Calgary is in the middle of one of the strongest real estate cycles in decades. With record migration, limited housing supply, and strong job growth, both inner-city neighborhoods and surrounding towns are drawing attention from investors across Canada.
Let’s break down where the smartest opportunities lie.
Inner-City Communities: The Heartbeat of Calgary
Calgary’s inner city isn’t just about proximity to downtown; it’s about lifestyle, demand, and long-term stability.
- Renfrew: Known for its tree-lined streets, renovated character homes, and easy access to downtown. Investors are eyeing duplexes and infills, especially as land values appreciate. Rental demand here is strong with professionals and young families.
- Mount Pleasant: A rising star community with an active infill market. Duplexes and fourplexes are common, offering investors solid cash flow potential while catering to tenants who want inner-city living without sky-high prices.
- Killarney: One of Calgary’s most sought-after communities. Transit-friendly, amenity-rich, and family-oriented, Killarney attracts long-term renters. Investors often pursue new build townhomes or small multi-family projects here, taking advantage of zoning changes that support density.
These neighborhoods benefit directly from Calgary’s citywide rezoning push in 2023, which made it easier to develop duplexes, townhomes, and rowhouses on traditional single-family lots. For investors, this means more flexibility to scale.
Communities Outside Calgary: Affordability Meets Growth
For investors priced out of inner-city infills, surrounding towns offer affordability and fast-growing rental demand.
- Strathmore: An emerging hub east of Calgary, attractive for families seeking affordability. Investors can find entry-level new builds with strong rental potential.
- Okotoks: A family-first town south of Calgary, with great schools and community appeal. Rental supply is limited, which means landlords often face low vacancy rates and high tenant demand.
- Chestermere: Known for lakefront living, Chestermere blends lifestyle appeal with rental opportunity. Detached homes and townhomes here are popular with commuters.
- Cochrane: A booming town northwest of Calgary with stunning mountain views and strong community planning. Investors are drawn to new-build homes that appeal to both renters and eventual buyers.
- Airdrie: One of Alberta’s fastest-growing cities, just minutes from Calgary. With record population growth, Airdrie’s rental demand is surging, especially for new build duplexes and rowhouses.
These towns are part of Calgary’s greater metro story: as the city expands, surrounding communities absorb families and newcomers priced out of inner-city rentals.
Why New Builds Shine for Investors
New builds in both inner-city Calgary and its surrounding towns are attractive because:
- They require less maintenance, lowering operating costs.
- They qualify for favorable financing options like CMHC MLI Select, which offers longer amortizations, higher loan-to-value ratios, and lower interest rates when properties meet affordability or environmental standards.
- They attract quality tenants who value modern layouts, energy efficiency, and community amenities.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re eyeing an inner-city infill in Killarney or a new build duplex in Airdrie, Calgary and its surrounding towns offer investors a chance to capture strong rental demand, property appreciation, and favorable financing conditions.
Green Casa helps investors navigate zoning, tenant placement, and property management, turning promising opportunities into stable, long-term cash flow.
