Building from the ground up: Real estate investing in Canada with Scott McGillivray
Smart Advice with Carissa LucrezianoShow Notes
Get ready for an in-depth conversation with savvy real estate investor Scott McGillivray, as he shares the ins and outs of his journey from a university student facing housing challenges to a real estate investment guru. Discover Scott's strategic approaches to investment, key financial insights, and personal anecdotes that highlight the resilience required to thrive in the competitive world of real estate. Whether you’re an aspiring entrepreneur or a Canadian looking to dip your toes into real estate investing in Canada, this episode is for you! Here are three reasons why you should listen to this episode: Learn the value of leverage when it comes to your capital — whether that’s actual cash or equity. Find out why it’s critical to tap into expertise, building a team of professionals to support you along your homeownership journey. Discover the reality of real estate investing in Canada — and why you should start right now. Resources Visit CIBC for more smart advice Watch episodes of Income Propertyfor lessons on how to leverage your home as a real estate investment. Watch episodes of Buying In for more real estate advice. Episode Highlights [01:23] Scott’s origin story and first real estate investment: Scott started his real estate journey while in university after facing the challenge of finding affordable housing. It wasn’t necessarily about wealth at the time — back then, it was just about finding a reliable place to live. His first shot at real estate investing in Canada was prompted by a suggestion from a realtor to buy instead of rent. Although his family and friends cautioned him against buying real estate, he elected to listen to his real estate agent, financial advisor, and mortgage advisor instead. “Why take financial advice from broke people when I have — I hate to say it — I have these people who have a track record of success with money, giving me different advice?” [09:23] Strategies for building a real estate portfolio Scott explains his aggressive strategy of using equity from one property to buy more, scaling up rapidly. He discusses transitioning from basic cash flow focus to long-term equity building and strategic financial planning. [09:24] “You have to be ruthless about achieving your goals. And you have to make smart goals. So set up your goals to make sure that they're realistic, they're time bound, that there's a certain metric attached to them.” The evolution of his business model included learning to manage and leverage financial tools and market changes effectively. [19:15] Advice for new investors Scott advises new investors to make decisions based on logic and calculations rather than emotions. Another critical piece of advice to new investors is to dislike failure, rather than fear it. [20:36] “You can hate losing, that's great, but you can't be afraid of it. You just have to learn how to understand this part of the process. It's worth losing ten times, it's all worth it when you win that one time. But if you're afraid, you never get the win.” He stresses the importance of being proactive in creating positive cash-flowing properties as they rarely come ready-made. Scott encourages new investors to educate themselves and use professional advice to navigate the real estate market. [22:55] “When the work needs to be done, the best thing you can do is lead by example.” [29:33] Scott’s reflections on his personal experiences Scott reflects on the importance of persistence and adapting to market conditions throughout his career. He shares personal anecdotes of overcoming challenges and leveraging opportunities that seemed daunting at first. Scott discusses the value of learning from both successes and failures, emphasising continuous improvement. [35:39] The future outlook on real estate investing in Canada Scott talks about adapting strategies to cope with economic changes, such as interest rate fluctuations and market dynamics. He expresses optimism about the future of real estate and the potential
More from Smart Advice with Carissa Lucreziano
What does it take to turn an idea into a lasting Canadian business? In this episode of CIBC Smart Advice, host Carissa Lucreziano sits down with Province of Canada founders Julie Brown and Jeremy Watt to talk about building their Made in Canada lifestyle brand from the ground up.
You can know your partner incredibly well and still have very different ideas about money. From how much to save and spend to how you share expenses and plan for the future, those differences can shape the financial decisions you make together. In this episode of CIBC Smart Advice, host Carissa Lucreziano sits down with financial psychologist and Certified Financial Planner Dr. Brad Klontz to explore the beliefs and experiences that influence how couples approach money.
What does it mean to make your money work for the life you actually want? Carissa Lucreziano sits down with Jessica Moorhouse to talk about mindful spending, money habits, financial goals, and practical steps that can help you feel more confident and in control of your financial future.
Tax planning isn't just something to think about when it's time to file your return. The decisions you make throughout the year can have a meaningful impact on how much of your money you ultimately keep. In this episode of CIBC Smart Advice, host Carissa Lucreziano sits down with CIBC tax expert Jamie Golombek to explore practical tax strategies Canadians can consider at different stages of their financial lives. Jamie shares how understanding your tax rate can help you make more informed decisions about your money, uncover opportunities you may be overlooking and plan more effectively for the future.
Online fraud is evolving at an unprecedented pace. Today's scams are more convincing, more personalized, and increasingly difficult to recognize, whether they arrive through a phishing email, a fake investment opportunity, a romance scam, or even a voice that sounds like someone you know and trust. In this episode of CIBC Smart Advice, host Carissa Lucreziano speaks with Joe LoBianco, Chief Information Security Officer at CIBC, about how fraud has changed, the warning signs Canadians should never ignore, and the simple habits that can significantly improve your online security. Together, they discuss how banks detect suspicious activity before clients even know something is wrong, why scammers rely on urgency and emotional manipulation, and how tools like password managers and multi-factor authentication can provide an extra layer of protection. Joe also shares practical advice on what to do if you believe you've been targeted by fraud and the trusted resources available to help Canadians stay informed.