Minto Group

Minto Group is a privately controlled Canadian real-estate company headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario. Its activities span residential construction, purpose-built rental housing, property management and commercial real estate. The company operates through businesses generally associated with Minto’s home-building, apartment and U.S. community-development activities. Its Canadian home-building operations serve Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary, while Minto Communities USA develops residential communities in Florida and South Carolina. The company was established in 1955 by brothers Gilbert, Irving, Lorry and Louis Greenberg. It initially operated under the name Mercury Homes and adopted the Minto Construction Company name in 1957. Its early expansion was concentrated in the Ottawa region, where it became a major suburban developer. Parkwood Hills in Nepean was an important early project, developed with Westmore Investments. The development also included Horizon House on Meadowlands Drive, described in the company’s history as Canada’s first high-rise condominium. During the 1960s and 1970s, Minto built or helped develop several Ottawa-area communities, including Crystal Beach, Briargreen, Bayshore, Tanglewood, Chapel Hill, Centrepointe and Morgan’s Grant. Minto expanded into Florida in the early 1980s. Its U.S. operations subsequently became a significant home-building platform, particularly in Florida and, through selected projects, South Carolina. The company later broadened its product range from conventional subdivisions to master-planned communities, active-adult housing and higher-density residential development. Its partnership with Margaritaville Holdings produced the Latitude Margaritaville communities, an active-adult community concept launched in Daytona Beach and later extended to Hilton Head and Watersound. In Canada, Minto develops detached homes, semi-detached homes, townhomes, condominiums and rental apartments. Its apartment business manages multi-residential properties and commercial space in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. The company has also developed high-rise and luxury rental projects, including buildings in Ottawa and projects in the Greater Toronto Area and Calgary. As reported for 2025, Minto had built more than 100,000 homes and managed approximately $2.9 billion in assets, including about 13,000 multi-residential units and 2.7 million square feet of commercial space. Minto’s ownership and capital structure changed in 2018 when it created Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust, later known as Minto Apartment REIT, to hold a portfolio of Canadian rental properties. The initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange raised C$200 million and listed the trust under the symbol MI.UN. Minto Group retained a significant interest, and its apartment division was reported to own 57 percent of the REIT. The transaction provided a public vehicle for selected rental assets while preserving the privately controlled group’s broader development and property-management operations. The company also has a longstanding community role in Eastern Ontario. Since 2001, it has supported the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s annual Dream of a Lifetime Lottery by coordinating the construction and presentation of a Minto Dream Home. The program has incorporated energy-efficient and net-zero design features and has raised substantial funds for pediatric health services. Minto has additionally participated in affordable-housing initiatives, including a Toronto rental project developed with the City of Toronto and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation that included affordable suites. Minto remains associated with the Greenberg family, although Michael Waters, who is not a member of the founding family, became chief executive in 2013. The company has received recognition in Canadian and North American home-building, sustainability, workplace and customer-experience programs. Its business model combin…

Minto Group began in 1955 when brothers Gilbert, Irving, Lorry and Louis Greenberg established a Canadian home-building business. The company was initially called Mercury Homes and changed its name to Minto Construction Company in 1957. Its formative market was Ottawa and the surrounding municipalities, where postwar suburban growth created demand for planned residential communities. One of the company’s earliest significant projects was Parkwood Hills in Nepean, undertaken with Westmore Investments. The development included Horizon House on Meadowlands Drive, identified in the company’s historical account as Canada’s first high-rise condominium. Minto continued to build subdivisions throughout Ottawa during the 1960s and 1970s. Projects associated with this period include Crystal Beach, Briargreen, Bayshore, Tanglewood, Chapel Hill, Centrepointe and Morgan’s Grant. By 1971, Minto was responsible for a substantial share of construction activity in Nepean. The company entered the United States in the early 1980s through expansion into Florida. Over time, Minto Communities USA developed a broad range of Florida housing, including detached homes, townhomes and age-targeted communities. The U.S. division later expanded its presence into South Carolina. Its active-adult strategy became particularly visible through the Latitude Margaritaville partnership with Margaritaville Holdings. The first community opened in Daytona Beach, followed by projects associated with Hilton Head and Watersound. Minto’s Canadian business also evolved beyond conventional house building. It developed condominiums and high-rise residential buildings and built a substantial purpose-built rental portfolio. The company’s apartment division manages multi-residential properties and commercial space in several Canadian provinces. This recurring-income business complemented the cyclical home-building operation and made Minto one of Ottawa’s prominent residential landlords. The company’s portfolio has included studio apartments as well as larger rental and condominium units. Leadership passed to the next generation of the founding family in 1991, when Roger Greenberg became chief executive after the death of his uncle Irving Greenberg. In 2013, Michael Waters, who is outside the Greenberg family, became CEO. The change represented professional leadership within a company that remained controlled by the Greenberg family. Minto also pursued environmental and community initiatives. In 2001, it completed its first Minto Dream Home for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s Dream of a Lifetime Lottery. The annual project became a platform for showcasing residential design and sustainability while raising funds for children’s health services. In 2008, Minto built what the company described as Canada’s first Net Zero Inspiration Home, and later Dream Homes continued to feature energy-efficiency and net-zero technologies. A major capital-markets development occurred in 2018. Minto placed an initial portfolio of Canadian rental properties into Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust. The REIT’s initial holdings comprised 4,279 rental suites, with most located in Ottawa, and the offering raised C$200 million on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol MI.UN. Minto Group retained a significant ownership position and continued to operate its broader development and property-management businesses. In the 2010s and 2020s, Minto continued developing low-rise and high-rise housing in Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary, alongside U.S. communities in Florida and South Carolina. Its projects have included conventional subdivisions, urban condominiums, luxury rental properties and master-planned active-adult communities. The company has also worked with public-sector partners on affordable rental housing, including a Toronto project with the City of Toronto and the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. By 2025, reference material described Minto as having built more than 100,000 homes and managing approximately $2.9 billion in assets.

1. 2025More than 100,000 homes built

   Reference material reports that Minto has built more than 100,000 homes and manages approximately $2.9 billion in assets.

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2. 2018Minto Apartment REIT IPO

   The apartment REIT lists on the Toronto Stock Exchange after raising C$200 million in its initial offering.

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3. 2017Latitude Margaritaville partnership

   Minto Communities USA and Margaritaville Holdings announce their active-adult community partnership.

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4. 2016U.S. Open Pickleball sponsorship

   Minto becomes title sponsor of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida.

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5. 2013Michael Waters becomes CEO

   Michael Waters succeeds Roger Greenberg as chief executive.

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6. 2008Net-zero demonstration home

   Minto builds a Net Zero Inspiration Home in Canada.

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7. 2001First Minto Dream Home for CHEO

   Minto completes its first Dream Home for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario lottery.

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8. 1991Roger Greenberg becomes CEO

   Roger Greenberg succeeds his uncle Irving as chief executive.

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9. 1980Expansion into Florida

   Minto expands its home-building operations into Florida.

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10. 1960Ottawa-area community expansion

    Minto develops major Ottawa-area communities, including Parkwood Hills and other suburban projects.

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11. 1957Mercury Homes adopts the Minto name

    The company changes its name from Mercury Homes to Minto Construction Company.

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12. 1955Minto is founded

    Gilbert, Irving, Lorry and Louis Greenberg establish the home-building business that becomes Minto Group.

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A privately controlled, multi-market real-estate group combining residential development, home building, rental housing and property management, with an emphasis on community-scale development, customer experience and increasingly sustainable housing.

• Minto residential homesHome building1955

  Minto builds detached, semi-detached and attached homes in Canadian markets including Ottawa, Toronto and Calgary. Its communities range from conventional suburban subdivisions to denser urban and master-planned developments. Product configurations vary by market and include homes for different household sizes, with designs intended to address both entry-level and higher-value segments.

• Minto condominiumsCondominium development

  The condominium portfolio includes low-rise and high-rise residential buildings in Canadian cities. Minto has developed urban condominium projects as well as larger mixed residential communities. Unit mixes can include studios, one-bedroom, two-bedroom and larger homes, depending on the project and market.

• Minto ApartmentsPurpose-built rental housing

  Minto Apartments develops, owns or manages purpose-built rental properties and related commercial space. Its Canadian portfolio includes properties in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia, with offerings ranging from studio apartments to larger multi-bedroom suites. The business is one of the company’s principal recurring-income platforms.

• Latitude MargaritavilleActive-adult communities2017

  Latitude Margaritaville is an active-adult community concept developed by Minto Communities USA in partnership with Margaritaville Holdings. The communities combine cottages, villas and single-family homes with amenities and lifestyle programming aimed at older residents. Locations associated with the concept include Daytona Beach, Hilton Head and Watersound.

• Minto Dream HomeCharitable showcase home2001

  The Minto Dream Home is a custom-built showcase residence created for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario’s annual Dream of a Lifetime Lottery. Minto coordinates designers, suppliers and trade partners for the project. The homes have also served as demonstrations of energy-efficient, sustainable and net-zero residential technologies.

• 2017Latitude Margaritaville

  Florida · South Carolina

  Minto Communities USA partnered with Margaritaville Holdings to market and develop active-adult communities built around a relaxed, resort-oriented lifestyle proposition.

  Outcome. The concept expanded from Daytona Beach to communities associated with Hilton Head and Watersound.

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• 2016Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

  United States · Florida

  Minto became title sponsor of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, linking the company with a growing sport and its Florida residential business.

  Outcome. The event subsequently became one of the world’s largest annual pickleball events; reference material reports more than 50,000 spectators in 2024.

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• 2001CHEO Dream of a Lifetime Lottery

  Eastern Ontario

  Minto began providing a fully designed and constructed Dream Home as the grand-prize residence for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario lottery. The long-running partnership uses residential construction to support pediatric healthcare fundraising.

  Outcome. Reference material states that the initiative has raised close to C$60 million for CHEO programs and services.

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• 2018Creation and listing of Minto Apartment REITM&A

  Minto sought a public vehicle for a portion of its Canadian multi-residential portfolio while retaining ownership and operating influence over the broader apartment business.

  What changed. It transferred an initial portfolio of 4,279 rental suites to Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust and completed an IPO on the Toronto Stock Exchange under MI.UN.

  Aftermath. The IPO raised C$200 million. Minto Group retained a significant stake, while the REIT became a separately traded owner of selected apartment assets.

  IPO proceeds. C$200 million (June 29, 2018 IPO)

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• 2008Net-zero home demonstrationStrategy

  Minto used a showcase residential project to demonstrate lower-energy building approaches.

  What changed. The company built a Net Zero Inspiration Home.

  Aftermath. The project became part of Minto’s broader sustainability and showcase-home activities.

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• 2025Minto named among Canada’s Best Managed Companies

  Minto was listed among Canada’s Best Managed Companies in the reference material for 2025, following a similar recognition in 2024.

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• 2018Minto creates publicly traded apartment real-estate trust

  Minto announced and completed the initial public offering of Minto Apartment Real Estate Investment Trust, placing selected Canadian rental properties into a separately listed entity.

  M&AOther
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• 2017Minto and Margaritaville expand active-adult community partnership

  Minto Communities USA and Margaritaville Holdings announced a partnership to develop Latitude Margaritaville active-adult communities, beginning with Daytona Beach, Florida.

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• 2016Minto becomes title sponsor of the U.S. Open Pickleball Championships

  Minto became title sponsor of the Minto U.S. Open Pickleball Championships in Naples, Florida, a relationship that continued as the event grew into a major annual tournament.

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1. Minto Group