The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Nov. 5, edition that 41 per cent of Canadian homeowners cite investment opportunity as a main reason for purchasing property, according to a 2025 Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. study. The Globe's Salmaan Farooqui explores what this means for Canadians who cannot afford to buy a home but want to benefit from the housing market. He says one option is to invest in a real estate investment trust, which is a company that owns, operates or finances income-generating real estate. REITs can manage various properties, including rental units, retail plazas and data centers for tech companies. REITs provide access to Canada's real estate market, but gains from physical homes differ from those of stocks. CIBC director Luka Marjanovic says one thing that residential REITs do a good job of emulating is investing in property that you intend to rent out as landlord. He says REITs offer benefits like greater diversification than owning a single home, as they invest in multiple properties across Canada or globally. He adds REITs are also much more liquid than a home because you can easily sell a portion or all of your position any time.