Canada’s highly regulated lending markets put us in a strong position after the recession—one of reasons foreign investors are paying attention. (That and poutine.) JLL’s Amar Nijjar, right, who leads JLL's debt capital markets group in Canada (pictured with group director Chad Gemmell), says the Canadian property market has produced some of the highest returns globally in the last three years. US, UK, and German investors make up the bulk, but Mainland Chinese investors are quickly catching up.

One example: Credit Suisse’s $200M Exchange Tower under construction downtown. Foreign investors are seeking land assembly and development opps for condominium and townhome projects, as well as significant investment in the hospitality sector. There's a particular desire for long-term, strategic holds in Western Canada, he says. Although Vancouver commercial property is considered expensive by Canadian standards, it is cheap compared to Hong Kong, New York, Paris, London, and Tokyo.