Ian Macmillan: Investor & Developer

Ian Macmillan: Investor & Developer With 20+ years in film and TV as a cinematographer, I’ve mastered high-stakes projects, leadership, and problem-solving under pressure.

I bring that experience to my work as a developer, and investor, creating housing solutions in Toronto and beyond. With 20+ years in film and TV as a cinematographer, I’ve mastered high-stakes project management, team leadership, and problem-solving under pressure. Now, I’m channeling that experience into my work as a real estate developer, creating high-density, sustainable housing solutions in T

oronto’s urban core. My journey into real estate is driven by a lifelong passion for architecture, design, and community-building. Every project I take on is a step toward revitalizing our neighborhoods through gentle densification—developing multi-unit properties and energy-efficient homes that address housing demand while enhancing the urban landscape. I believe in transforming outdated properties into modern, eco-friendly spaces that add value and support sustainable growth.
💡 What I’m Building Now:
High-density, eco-focused developments that add value to communities
Projects in Toronto’s West End with plans to expand to other urban markets across Canada
A network of partners and mentors, including Ontario’s top developers, as I continue to learn, innovate, and bring visionary spaces to life
If you're passionate about sustainable development, urban revitalization, or investment opportunities in impactful projects, let’s connect and explore ways to collaborate.

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴We’re getting closer to having all eight units at the Commons leased!Four are already spoken for, wi...
09/05/2026

𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴

We’re getting closer to having all eight units at the Commons leased!

Four are already spoken for, with another looking like it may be taken soon. We’re hoping to have everything fully leased within the next couple of weeks.

There are still a few opportunities available, so if you live in Inverness full time and are interested in one of the remaining units, now is a good time to reach out.

Send me a message if you’d like to learn more.

𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀Four kitchens have officially arrived at the Commons!For now, they’re a huge pile of boxes sittin...
09/04/2026

𝗞𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀

Four kitchens have officially arrived at the Commons!

For now, they’re a huge pile of boxes sitting in the basement. Soon, they’ll be bringing all four units in our Inverness building one step closer to completion.

Once they’re installed, we’ll really start to see the spaces come together, and begin showing them to prospective tenants.

It’s exciting to see another big piece of the project fall into place.

Follow along to see the kitchens and units take shape.

𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻We’ve been getting our Toronto basement rental ready for a new tenant when we discovered the furnac...
09/03/2026

𝗨𝗻𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

We’ve been getting our Toronto basement rental ready for a new tenant when we discovered the furnace had been leaking condensation and damaging the floor.

With move-in coming September 1st, we suddenly had a last-minute renovation on our hands.

Out came the damaged floors and trim. New flooring went in, everything got painted, and after a busy few days, the unit was back in shape.

Definitely not how we planned to spend the week, but I’m glad we caught it before it became a bigger problem.

The furnace is running smoothly, everything is s***k and span, and my incredibly hardworking wife deserves a lot of credit for getting it done.

Now we’re ready to welcome the new tenants!

Have you ever had a small home repair turn into a much bigger project?

𝗠𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲?These days, with the amount of projects going on, behind the camera and behind the desk, it turns out there's no...
09/02/2026

𝗠𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲?

These days, with the amount of projects going on, behind the camera and behind the desk, it turns out there's not a lot of time for the things I just enjoy.

It's a bit of a reconfiguration. Making sure I can still carve out some space for the things I like doing. Especially when training gets this ambitious.

Getting back to drawing, cold plunges, saunas, learning Spanish, journaling, meditation, fitness.

So, looking to carve out a bit more time in the day for those things. But not feel so tied to an outcome. Just enjoy them on my own time.

It matters, as the captain of this ship, to stay sane.

𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁We’re still leasing up Inverness, and I’m also trying to find the right tenant for our basement unit in...
09/01/2026

𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁

We’re still leasing up Inverness, and I’m also trying to find the right tenant for our basement unit in Toronto.

It’s taking longer than usual, and honestly, the amount of follow-up involved can be frustrating.

Lots of inquiries never turn into a second message, and even scheduled viewings sometimes become no-shows.

One thing I’ve learned is that good communication usually makes the serious candidates stand out pretty quickly. When someone communicates clearly and respects everyone’s time, it says a lot.

It might take a little longer, but the right tenant will come through. They always do.

Anyone else noticing a change in how people approach rentals lately?

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀One of the interesting parts of getting into development has been learning skills I never expe...
08/31/2026

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀

One of the interesting parts of getting into development has been learning skills I never expected to spend so much time on.

Presentations, rental brochures, pro formas, project numbers, profitability models, the list keeps growing.

As I’ve gotten more comfortable with them, I’ve started looking at ways I can use those skills to help other developers and builders in my network.

That might mean putting together a presentation, organizing the numbers, or helping communicate a project more clearly to investors and partners.

Every project I look at also teaches me something new about what works in the current market.

If you have a project that could use some help with the numbers or presentation, send me a message. Happy to see how I can help.

08/31/2026

𝗠𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲: 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗢𝗹𝗱—N𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁? | 𝗘𝗽 𝟭𝟲

If your corporation is less than two years old, don’t assume that puts a mortgage out of reach.

If you have a history of earning income in the same industry before incorporating, we can look at both your previous and current income to show how things have evolved.

It’s all about telling a clear financial story, where you started, where you are now, and showing that you’re a responsible borrower.

“M𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴” 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀It’s been almost a year since Ryan and I came up with the idea for OTSO, and we’re learning just ...
08/30/2026

“M𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴” 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

It’s been almost a year since Ryan and I came up with the idea for OTSO, and we’re learning just how much work happens before a business truly gets off the ground.

We’re meeting investors, potential partners, realtors, lawyers, and others while continually refining what OTSO will become.

There are definitely more roadblocks than green lights some days, but I keep reminding myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint.

For now, our path will likely begin with OTSO operating as a management company before we own an asset ourselves. That gives us the opportunity to build experience and momentum while working toward becoming an owner-operator.

We’re still training for the marathon, and we intend to keep running.

Have you ever worked toward something that took much longer to build than you originally expected?

𝗥𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼We’re getting closer to the finish line in Inverness, which means it’s time to start thinking seri...
08/29/2026

𝗥𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝗧𝘄𝗼

We’re getting closer to the finish line in Inverness, which means it’s time to start thinking seriously about what comes next.

Before moving forward with the remaining buildings, we need a proper financial breakdown, markets, income potential, designs, zoning, construction costs, timelines, and everything in between.

James and I are meeting this week to work through the numbers and see what makes the most sense.

There’s good momentum behind the project, and we want to keep it going while making sure the next step is the right one.

Excited to see where Phase Two takes us. What would you like to see as the project continues?

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀Attie and I spent the weekend driving around Toronto, stopping by about 20 open houses with boxes o...
08/28/2026

𝗖𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗲𝘀 & 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀

Attie and I spent the weekend driving around Toronto, stopping by about 20 open houses with boxes of cookies and meeting local realtors.

He was an incredible little partner, calm and collected through all the driving, with a few breaks to run around (and a few cookie treats) along the way.

We finished the weekend watching my youngest nephew win the Toronto U11 baseball championship. Attie was completely in awe of the big kids playing, and talked about the game over and over again at bedtime.

Sometimes work and family life have to mix. When they do, I try to make sure it still feels like an experience worth remembering for both of us.

How do you make the most of busy weekends with your family?

Address

Toronto, ON

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ian Macmillan: Investor & Developer posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to Ian Macmillan: Investor & Developer:

Shortcuts

Share

Category