Commercial Real Estate Podcast

Commercial Real Estate Podcast


Outside Investment in SWO Ontario with Ted Davis of Avison Young

October 31, 2023

We are joined by Ted Davis, Managing Director at Avison Young, in today’s episode at the Southwestern Ontario Real Estate Forum. Ted lives in Guelph, but makes the commute to Downtown Toronto several days each week.


Ted explains why investors are increasingly interested in markets like K-W and Guelph as opposed to the GTA. Later, he tells us how much investment in Southwestern Ontario comes from outside, along with why he is so excited about the future of the region.


Topics covered include:


  • How Ted’s first job in real estate caused him to visit Southwestern Ontario regularly.
  • What was done to get investors to check out the region early in Ted’s career.
  • The change in what areas manufacturers are looking to set up shop in.
  • What the next city could be that will experience an industrial real estate boom.
  • Why funds are specifically targeting Southwestern Ontario rather than the typical markets.
  • What happens when urban sprawl continues to happen and gets far away from the “heart” of the main city.
  • Availability of land in the region and why that affects the decisions of companies.
  • The migration from GTA to Southwestern Ontario that happened during the pandemic.
  • Why Ted chooses to live in Guelph and commute to Toronto.
  • What makes London unique compared to cities like Kitchener and Guelph.
  • The ratio of investment into Southwestern Ontario between those from there and those not.
  • Will cities in Southwestern Ontario eventually blend into the GTA?
  • Why Ted is so excited and bullish on this market.

More about our guest….


Ted Davis is the Managing Director for Avison Young Commercial Real Estate and over sees the Toronto West office, based in Mississauga, along with the Southwestern Ontario marketplace with offices in Waterloo Region and London Ontario. Ted is also incoming President of the Society of Industrial and Office Realtors (SIOR) and has designations as a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) and Canadian Institute of Management (CIM). Ted’s career in commercial real estate spans almost 20 years with a focus on all asset’s classes including office, industrial and capital markets having been involved in $5B in transactions. He is a career entrepreneur having founded and owned a number of businesses in different industries including real estate brokerage, marketing and media, tech and government services and has worked on the structure and operation of real estate investments and funds.


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