Scott Andrew McGillivray was born on April 7, 1978, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He developed a passion for real estate following a school assignment on income properties in college. He purchased his first rental property at 21 using a student loan and built a portfolio of five properties before age 23. By 2004, he had earned his contractor’s license and began managing his own renovation crews. 

McGillivray launched Income Property on HGTV Canada in 2008, helping homeowners renovate spaces into profitable rental units. The show expanded to HGTV USA in 2009 and ran for 157 episodes across eight years, airing in over 30 countries. He followed with Moving the McGillivrays (2016) and Buyers Bootcamp (2018). Additionally, in 2010, he co-founded Keyspire, a real estate investing education company.

Currently, he serves as the host of Scott’s Vacation House Rules (2020–present) alongside designer Debra Salmoni. McGillivray also competed on Season 7 of Rock the Block in 2026 alongside TV personality and singer Brooke Hogan. In 2025, he and Bryan Baeumler returned for Renovation Resort Showdown Season 2 on HGTV, with the third season premiering in July 2026. Off-screen, he remains an active real estate investor.