Ontario's best investment hubs this year

A new report from independent research think-tank Real Estate Investment Network (REIN) ranked Ontario’s largest metropolitan areas by real estate market performance and suitability for investment over the next 5 years.

In terms of growth, diversity, and fundamental strength, Ottawa came out on top of the wide-ranging survey, which looked at multiple factors including economic health, employment numbers, GDP and population growth, housing prices and overall affordability, rent and vacancy rates, and several others.

Read more: This hidden gem fetches one of the highest ROIs in the GTA

REIN ranked the following cities in order of their housing market strength and potential performance over the next half-decade:

1. Ottawa
2. Kitchener -Waterloo-Cambridge
3. Hamilton
4. Barrie
5. Brampton
6. Durham Region
7. Toronto
8. Kingston
9. Orillia
10. Grimsby and St. Catharines

REIN also cited the following cities as honourable mentions, in no particular order:

• Milton
• Niagara Region
• London
• Thunder Bay
• Vaughan
• Chatham