GTA Market Entry
GTA Industrial Real Estate for Companies Outside Ontario
Entering the Greater Toronto Area means navigating unfamiliar submarkets, pricing, and timelines with no local team on the ground. Harjaap Singh Makkar gives out-of-region companies one point of contact for the entire search - backed by Colliers International, Canada's largest commercial real estate firm, and Zonado.com, the CRE marketplace he founded and grew to 150,000+ annual users.
Or call directly: +1 (647) 740-7500
Harjaap Singh Makkar
Senior Industrial Broker · Colliers International
Find Your GTA Space
Answer five quick questions about your space, timeline, and budget. Harjaap reviews every requirement personally and comes back with a matched shortlist of on-market and off-market space, typically the same day.
Responds personally · Confidential
Or call directly: +1 (647) 740-7500
Client Roster
Companies Harjaap Has Represented
HOOPP
Pension Fund
$132B+ in net assets · one of Canada's largest pension funds
Aftermarket by Parts Panel
Automotive
Among Canada's fastest-growing auto parts distributors
Structural Aluminum
Manufacturing
20+ years in business
UHI Machinery
Equipment Rental
International footprint
Ideal Logistics Group
Transportation
20+ years in business
Canadian Flatbeds Transportation
Transportation
One of Canada's fastest-growing companies
Minimax Express
Transportation
30+ years old · Among Canada's largest
Iqbal Foods
National Food Retailer
Among Canada's largest
PTI Foods
Ethnic Food Distributor
50+ years old · Among Canada's largest
Materials Testing Equipment
Industrial Distributor
IBC Tanks Canada
Industrial Distributor
SUSGlobal Energy
Energy Company
Publicly listed
Peripheral Labs
Tech Startup
Backed by Khosla Ventures
XPV Water Partners
Private Equity
$1B+ in assets under management
Tropical Forest Products
Wood Distributor
Four locations across North America
Hofland
Floral Wholesaler
Canada's largest full-service floral wholesaler
Property Management
10M SF under management
Healgen Scientific
Medical Equipment Manufacturer
Leading global manufacturer
Designed Precision Castings
Investment Casting Manufacturer
In business since 1958
GTA Requirement Match
How It Works
Step 1
Answer 5 Quick Questions
Your requirement, size, timeline, and what matters most - takes under a minute.
Step 2
Harjaap Reviews It Personally
Checked against on-market and off-market inventory that fits - not an algorithm.
Step 3
Get Matched Space Directly
A shortlist and a call to discuss next steps, typically the same day.
Client Result
“He provided us with comprehensive insights into available properties, market rates, and potential negotiation points that ultimately helped us secure a space that perfectly aligned with our requirements.”
“He advocated strongly on our behalf during negotiations and offered candid advice when necessary. His integrity and transparent approach fostered a relationship built on trust, which is particularly valuable in complex commercial transactions.”
“What stood out most was his remarkable responsiveness - he consistently replied to our inquiries promptly, even during weekends and outside regular business hours.”
For Companies New to the GTA
Understanding the GTA Industrial Market
The Greater Toronto Area is not one industrial market. It spans 16 distinct submarkets across a region larger than many U.S. metro areas - from Hamilton in the west to Whitby and Oshawa in the east, and north through Vaughan, Richmond Hill, and Markham - each with its own highway access, rent structure, and availability profile. The map below carries the same submarket-level data Harjaap tracks for every active search, current as of the Colliers Q2 2026 Toronto Industrial Market Report.
Shaded by 2021 Census population · Statistics Canada
Select a Submarket
TapHover over any region on the map to see its stats here.
Asking rent, availability, highway access, population, and labour force for all 16 submarkets. Real estate figures come from the same Colliers data Harjaap uses for active searches.
GTA-Wide Benchmark, Q2 2026
$16.22 PSF avg · 4.5% availability
Real estate data: Colliers Q2 2026 Toronto Industrial Market Report. Population and labour force: Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (Etobicoke and North York use City of Toronto planning estimates, as noted, since both were folded into the City of Toronto in the 1998 amalgamation and no longer have standalone StatCan figures).
- Hamilton
- Availability 2.9%, asking net rent $15.33 PSF, highway access QEW, Highway 403 & Red Hill Valley Pkwy. Population 569,353, labour force 290,990. Tightened sharply this quarter; still the most cost-effective major Golden Horseshoe market.
- Burlington
- Availability 5.2%, asking net rent $15.17 PSF, highway access QEW, Highway 403 & 407 convergence. Population 186,948, labour force 100,160. Mid-priced alternative between Oakville and Hamilton; three highways meet in one city.
- Oakville
- Availability 4.0–5.8%, asking net rent $16.24–$16.92 PSF, highway access QEW & Highway 407. Population 213,759, labour force 113,195. No active development pipeline; Winston Park now trading below the broader Oakville average.
- Milton
- Availability 8.6%, asking net rent $16.10 PSF, highway access Highway 401 direct, Tremaine / Louis St-Laurent. Population 132,979, labour force 70,675. Among the most available inventory of any major GTA market; strongest absorption in the West this quarter.
- Mississauga
- Availability 3.1–8.6%, asking net rent $13.37–$19.14 PSF, highway access 401, 403, 407 & Pearson Airport access. Population 717,961, labour force 385,915. GTA's largest single industrial market; widest rent spread of any GTA submarket.
- Brampton
- Availability 6.4%, asking net rent $16.67–$16.95 PSF, highway access 410 / 427 / 407 triangle. Population 656,480, labour force 355,755. Ontario's busiest logistics and 3PL corridor; newest, largest-format modern inventory.
- Vaughan
- Availability 3.6%, asking net rent $17.29 PSF, highway access Highway 400 & 407. Population 323,103, labour force 176,625. Anchor of GTA North; strongest net absorption of any GTA North submarket this quarter.
- Toronto
- Availability 3.1%, asking net rent $10.85–$17.50 PSF, highway access 400, 401, 427, QEW & DVP converge in the city. Population 2,794,356, labour force 1,518,420. Tightest urban industrial supply in the GTA; virtually no vacancy in Scarborough or the core.
- Etobicoke
- Availability 4.2–4.5%, asking net rent $14.02–$16.19 PSF, highway access 427, 401 & QEW. Population 599,110 (City of Toronto planning estimate (Etobicoke York district, includes former York); not a StatCan census subdivision figure). In-city Toronto submarket; largest block sizes available within Toronto proper.
- North York
- Availability 2.5%, asking net rent $15.46 PSF, highway access No direct 400-series access; TTC-served arterials. Population 647,245 (City of Toronto planning estimate (North York district); not a StatCan census subdivision figure). Scarcest in-city supply in the GTA; deepest transit-connected labour pool.
- Richmond Hill
- Availability 3.8%, asking net rent $16.38 PSF, highway access Highway 404 & 407 access. Population 202,022, labour force 107,020. One of the more stable York Region submarkets this quarter; steady rents and availability.
- Markham
- Availability 3.0–4.2%, asking net rent $16.75–$17.78 PSF, highway access Highway 404, 407 & Highway 7. Population 338,503, labour force 170,540. York Region's most diverse industrial base, split between a tighter west end and a looser, higher-rent east end.
- Ajax
- Availability 9.5%, asking net rent $17.02 PSF, highway access Highway 401 direct access. Population 126,666, labour force 68,525. Highest availability in the East market at 9.5%; absorption dipped slightly this quarter after a strong run.
- Pickering
- Availability 8.1%, asking net rent $15.52 PSF, highway access Highway 401 & 407 access. Population 99,186, labour force 53,705. Absorbed 267,570 SF this quarter, the strongest performance in the East market.
- Oshawa
- Availability 2.1%, asking net rent $14.69 PSF, highway access Highway 401 corridor; eastern GTA terminus. Population 175,383, labour force 87,550. Tightest and most affordable submarket in Durham Region, with steady positive absorption.
- Whitby
- Availability 8.4%, asking net rent $14.39 PSF, highway access Highway 401 & 412 corridor. Population 138,501, labour force 73,915. 200,000 SF under construction, the only active development pipeline in the East market this quarter.
Recent Transactions
Representing Clients Across Every GTA Submarket
6 transactions closed across the GTA in June 2026 and July 2026.
89 Walker Dr, Brampton
Seller Representation
345,000 SF · Sold · June 2026
6200 Tomken Rd, Mississauga
Tenant Representation
79,919 SF · Tenant Renewed · July 2026
490-520 Nash Rd, Hamilton
Seller Representation
5.29 Acres · Sold · June 2026
7131 Edwards Blvd, Mississauga
Buyer Representation
20,059 SF · Sold · June 2026
6 William Morgan Dr, Toronto
Sub-Landlord Representation
27,840 SF · Subleased · July 2026
5641 McAdam Rd, Mississauga
Tenant Representation
16,000 SF · Leased · July 2026
What Sets the Five Largest GTA Submarkets Apart
Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Oakville, and Vaughan carry the most inventory and the most active deal flow in the GTA. Each has a distinct story this quarter.
Toronto: Scarcity as the Defining Trait
The city's industrial core - Scarborough, the downtown-adjacent core, and the waterfront - carries the tightest availability in the GTA at 3.1%, with corridors like Scarborough West at 1.0% and the Toronto core at 0.7%. Competitive space rarely reaches a public listing before it is under offer, which makes off-market access close to a requirement rather than a convenience.
View Toronto market dataMississauga: Built Around Pearson
Canada's busiest airport sits inside Mississauga, and the city's industrial base is organized around it. Rents range from $13.37 to $19.14 PSF across its seven submarkets - the widest spread of any GTA city - reflecting how much proximity to the airport and the 401/403 interchange matters within Mississauga itself. It remains the GTA's largest single industrial market by inventory.
View Mississauga market dataBrampton: Ontario's Logistics Corridor
Three 400-series highways - the 410, 427, and 407 - converge in Brampton in a configuration that exists nowhere else in Ontario. That triangle has made the city the province's busiest concentration of logistics, 3PL, and e-commerce fulfillment activity, with over 1.1 million square feet currently under construction.
View Brampton market dataOakville: Tight Supply, Softening Demand
Oakville sits on the QEW and Highway 407 with no active development pipeline this quarter, which keeps supply structurally tight even as demand has cooled - Winston Park, long considered the market's premium corridor, posted negative absorption and now trades below the broader Oakville average on rent. For companies prioritizing highway access and established industrial stock over the lowest available rent, Oakville remains one of the first western GTA markets evaluated.
View Oakville market dataVaughan: The Anchor North of the 401
For operations that need highway access north of Toronto's core, Vaughan is the primary market. Highway 400 and 407 both run through it, and it posted the strongest net absorption of any GTA North submarket this quarter - over 1 million square feet - while still carrying the largest under-construction pipeline in the North zone.
View Vaughan market dataWhat Clients Say
A selection of feedback from tenants and buyers Harjaap has represented across the GTA.
Even though he happened to be traveling out of town for a wedding at the time, he still made time to make sure our offer stayed competitive. That kind of commitment is rare in commercial real estate, where it's not uncommon for brokers to be unreachable on Fridays.
“He was professional, attentive and truly took the time to understand what I was looking for. His knowledge of the market and attention to detail gave me great confidence in my decisions.”
“He's easy to talk to, very responsive, and always tries his best to help and follow things through. It's clear he cares about doing a good job.”
“He's approachable, patient, and always willing to explain things clearly. Whenever something comes up, he responds quickly and helps get it sorted without any hassle.”
Quarterly Market Intelligence
Every quarter, Harjaap publishes the full GTA Industrial Market Report, with the same submarket-level lease and sale data behind the map above. See the latest quarterly market analysis.
Who You Will Be Working With
Every requirement on this page reaches Harjaap Singh Makkar directly. He is a broker at Colliers International, Canada’s largest commercial real estate firm, and the founder of Zonado.com, one of Canada’s largest commercial real estate marketplaces. Before brokerage, he managed logistics and distribution at Bell, Canada’s largest telecommunications company, so he evaluates a building the way an operator does.
Harjaap has called Mississauga home for more than 17 years and knows the GTA industrial market street by street. Companies entering from another province or the United States work with him from first call through possession.
Direct line: +1 (647) 740-7500
Let’s Talk About Your Industrial Real Estate Need
Whether you’re searching for space, looking to sell or lease a property, or simply trying to understand what the current market means for your business.
Prefer to call? (647) 740-7500