Acquisitions and sales of larger apartment buildings and multifamily portfolios for private investors, family offices and investment groups.
Large Apartment Buildings and Multifamily Portfolios in Ottawa
Large multifamily
Larger investments, handled with discretion
For investors placing significant capital, a large apartment building or a portfolio of buildings offers what few other assets do: steady income from many tenants, long-term demand in a stable capital city, and the scale to support professional management and meaningful improvements.
These transactions are different. Owners of large buildings often prefer a confidential process, buyers need deep due diligence and financing lined up before they act, and the structure of the deal can matter as much as the price. We advise private investors, families, family offices, investment groups and corporations on acquisitions and sales of larger multifamily properties across Ottawa and Eastern Ontario.
See also our multifamily real estate services, apartment buildings for sale and our build-to-order rental program.
Confidential
pre-market presentation with NDAs
Income
valued on actual net operating income
Portfolios
single buildings or multiple assets
21 years
dedicated commercial real estate experience
For buyers
How we help investors acquire larger buildings
A larger purchase needs a sharper process. Here is what we bring to it.
A clear acquisition brief
Target size, location, building age and condition, return goals, hold period and how much management you want to take on.
Access to opportunities
Listed buildings, plus pre-market opportunities that owners prefer to offer confidentially. We match buildings to the buyers we are working with.
Institutional-grade underwriting
Rent roll audit, actual operating statements, in-place versus market rents, capital plan and stabilized net operating income.
Value-add analysis
Suite renovations, turnover to market, utility submetering, added income and, where zoning allows, added units or density.
Financing fit
Debt coverage on actual income and how CMHC-insured or conventional financing changes the equity required. We work alongside your lender.
Structure and closing
Share or asset purchase, timing and conditions, coordinated with your lawyer and accountant through closing.
For owners
Selling a large apartment building or portfolio
Selling a large building calls for discretion. Tenants, staff and lenders should not hear about a sale before the owner is ready, and buyers should only see the full financials once they have signed a confidentiality agreement.
We start by helping you evaluate the building using valuation best practices, often recommending an independent appraisal so partners, families and boards share the same facts. We prepare an investment pro forma and offering package, present the building in the pre-market under confidentiality, and only bring it to the open market if that serves you better.
A confidential sale includes
- Valuation review and appraisal recommendation
- Investment pro forma and offering package
- Confidentiality agreements before financials are shared
- Secure data room for leases, reports and statements
- Pre-market presentation, then the open market if needed
- Negotiation and closing coordination
Due diligence
What we review on a large acquisition
Rent roll and leases
Every unit: rent, lease date, deposits, arrears, and in-place rent against market.
Operating history
Three years of audited or reviewed statements, utilities and payroll.
Building condition
Building condition assessment: envelope, roof, elevators, mechanical, parking structure.
Environmental
Phase I environmental site assessment, and Phase II where it is recommended.
Zoning and density
Current zoning, legal non-conforming items and any room for added units.
Capital plan
A realistic five- to ten-year capital budget built into the returns.
Live MLS® listings
Multifamily for sale in Ottawa
Updated automatically from MLS®. Many multifamily buildings, especially larger ones, trade in the pre-market, so tell us what you are looking for.
Market context
Ottawa rental market today
Ottawa's rental vacancy rate rose to 3% in 2025, according to CMHC, as record rental construction added supply. Near-term rent growth is expected to be more modest, with slower population growth and federal job reductions weighing on demand (Marcus & Millichap).
For buyers, that means underwriting on today's actual rents and realistic vacancy rather than last year's rent growth. Over the long term, Ottawa's stable institutional economy continues to support rental demand.
Large, well-located rental buildings remain in demand from private and institutional capital. New purpose-built supply means careful underwriting of lease-up and rent growth matters more than ever.
What we underwrite
- Actual rents against current market rents
- Vacancy and credit loss allowance
- Operating costs, utilities and who pays them
- Capital needs: roof, windows, electrical, plumbing
- Net operating income and cap rate
- Financing, debt service and cash flow
Explore
More Ottawa multifamily real estate
Apartment buildings (12+ units)
Apartment buildings of 12 units and more across Ottawa.
6 to 12 unit buildings
Sixplexes to 12-unit buildings with CMHC multi-unit financing.
Fourplexes and fiveplexes
Four- and five-unit rental buildings.
Triplexes
Three units: more income, still simple to manage.
Duplexes
Two-unit properties for investors and owner-occupiers.
Build-to-order rentals
New low-rise rental buildings delivered to investors.
How to evaluate a multifamily property
NOI, cap rates, financing and due diligence.
CMHC MLI Select guide
How the program works for five units and up.
Large Multifamily Investment FAQs
Who buys large apartment buildings in Ottawa?
Private investors and families, family offices, private investment groups, corporations diversifying into real estate, and institutional investors. Each has different goals for income, growth and hold period.
Can a large building be sold confidentially?
Yes. Many owners prefer a confidential pre-market process, with financial details shared only after buyers sign a confidentiality agreement. If it does not sell there, it can move to the open market.
How do you value a large apartment building?
By the income approach, using actual net operating income and market cap rates supported by comparable sales, plus a realistic capital plan. We often recommend an independent appraisal, especially when partners or a board must agree.
Should I buy shares or assets?
It depends on the property, the seller and your tax and legal position. Share purchases and asset purchases have different costs, risks and due diligence. Your lawyer and accountant should advise; we coordinate the process.
Do you help with portfolio acquisitions?
Yes. We help investors acquire and sell portfolios of multifamily buildings, underwriting each property and the portfolio as a whole.
Mitch Gauzas, REALTOR®
