities has negative monthly cash flow. The return comes from rent slowly paying down the loan and from price growth, which is not guaranteed and has gone backwards in some cities since 2022. Investors who earn a living from rent usually bought years ago.