Scott McGillivray

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Scott McGillivray was born on April 7, 1978, and raised in Toronto, Ontario. He pursued post-secondary education at the University of Guelph, where he focused on business and graduated with an honours degree in Commerce in 2001. Following his graduation, he immediately entered the world of property development, using his business acumen to purchase homes, renovate them, and then rent them out to create a steady income stream. To formalize his hands-on work, he obtained his contractor's license in 2004, which allowed him to legally manage his own renovation crews and ensure the quality and compliance of his projects. His parallel path into television began with behind-the-scenes roles on established home improvement shows. From 2003 to 2005, he worked as a crew member and later advanced to project manager for Debbie Travis' Facelift on HGTV, handling the logistical and construction challenges of televised renovations. He continued in a similar capacity on From the Ground Up with Debbie Travis in 2006, further honing the skills that would later define his own on-screen career. This dual foundation in commerce, hands-on contracting, and television production provided the unique skill set necessary for his future success as a host who explains both the financial and physical aspects of real estate investment.

Television Career and HGTV Stardom

McGillivray's major breakthrough as a television personality occurred in 2009 with the launch of Income Property on HGTV Canada, a series he both hosted and executive produced. The show's core concept was to help homeowners convert part of their existing residence into a legal, income-generating rental unit to assist with mortgage payments. Each episode followed a consistent structure where McGillivray presented renovation options, oversaw the construction process, and concluded with the final reveal of the transformed space to the homeowners. The series proved to be a significant success, with its 100th episode airing in 2013, the same year it expanded from its original half-hour format to a full hour before returning to a half-hour in 2014. The hour-long episodes had a broader scope, following people as they purchased a new home and then renovated it to include a rental suite, while the half-hour format focused on modifying the homeowner's current property. At its peak, Income Property was distributed internationally, airing in 33 countries around the world and establishing McGillivray's reputation as an expert in the field.

Alongside his flagship series, McGillivray became a familiar face as a judge and co-host on several HGTV competition programs. From 2010 to 2012, he served as a co-host alongside Mike Holmes on All American Handyman, a show that searched for the most skilled amateur craftsman in the United States. He then joined the judging panel for Canada's Handyman Challenge from 2012 to 2014, sharing duties with Mike Holmes, Bryan Baeumler, and Paul LaFrance to find Canada's top amateur handyman. In 2014, he was a guest judge on Flipping the Block, rating the renovation and flipping skills of competing couples, and in 2015 he participated as a guest renovator on Home to Win, helping to transform a house for a family to win. His early hosting experience also included co-hosting the 2007 holiday special Holiday Battle on the Block with Kim Myles. These varied roles solidified his position within the HGTV family and broadened his exposure to different formats within the home improvement genre.

Following the conclusion of Income Property in 2016, McGillivray launched a succession of new series that explored different facets of real estate investment. The first was Moving the McGillivrays in 2016, a personal documentary series that followed him, his wife Sabrina, and their daughters as they purchased a fixer-upper with the intent to renovate it into their permanent home, a project that ultimately led to a tear-down and new build. In 2018, Buyers Bootcamp with Scott McGillivray premiered, evolving from a 2016 pilot. This series shifted focus from creating rental income to the strategy of property flipping, with McGillivray acting as an investment partner to help buyers renovate and resell properties for profit. His more recent ventures include Vacation House Rules, which debuted in 2020 and specializes in transforming vacation cottages into high-end investment rental properties. In 2023, he teamed up with Bryan Baeumler for Renovation Resort, a seven-episode competition series where four teams of contractors and designers, advised by McGillivray and Baeumler, renovated individual cabins at a lakeside resort in a head-to-head format for a grand prize. As of 2026, McGillivray has publicly announced the return of Income Property to HGTV, confirming the enduring appeal of his original concept and his ongoing production of new content.

Scott McGillivray is the host and executive producer of the home renovation series Income Property, which aired from 2009 to 2016 on HGTV Canada and in the United States. He also hosted Moving the McGillivrays in 2016, Buyers Bootcamp with Scott McGillivray in 2018, and Vacation House Rules starting in 2020. More recently, he co-hosted Renovation Resort with Bryan Baeumler, which premiered in 2023. These series focus on helping homeowners and investors create profitable rental units or renovate properties for resale or personal use.

• Income Property (2009 to 2016): The flagship series that helped homeowners create legal rental units, spanning over 100 episodes and international distribution.
• Moving the McGillivrays (2016): A personal series documenting his family's journey to build a new home after demolishing a purchased fixer-upper.
• Buyers Bootcamp with Scott McGillivray (2018): A series focused on the strategy of purchasing, renovating, and flipping investment properties for profit.
• Vacation House Rules (2020 to present): A series dedicated to converting vacation properties into upscale, income-generating short-term rentals.
• Renovation Resort (2023): A competition series co-hosted with Bryan Baeumler, featuring teams renovating cabins at a resort property.

Scott McGillivray has been a top-rated HGTV star in Canada and the United States for almost 20 years. Across his hosted series and guest appearances, he has starred in over 400 television episodes. This prolific output includes his work on Income Property, Moving the McGillivrays, Buyers Bootcamp, Vacation House Rules, and Renovation Resort. He has also appeared as a judge or co-host on shows like Canada's Handyman Challenge, All American Handyman, and Flipping the Block.

Business Ventures and Entrepreneurship

Scott McGillivray's business empire is built on several interconnected companies that leverage his expertise in real estate and media. He holds the position of chief executive officer at both McGillivray Group and McGillivray Entertainment. McGillivray Group manages his extensive real estate investment portfolio, which consists of hundreds of properties across North America, including recent expansions into multi-use and multi-residential development projects. McGillivray Entertainment oversees the production and business aspects of his television projects, brand partnerships, and media content. A base of his educational outreach is Keyspire, a real estate investing education company he co-founded. Originally launched in 2010 as The Lifetime Wealth Academy, it was rebranded to Keyspire in 2013 and conducts training sessions and workshops designed to teach investment strategies to aspiring property investors.

McGillivray has also cultivated a significant presence as a public speaker and digital influencer. He initiated his live speaking events in 2009 under the title Creating Wealth through Real Estate, which evolved into a larger national tour rebranded as The Wealth Tour in 2015. These events are dedicated to educating attendees on practical real estate investment principles. On digital platforms, he engages daily with a combined audience of over one million followers, where he shares renovation tips, investment advice, and supports tradespeople by helping them build skills and grow their businesses. To formalize his endorsements within the industry, he created the McGillivray Trusted Agent and McGillivray Trusted Professional programs. These initiatives recognize real estate agents and allied professionals for their proven market insight, exceptional client service, and consistent results. In 2026, the accounting firm DJB was named a McGillivray Trusted Professional, highlighting the program's reach into fields like financial advisory services for construction and real estate ventures.

Publications and Authorship

McGillivray has extended his educational mission into print with several books aimed at both homeowners and serious investors. His first solo author effort was How to Add Value to Your Home, published by HarperCollins Canada in 2014. This book is a comprehensive guide focused on achieving the best return on renovation investments, covering topics such as which renovations make financial sense, ways to add value, home maintenance, mistakes to avoid, and strategies for attracting tenants or preparing a house for sale. The book is illustrated with photographs and includes numerous sidebars, tips, and stories from his professional experience. Prior to this, in collaboration with his business partner Michael Sarracini, he co-authored a series of guides for real estate investors. These include Cash Flow for Life (2012), which outlines methods for creating consistent positive cash flow through rental properties, covering mortgage strategies, value-added renovations, property management, and tenant screening. Quick Start to Cash Flow (2011) is targeted at individuals who lack the initial capital to invest, exploring alternative methods like partnering, bird-dogging, assignments, and lease options to build starting funds. The Investors Tool Kit was also published in 2011. These publications serve as practical resources that complement his television shows and speaking events, providing detailed, step-by-step advice for building wealth through real estate.

Philanthropy and Public Engagement

Beyond his commercial and media pursuits, McGillivray is committed to philanthropic causes related to housing and homeownership. He serves as a proud ambassador for Habitat for Humanity Canada, an organization that builds affordable housing and empowers families through homeownership. In this role, he helps educate people from all walks of life about the pathways to owning a home and using real estate as a tool for financial improvement. His public messaging consistently emphasizes financial literacy, prudent investment, and the importance of working with qualified, trustworthy professionals, a principle embodied in his Trusted Professional endorsement program. Through his television series, which have aired for more than a decade, his nationwide speaking tours, his bestselling books, and his active social media channels, McGillivray has empowered a vast audience to take control of their personal finances by making informed renovation and real estate choices. His advice is characterized by a focus on actionable, sensible strategies that prioritize long-term financial security over short-term trends, aiming to deliver tangible results for homeowners and investors across the country.

Personal Life

Scott McGillivray is married to Sabrina McGillivray, and together they have two daughters named Myah and Layla. The family maintains two primary residences, splitting their time between a home in Toronto, Ontario, and another in Fort Myers, Florida. He has a brother and a sister, though they maintain private lives out of the public eye. When he is not on a construction site, filming a television episode, speaking at a sold-out event, or managing his business operations, McGillivray prioritizes time at home in Toronto with his wife and children. His personal experience with a major home renovation was chronicled in the 2016 series Moving the McGillivrays, which followed the family's decision to purchase a fixer-upper, confront the realities of renovation costs, and ultimately choose to tear down the existing structure to build a new custom home. This project demonstrated the application of his professional principles to his own family's needs and added a layer of personal relatability to his public expertise in property and renovation challenges.

Questions about Scott McGillivray

What is Scott McGillivray's most famous TV show?

Scott McGillivray's most famous television show is Income Property, which premiered on HGTV Canada in 2009 and ran for seven seasons until 2016. The series, which he hosted and executive produced, was built on the concept of helping homeowners renovate part of their house into a legal rental unit to generate income and pay down their mortgage. It achieved widespread popularity, airing its 100th episode in 2013 and being distributed in 33 countries internationally. In 2026, McGillivray announced that Income Property would be returning to HGTV with new episodes, indicating its lasting impact.

What businesses does Scott McGillivray own?

Scott McGillivray is the CEO of McGillivray Group and McGillivray Entertainment. He is also the co-founder of the real estate investing education company Keyspire. The McGillivray Group manages his extensive real estate investment portfolio across North America. McGillivray Entertainment handles his television and media production work. Keyspire, originally named The Lifetime Wealth Academy, runs investing training sessions and workshops.

Is Scott McGillivray a licensed contractor?

Yes, Scott McGillivray has been a licensed contractor since 2004. He pursued this certification after beginning his career buying, renovating, and renting out properties following his university graduation. The license legally authorizes him to manage construction crews and oversee renovation projects, a critical component of his credibility on television and in his business ventures. His hands-on experience as a contractor informs the practical advice he gives on construction techniques, budgeting, and ensuring renovations meet legal standards for creating rental units.

Where did Scott McGillivray go to university?

Scott McGillivray attended the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario. He graduated in 2001 with an honours Bachelor of Commerce degree. His university education in commerce provided him with a strong foundation in business principles, finance, and analysis. This academic background is directly applied in his television work and books, where he consistently breaks down the financial calculations, return on investment projections, and budgeting strategies that are essential for successful real estate investment and renovation projects.

What is the McGillivray Trusted Professional program?

The McGillivray Trusted Professional program is an endorsement initiative created by Scott McGillivray to connect consumers with vetted experts in real estate and related fields. Professionals are selected for the program based on their demonstrated expertise, exceptional client service, and a proven track record of delivering meaningful results. The program includes both Trusted Agents (real estate agents) and Trusted Professionals (allied experts like accountants). For example, in 2026, the public accounting firm DJB was recognized as a McGillivray Trusted Professional for their advisory services to the construction and real estate sectors.

How many television episodes has Scott McGillivray starred in?

Scott McGillivray has starred in over 400 television episodes throughout his career. This number encompasses all seasons of his hosted series and his numerous guest appearances. His hosted series include Income Property, Moving the McGillivrays, Buyers Bootcamp, Vacation House Rules, and Renovation Resort. He has also been a judge or co-host on other HGTV programs such as Canada's Handyman Challenge and All American Handyman.

Sources and further reading

• Scott McGillivray (Wikipedia)
• About Scott, Scott McGillivray (scottmcgillivray.com)
• Scott McGillivray | Celebrity, Real Estate Investor (speakers.ca)
• Scott McGillivray CEO, MEM (meminc.ca)

Checked by the Yadude Books desk. Last updated 2026-10-29.