Welcome to Burnaby
With Vancouver to the west, New Westminster and Surrey to the south, Port Moody and Coquitlam to the east and the Burrard Inlet to the north, Burnaby is smack dab in the middle of Greater Vancouver. This prime location means it’s one of the best connected suburbs in the region, with both the Expo and Millenium Skytrain lines running through key corridors in the city.
These transport lines are the home to most of the city’s densification plans, with 40+ storey towers in Brentwood and Metrotown just streets away from single-family homes (and an 80-storey behemoth planned for the nearby Lougheed Town Centre). Rapid development has given rise to a burgeoning culture as first-time buyers move into the area, closely followed by exciting new businesses.
Despite the shift towards condo-living, much of Burnaby still caters to those seeking a quieter life. Detached homes cover most of the city’s neighbourhoods, and 25% of Burnaby’s land is designated as parks and open spaces, one of the highest rates in North America.
Buy
$379900 - $4310000
Last Sold
$551,000
For Rent
144
Rent
$1000 - $7900
To buy
1135
Sold
953 last quarter
Schools
7/10
New Homes
42924 planned
Metrotown
Serving the southwest quadrant of Burnaby, Metrotown is considered the city’s central business district and home to Canada’s third largest shopping mall, Metropolis at Metrotown.
"Metrotown is now the downtown of Burnaby,” Gee explains. “This is the core of Burnaby. We have a diversity of people of all cultures here."
The city has big plans for the area. In 2019, Burnaby City Council approved a long-term master plan that will eventually replace the mall with a revitalized neighborhood with new high rises, retail space, streets, and pedestrian plazas.
This means options for homeseekers, with studios, one, two and three-bedroom homes coming to the market.
Government Road
Heading north from Metrotown, Gee and Moore guide us through the upscale Government Road neighbourhood, home to at least one of the previously mentioned local celebrities. This is probably not the place to enter the housing market, with minimum lot sizes of around 10,000 square feet. Homes in this community range from 6,000 square feet to a whopping 20,000 square feet.
On Government Road, it’s easy to forget you’re in one of the region’s biggest suburbs. Burnaby Lake is a short stroll away, surrounded by a 10 kilometre trail popular with joggers and dog walkers.
"This is where you're going to find the larger lots and the established community,” explains Moore. “You're not going to find duplexes, you're not going to find suites. This is not about density here. Here is about peace and quiet."
Brentwood
Our final stop in Burnaby takes us to the Amazing Brentwood. Locals may have scoffed at the name at first, but Brentwood has earned its moniker. This master-planned neighbourhood has seen massive development in recent years, with residential towers alongside retail stores, cafes and a pretty incredible movie theatre.
It’s one of Gee’s favourite places in Burnaby. “Brentwood is a mini Yaletown, as far as I'm concerned. Lots of boutique stores, lots of great restaurants which we don't have to be in downtown Vancouver for."
Our Guide
Doris Gee & Phil Moore
RE/MAX Crest Realty
Bio
Gee and Moore have been in the real estate game since the late ‘80s, after Moore left the Vancouver Police Department to become a realtor. At the same time, Gee was moving away from helping out in her family’s restaurant and towards a successful real estate career.
These days, the couple have been selling real estate together for over three decades and operate under the philosophy ‘make a world of difference’. And a difference they have made, helping over 5,300 clients buy or sell their homes.
More about Doris & Phil
A couple since 1990
Visit Doris & Phil's Cast Profile
Quote
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Doris and I really competed against each other at first. And as the saying goes, if you can't beat them, you have to join them.
Phil Moore
RE/MAX Crest Realty
Living Here
Agent’s Pick: Condos coming to the market
Tower Six in the Amazing Brentwood
Gee and Moore believe this is a great time to invest in Burnaby. Not only is there a lot of property on offer - from condos to townhouses to detached homes - you tend to get more bang for your buck as compared to neighbouring Vancouver.
We stop at a showroom in Brentwood to see what living in the soon-to-be-completed Tower Six will look like. Buyers can choose from one, two and three-bedroom homes, as well as penthouse suites, in this well-connected and modern development.
Burnaby Listings
Each episode, RealTours host Stephen Tadgh shares his personal take on the communities he visits and the people who guide him along the way.
Burnaby is usually a place I look at from afar, staring at the high rises in the distances from my downtown Vancouver apartment wondering if the stories about the grass being greener could actually be true. While I can’t say for certain just yet, Burnaby has definitely been ambitious in lifting up their city as a leader in the Canadian market. From some of the largest malls, tallest buildings and their policy on protecting nature in their communities, Burnaby is showing how small changes can compound into massive differences. Which is pretty apt seeing as Doris and Phil’s whole tagline is ‘a world of difference’.
More and more, I have friends organising trips to Burnaby as nights out in the Rec Room and shopping sprees in European-owned stores have become the norm. People who once swore they would never leave the West End are buying pre-sale in Burnaby the first chance they get.
As we shot this episode, I realized that Burnaby is a city of contrasts and surprises. It's not just about the towering skyscrapers or the bustling shopping districts; it's about the people, the Phils and Dorises and the stories they share that make this place unique.
