When clients treat real estate as an investment, the legal and financial issues can get complex.

Persistently low interest rates and investors’ desire for tangible assets have made real estate the vehicle of choice for many looking to grow their income, as anyone shopping for property in the Toronto and Vancouver areas can attest.

Spending in real estate-related industries including construction, finance, and insurance is believed to have propped up the Canadian economy earlier this year. Meanwhile, business investment has dropped in the last few years in tandem with troubles in the oilpatch. Despite concerns that the real estate bubble is about to burst following last year’s record high investment and a series of governments’ efforts to temper the red-hot market, Canadians’ love affair with property persists.