Real Estate Market Snapshot June 2020

BrokerBay – GTA Real Estate Market Update July 6th

BrokerBay – COVID-19 – Updates (July 6th) from Hayley-Chanel Johnson on Vimeo.

BrokerBay – GTA Real Estate Market Update June 22nd

BrokerBay – COVID-19 – Updates (June 22nd) from Hayley-Chanel Johnson on Vimeo.

BrokerBay – GTA Real Estate Market Update June 15th

BrokerBay – COVID-19 – Updates (June 15th) from Hayley-Chanel Johnson on Vimeo.

BrokerBay – GTA Real Estate Market Update June 8th

BrokerBay – COVID-19 – Updates (June 8th) from Hayley-Chanel Johnson on Vimeo.

Real Estate Market Snapshot May 2020

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GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For April 2020

TORONTO, ONTARIO, May 5, 2020 – Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Michael Collins released the following key housing market statistics for April 2020:

Home Sales and Listings

  • Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 2,975 residential transactions through TRREB’s MLS® System. This result was down by 67 per cent compared to April 2019. Weekday sales remained within a relatively steady range during the month, averaging 130 per
  • New listings amounted to 6,174 in April 2020 – down on a year-over-year basis by a similar rate compared to sales (-64.1 per cent).

“The necessary social distancing and economic impacts associated with COVID-19 clearly impacted home sales and listings throughout April 2020. However, REALTORS® have been able to facilitate some transactions on behalf of buyers and sellers through the use of innovative techniques including virtual open houses. TRREB has also provided a live stream virtual open house option on Member listings featured on our public websites, and I would expect the use of these innovative techniques to increase as some level of social distancing remains in place for the foreseeable future,” said Mr. Collins.

“TRREB Members should continue to follow directives and guidance being given by the government and public health agencies. TRREB’s professional development staff are continuously working to educate our Members via virtual webinars on using technology in innovative ways to conduct business virtually, including video, virtual tours and the use of electronic forms wherever possible,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.

Home Prices

  • The average selling price for April 2020 transactions was $821,392 – up by 0.1 per cent compared to the average price of $820,373 reported for April 2019. The semi-detached and townhouse market segments experienced annual average price growth above the rate of inflation. The condominium apartment and detached segments experienced year-over-year price declines on average.
  • The trend for the MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark, which had been on an upward trajectory since the beginning of 2019 flattened in April. On a year-over-year basis, the Benchmark was up by 10 per cent.
  • The MLS® HPI indices represent prices for typical homes with consistent attributes from one period to the next. The fact that the MLS® HPI was up year-over-year by a greater rate than the average selling price suggests that the share of higher end deals completed in April 2020 versus April 2019 was

“When thinking about home prices, it is important to remember that the pace of price growth is dictated by the relationship between sales and listings. So, while the onset of COVID-19 has understandably shifted market conditions and resulted in average selling prices coming off their March peak, there has continued to be enough active buyers relative to available listings to keep prices in line with last year’s levels,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Condominium Apartment Rental Market

 TRREB is also providing summary condominium apartment rental market statistics for April 2020. Conditions in the GTA rental market have also changed since the first quarter of 2020.

  • Rental transactions reported through TRREB’s MLS® System were down on a year-over-year basis in April for both one-bedroom and two-bedroom condominium
  • One-bedroom condominium apartment rental transactions were down by 57.9 per cent to 754; two-bedroom rental transactions were down by 54.4 per cent to
  • Average rents for one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments were down on a year-over-year basis in April 2020 as well. The average one-bedroom rent was $2,107 – down 2.7 per cent compared to April 2019. The average two-bedroom rent was $2,705 – down 4.1 per cent compared to April

“These are unprecedented times. Past recessions and recoveries do not necessarily provide the best guide as to how the housing market will recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. A key factor for the housing market recovery will be a broader reopening of the economy, which will result in an improving employment picture and a resurgence in consumer confidence. To this end, it is reassuring that the province is taking measured and carefully monitored steps towards safely opening up some parts of the economy,” said Mr. DiMichele.

 

Summary of TRREB MLS®  Sales and Average Price – April 1 – 30, 2020

2020 2019
Sales Average Price New Listings Sales Average Price New Listings
City of Toronto (“416”) 1,036 881,424 2,223 3,219 904,199 5,736
Rest of GTA (“905”) 1,939 789,317 3,951 5,786 773,736 11,476
GTA 2,975 821,392 6,174 9,005 820,373 17,212

 

TREB MLS® Sales By Home Type – April 1 – 30, 2020 – Home Type

Detached Semi-Detached Townhouse Condo Apartment Other Types All Types
All Areas Sales 1,412 324 532 667 40 2,975
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -66.0% -62.1% -65.3% -71.6% -66.4% -67.0%
Halton Sales 174 20 105 36 3 338
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -66.8% -62.3% -59.8% -68.4% -72.7% -64.9%
Peel Sales 237 93 116 73 1 520
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -72.7% -69.0% -69.2% -79.6% -91.7% -72.9%
Toronto Sales 313 126 108 482 7 1,036
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -67.9% -54.8% -68.4% -69.9% -63.2% -67.8%
York Sales 247 45 87 50 7 436
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -68.1% -65.9% -71.9% -76.6% -79.4% -70.2%
Durham Sales 345 34 98 25 11 513
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -53.1% -51.4% -47.6% -53.7% -52.2% -52.0%

 

TREB MLS® Average Price By Home Type – April 1 – 30, 2020 – Home Type

Detached Semi-Detached Townhouse Condo Apartment Other Types All Types
All Areas Average Price $983,630 $865,971 $681,393 $578,283 $649,120 $821,392
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -3.5% 7.0% 3.8% -1.7% -3.6% 0.1%
Halton Average Price $1,064,805 $765,690 $695,854 $506,306 $835,000 $870,966
Yr./Yr. % Chg. 0.7% 10.4% 8.5% 0.1% 6.4% 1.8%
Peel Average Price $997,803 $745,646 $644,549 $490,118 $750,000 $802,155
Yr./Yr. % Chg. 5.1% 5.3% 4.3% 7.1% 6.2% 6.5%
Toronto Average Price $1,249,730 $1,096,437 $784,899 $612,300 $563,000 $881,424
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -7.8% 4.0% 3.5% -4.0% -7.4% -2.5%
York Average Price $1,149,487 $814,973 $783,113 $542,254 $917,843 $968,499
Yr./Yr. % Chg. 3.0% 4.4% 7.8% 1.3% 8.2% 6.1%
Durham Average Price $662,126 $524,441 $537,601 $364,788 $561,409 $612,563
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -1.1% 6.1% 7.5% -10.6% 2.8% 0.0%

 

April 2020 Year-Over-Year Per Cent Change in the MLS® HPI

Composite (All Types) Single-Family Detached Single-Family Attached Townhouse Apartment
TRREB Total 10.22% 8.49% 9.60% 10.79% 13.21%

 

Halton Region 10.36% 9.65% 8.38% 12.90% 12.94%
Peel Region 12.55% 10.71% 11.86% 12.57% 17.94%
City of Toronto 10.43% 7.95% 8.24% 8.01% 12.51%
York Region 7.66% 6.55% 8.32% 6.83% 12.74%
Durham Region 9.73% 9.03% 10.63% 10.57% 14.17%
Orangeville 6.87% 6.82% 9.78%
South Simcoe County1 10.62% 13.00% 9.14%
Source: Toronto Regional Real Estate Board
1South Simcoe includes Adjala-Tosorontio, Bradford West Gwillimbury, Essa, Innisfil and New Tecumseth

 

Annual Summary of TRREB MLS® Sales and Average Price

Year-to-Date
2020 2019
Sales Average Price New Listings Sales Average Price New Listings
City of Toronto (“416”) 7,864 952,857 13,277 9,030 850,262 16,711
Rest of GTA (“905”) 14,884 843,898 25,781 16,057 758,564 33,789
GTA 22,748 881,565 39,058 25,087 791,571 50,500

 

Annual TRREB MLS® Sales & Average Price By Home Type Year-to-Date 2020

Sales Average Price
416 905 Total 416 905 Total
Detached 2,256 8,420 10,676 1,425,426 987,409 1,079,968
Yr./Yr. % Change -7.7% -3.7% -4.5% 9.9% 9.2% 9.1%
Semi-Detached 624 1,440 2,064 1,136,141 745,819 863,823
Yr./Yr. % Change -17.5% -6.7% -10.2% 8.6% 9.8% 8.0%
Townhouse 806 3,027 3,833 819,673 684,413 712,855
Yr./Yr. % Change -13.7% -8.4% -9.5% 7.9% 11.2% 10.1%
Condo Apartment 4,130 1,781 5,911 696,983 527,307 645,859
Yr./Yr. % Change -14.7% -20.0% -16.4% 13.4% 13.3% 13.8%
 

Apartment Type

 

Month/Year

 

Rentals

 

Average Rent

One-Bedroom Apr. 2020 754 $2,107
Apr. 2019 1,790 $2,165
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -57.9% -2.7%
Two-Bedroom Apr. 2020 489 $2,705
Apr. 2019 1,072 $2,821
Yr./Yr. % Chg. -54.4% -4.1%
Source: Toronto Regional Real Estate Board

*Note: A broader breakout of condominium apartment and condominium townhouse rental statistics by bedroom type and TRREB  areas and municipalities will continue to be provided in TRREB’s quarterly Rental Market Report.                                                                   

 

Seasonally Adjusted TRREB MLS® Sales and Average Price 

 

Sales

Month-over-Month

% Chg.

 

Average Price

Month-over-Month % Chg.
April ’19 7,078 10.2% $787,535 0.7%
May ’19 7,356 3.9% $802,162 1.9%
June ’19 7,513 2.1% $812,342 1.3%
July ’19 7,884 4.9% $824,215 1.5%
August ’19 7,989 1.3% $825,904 0.2%
September ’19 7,993 0.1% $837,281 1.4%
October ’19 7,840 -1.9% $839,945 0.3%
November ’19 7,835 -0.1% $846,374 0.8%
December ’19 7,626 -2.7% $874,283 3.3%
January ’20 7,763 1.8% $875,767 0.2%
February ’20 8,902 14.7% $904,450 3.3%
March ’20 6,936 -22.1% $894,745 -1.1%
April ’20 2,347 -66.2% $789,274 -11.8%

Source: Toronto Regional Real Estate Board; CREA Seasonal Adjustment

1 Preliminary seasonal adjustment undertaken by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA). Removing normal seasonal variations allows for more meaningful analysis of monthly changes and underlying trends.

Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Releases Mid-April 2020 Market Update

TORONTO, ONTARIO, April 22, 2020 – Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Michael Collins is reporting results for the first 17 days of April 2020, in order to provide some guidance on the impact of COVID-19 on the Greater Toronto Area housing market:

  • Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 1,654 home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System during the first 17 days of April – down by 69 per cent compared to the same period in
  • Year-over-year sales declines, in percentage terms, were greatest for the detached and condominium apartment market segments. In the detached segment, the higher end of the market was particularly impacted in the City of Toronto. The condominium apartment segment has traditionally attracted a high share of first-time buyers, who in times of uncertainty can put their decision to purchase on
  • The number of new listings was down on a year-over-year basis by a similar annual rate, declining by 63.7 per cent to 3,843.

o The fact that new listings trended in a similar fashion to sales during the first half of April means that market conditions remained tight enough to provide support for the average selling price in line with 2019 levels.

  • The average selling price for sales reported during the first 17 days of April 2020 was $819,665 – down by 1.5 per cent compared to the same period in
  • Uncertainty about market conditions due to COVID-19 certainly played a role in moderating the pace of year-over-year price growth during the first half of April. The changing composition of home sales also played a role. In the City of Toronto, for example, the number of homes sold for more than two-million dollars declined more than overall sales. This also had an impact on the average selling
  • It should also be noted that selling prices have also followed listing prices, with average listing prices down by a similar amount. Average selling prices have not been noticeably lower than listing prices compared to last year. This is further evidence that the mix of homes listed has changed compared to last

“The state of emergency measures currently in place, including the necessary enforcement of social distancing, has impacted the real estate market in many ways. Home buyers and sellers have concerns about the economy and indeed their own employment situations. On top of this, many buyers and sellers are avoiding any type of in-person interaction. In the condo market in particular, individual condo corporations have curtailed entry for non-residents,” said Mr. Collins.

“All of the COVID-19 related issues and measures have translated into a temporary drop in the number of transactions – a drop that will persist until we experience a meaningful and sustained decline in the number of cases. However, once recovery begins, it will likely accelerate in earnest as buyers seek to satisfy pent- up demand that will build up over the course of the spring and at least part of the summer,” continued Mr. Collins.

“While the necessary social distancing efforts have certainly resulted in a substantial pause to housing transactions, it is possible that REALTORS® and their clients will be able to mitigate the impact somewhat through the use of technology. TRREB and its partner board and association Members can now take advantage of virtual open houses accessed through listing searches on TRREB.ca and REALTOR.ca.

TRREB’s professional development staff are also holding virtual webinars on other ways REALTORS can leverage technology to help their clients in these challenging times,” said John DiMichele, TRREB’s CEO.

Looking forward, the decline in home sales will be likely strongest in Q2 2020, as strong social distancing measures remain in place for most of the spring. However, if public health forecasts assuming strong social distancing measures play out as expected, we will likely start to see improvement in market activity in the summer. Recovery will accelerate through the fall, as social distancing measures are substantially relaxed, a large number of people return to work from furlough and home buyers take advantage of very low borrowing costs that will remain in place to spur economic recovery.

The calendar year average price for 2020 will likely remain near the 2019 level, and will be buoyed by the 15 per cent year-over-year growth experienced in Q1 2020 and resumed growth in Q4.  Year-over-year declines in home prices could be reported during some months in the second and third quarters, but these declines will have less of an effect on the overall price for 2020 because the annual share of sales will also be much lower than normal.

“As we recover from this temporary downturn, potentially later this year, home buyers will move off the sidelines in increasing numbers as they satisfy pent-up demand for ownership housing. Increasingly, these buyers will be faced with the persistent lack of listings inventory that was a serious problem before the onset of COVID-19. As the different levels of government look toward recovery, it will be important for them to resume and build upon initiatives to bring a greater diversity of housing supply on line,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

                                                                 Summary of TREB MLS®  Sales and Average Price                                                                   

April 1 to 17, 2020

  2019 Sales 2019 Average Price 2019 New Listings 2020 Sales 2020 Average Price 2020 New Listings
City of Toronto (“416”) 588 885,371 1,381 1,940 919,788 3,460
Rest of GTA (“905”) 1,066 783,422 2,462 3,403 782,628 7,135
GTA 1,654 819,665 3,843 5,343 832,430 10,595

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

Real Estate Market Snapshot March 2020

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GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For March 2020

Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,012 home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in March 2020 – up by 12.3 per cent compared to 7,132 sales reported in March 2019.

However, despite a strong increase in sales for March 2020 as a whole, there was a clear break in market activity between the pre-COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 periods. For the purposes of this release, the start of the post-COVID-19 period was the week beginning Sunday, March 15.

• The overall March sales result was clearly driven by the first two weeks of the month. There were 4,643 sales reported in the pre-COVID-19 period, accounting for 58 per cent of total transactions and representing a 49 per cent increase compared to the first 14 days of March 2019.

• There were 3,369 sales reported during the post-COVID-period – down by 15.9 per cent compared to the same period in March 2019.

For March as a whole, new listings were up by three per cent year-over-year to 14,424. However, similar to sales, new listings dropped on a year-over-year basis during the second half of the month (beginning March 15) by 18.4 per cent.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark price was up by 11.1 per cent year-over-year in March 2020. The average selling price for March 2020 as a whole was $902,680 – up 14.5 per cent compared to March 2019. The average selling price for sales reported between March 15 and March 31, was $862,563 – down from the first half of March 2020, but still up by 10.5 per cent compared to the same period last year.

Source: The Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For February 2020

TORONTO, MARCH 4, 2020 – In line with the forecast contained in the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board’s recently released Market Year in Review and Outlook Report, TRREB President Michael Collins announced a very strong year-over-year sales and price growth in February 2020.

Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,256 residential transactions through TRREB’s MLS® System in February 2020, representing a 45.6 per cent increase compared to a 10-year sales low in February 2019. However, February 2020 sales were still below the 2017 record result. Year-over-year sales growth, for the GTA as a whole, was strongest for ground-oriented home types.

After preliminary seasonal adjustment, February 2020 sales also exhibited positive momentum, up by 14.8 per cent compared to January 2020.

“Sales growth will be strong this year. TRREB’s forecast published in its Market Year in Review and Outlook Report on February 6, is calling for 97,000 sales in 2020. However, the annual pace of sales growth experienced in February will likely not be sustained throughout the year, because we will be making comparisons to much stronger sales results reported after the first quarter of 2019,” said Mr. Collins.

New listings amounted to 10,613 in February 2020, a 7.9 per cent increase compared to February 2019. This moderate annual growth rate was much smaller than that reported for sales, which means market conditions tightened considerably over the past year.

“Sales growth well in excess of listings growth is once again the norm. This is because the temporary effects of the 2017 Ontario Fair Housing Plan and the OSFI mortgage stress test have largely worn off. However, while these policies were running their course, the well-publicized housing supply problem in the GTA continued unabated. All levels of government have acknowledged the supply problem, but we need to very quickly move from policy briefs to shovels in the ground,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.

As market conditions tightened over the past year, competition between buyers has clearly increased. This resulted in a further acceleration in year-over-year price growth in February. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 10.2 per cent. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by 16.7 per cent to $910,290. Double-digit average price growth was experienced for most major market segments, including detached houses and condominium apartments.

“TRREB’s current average price forecast is for 10 per cent price growth to $900,000 in 2020. While this outlook represents a very robust pace of growth, it is possible that further tightening in the detached market segment could push the overall average selling price above TRREB’s baseline scenario. This could unfold if sales growth continues to outstrip new listing growth to the degree it has so far in 2020,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For January 2020

TRREB President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,581 home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in January 2020 – up by 15.4 per cent compared to January 2019. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, sales were up by 4.8 per cent compared to December 2019.

“We started 2020 where 2019 left off, with very strong growth in the number of sales up against a continued dip in the number of new and available listings. Tighter market conditions compared to a year ago resulted in much stronger growth in average selling prices. Steady population growth, low unemployment and low borrowing costs continued to underpin substantial competition between buyers in all major market segments,” said Mr. Collins.

The MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark price was up by 8.7 per cent compared to January 2019 – the highest annual rate of growth for the Benchmark since October 2017. The condominium apartment market segment continued to lead the way in terms of MLS HPI® price growth, but all home types experienced price growth above seven per cent when considering the TRREB market area as a whole. The average selling price in January was up by 12.3 per cent, driven by the detached and condominium apartment segments in the City of Toronto.

“A key difference in the price growth story in January 2020 compared to January 2019 was in the low-rise market segments, particularly with regard to detached houses. A year seems to have made a big difference. It is clear that many buyers who were on the sidelines due to the OSFI stress test are moving back into the market, driving very strong year-over-year sales growth in the detached segment. Strong sales up against a constrained supply continues to result in an accelerating rate of price growth,” said Jason Mercer, TRREB’s Director of Market Analysis and Service Channels.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For November 2019

Toronto Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,090 sales through TREB’s MLS® System in November 2019 – a 14.2 per cent increase compared to November 2018. On a GTA-wide basis, sales were up year-over-year for all major market segments. Annual sales growth in ground oriented home types, including detached houses, led the way.

New listings entered into TREB’s MLS® System in November and the active listings count at the end of the month went in the opposite direction compared to last year, with new listings down 17.9 per cent year-over-year and active listings down 27.2 per cent.

“An increasing number of home buyers impacted by demand-side policies over the past three years, including the 2017 Ontario Fair Housing Plan and the OSFI mortgage stress test, have moved back into the market for ownership housing. Based on affordability and stricter mortgage qualification standards, many buyers may have likely adjusted their preferences, changing the type and/or location of home they ultimately chose to purchase,” said Mr. Collins.

As market conditions continued to tighten in November 2019, with increased sales up against an increasingly constrained supply of listings, the annual rate of price growth continued to accelerate. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark increased by 6.8 per cent year-over-year. The average selling price increased by 7.1 per cent year-over-year to $843,637. Both the MLS® HPI and the average selling price for the TREB market area as a whole experienced the strongest annual rates of price growth for the year in November.

“Strong population growth in the GTA coupled with declining negotiated mortgage rates resulted in sales accounting for a greater share of listings in November and throughout the second half of 2019. Increased competition between buyers has resulted in an acceleration in price growth. Expect the rate of price growth to increase further if we see no relief on the listings supply front,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For October 2019

Toronto Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,491 residential sales through TREB’s MLS® System in October 2019. This result represented a 14 per cent increase compared to 7,448 sales reported in October 2018. GTA-wide, sales were up on a year-over-year basis for all major home types.

The trend of annual growth in sales versus annual decline in new listings continued in October 2019, with new listings down by 9.6 per cent compared to October 2018. The resulting tighter market conditions compared to a year ago resulted in positive annual rates of price growth across all major market segments, from a GTA-wide perspective.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 5.8 per cent on a year-over-year basis in October 2019 – the strongest annual rate of growth since December 2017. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by 5.5 per cent to $852,142, compared to $807,538 in October 2018.

“As market conditions in the GTA have steadily tightened throughout 2019, we have seen an acceleration in the annual rate of price growth. While the current pace of price growth remains moderate, we will likely see stronger price growth moving forward if sales growth continues to outpace listings growth, leading to more competition between home buyers,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For September 2019

Toronto Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,825 sales through TREB’s MLS® System in September 2019. This result represented strong year-over-year sales growth of 22 per cent compared to 6,414 sales reported in September 2018. It is important to note, however, that sales remain well-below the record September 2016 peak of more than 9,800 sales.

On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, the September 2019 sales level remained in virtually the same as the August 2019 result.

The supply of listings continued to be a concern in September 2019, with new listings down by 1.9 per cent year-over-year to 15,611. We have experienced multiple months this year wherein the annual rate of sales growth outpaced the annual rate of new listings growth, resulting in the overall number of active listings at month-end being well-below last year’s levels. This speaks to tightening market conditions and an accelerating annual rate of price growth.

“Demand for ownership housing increased throughout the spring and summer of 2019 compared to the very slow pace of sales experienced in 2018. That being said, many first-time buyers are still experiencing difficulty finding an affordable home. Federal parties vying for seats in the October election have pledged to alleviate affordability issues hampering first-time buyers with a variety of policy proposals. While these demand-side proposals are important, it is also important that all levels of government remain focused on promoting a sustainable supply of different housing types moving forward,” said Mr. Collins.

The annual rate of price growth in September reached the highest point so far in 2019. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by 5.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis in September. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by a similar annual rate of 5.8 per cent to $843,115.

On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, the September 2019 average selling price was up by 1.2 per cent compared to August 2019.

“It is interesting to note that market conditions for detached homes have tightened over the past year. In many of the regions surrounding the City of Toronto, detached price growth was above the rate of inflation on an annual basis. Consumer polling conducted for TREB over the past few years has pointed out that many intending home buyers are still focused on ground-oriented housing. This points to the need for a greater diversity of housing types to bridge the gap between detached houses and condominium apartments,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst. “Statistics Canada’s most recent national population estimate represented the highest twelve month population increase ever recorded. This growth was driven by immigration, of which the GTA was likely a key beneficiary due to its strong regional economy and diversity. As a result, the demand for all types of housing in the GTA – rental and ownership – will remain strong. This fact underpins the need for immediate and sustained action on housing supply,” said TREB CEO John DiMichele.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For August 2019

TORONTO, SEPTEMBER 5, 2019 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,711 residential sales through TREB’s MLS® System in August 2019. This result represented a 13.4 per cent increase compared to 6,797 sales reported in August 2018. On a monthover-month basis, after preliminary seasonal adjustment, sales were up by 0.8 per cent.

GTA-wide sales were up on a year-over-year basis for all major market segments, with annual rates of sales growth strongest for low-rise home types including detached houses. This reflects the fact that demand for more expensive home types was very low in 2018 and has rebounded to a certain degree in 2019, albeit not back to the record levels experienced in 2016 and the first quarter of 2017.

Market conditions also became tighter in August 2019 compared to a year ago because, while sales were up year-over-year, new listings were down by three per cent over the same time period to 11,789. Year-to-date, growth in sales has well outstripped growth in new listings. This is why overall active listings counted at the end of August were down by more than 11 per cent compared to August 2018.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark for August 2019 was up by 4.9 per cent on a year-over-year basis. The average selling price, at $792,611 in August 2019, was up by 3.6 per cent year-over-year. Both the MLS® HPI benchmark prices and average selling prices were up on an annual basis for major market segments. The condominium apartment segment continued to lead the way in terms of price growth, followed by higher density low-rise home types and finally detached houses

Source: The Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For July 2019

TORONTO, August 6, 2019 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,595 sales through TREB’s MLS® System in July 2019. This result was up by 24.3 per cent compared to July 2018. On a month-over-month basis, sales were up by 5.1 per cent, after preliminary seasonal adjustment.

New listings entered into TREB’s MLS® System in July 2019 were up compared to July 2018, but by a much lesser annual rate than sales, at 3.7 per cent. With annual growth in sales far outstripping annual growth in new listings, market conditions clearly tightened compared to last year. Active listings at the end of July were down by 9.1 per cent year-over-year, further reflecting tightening market conditions.

“While the OSFI mortgage stress test has clearly had an impact on the number of home sales over the last year-and-a-half, for most GTA residents the goal of home ownership has not diminished.

In fact, we’re seeing growing pent-up demand for ownership housing, especially as the number of GTA households continues to increase by 40,000 to 50,000 each year due to strong population growth. As more and more households come to terms with the stress test and move back into the market in the coming months and years, they could suffer from a chronically under-supplied marketplace and an acceleration of home price growth to unsustainable levels. Fortunately, policy makers have acknowledged the housing supply issue and are working toward solutions,” said TREB CEO John DiMichele.

“On the housing supply issue, it has certainly been encouraging to see both the City of Toronto and the Ontario Government working on solutions to bring more supply on-line. Based on Mayor John Tory’s motion, Toronto City Council gave City staff a strong mandate to report back on how to develop a greater diversity of housing options in traditional single-family neighbourhoods, including timelines. Similarly, we’ve seen the Provincial Government launch consultations to spur on, and speed up, the development of different forms of housing in conjunction with their ‘More Homes, More Choice’ Plan. TREB looks forward to working with the City and the Province to turn their initiatives into reality,” said TREB President Michael Collins.

As market conditions continued to tighten in July, the average selling price increased by 3.2 per cent on a year-over-year basis to $806,755. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite benchmark was up by 4.4 per cent. Higher density home types continued to drive price growth, whereas detached home prices remained down in many communities throughout the GTA.

“Broadly speaking, increased competition between buyers for available properties has resulted in relatively strong price growth above the rate of inflation for semi-detached houses, townhouses and condominium apartments. However, the single-detached market segment, which has arguably been impacted most by the OSFI stress test, has experienced a slower pace of price growth, with average detached prices remaining lower than last year’s levels in some parts of the GTA,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For June 2019

TORONTO, ONTARIO, July 4, 2019 – The new President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, Michael Collins, announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,860 sales through TREB’s MLS® System in June 2019, representing a 10.4 per cent increase compared to June 2018. Over the same time period, total new listings remained at a similar level for the month of June and active listings at month-end were down by 5.7 per cent.

Sales and new listings statistics for the first half of 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 painted a similar story to that of June. Sales were up by 8.5 per cent, while new listings were up by less than one per cent. This shows that sales accounted for a greater share of listings compared to last year, which means that competition between buyers increased, resulting in renewed price growth in many segments of the market.

“As I start my term as President of the Toronto Real Estate Board, I am proud to say that the Greater Toronto Area continues to grow, in terms of employment, population and overall diversity. As people are attracted to our region from all around the world, they obviously need a place to live. Over the next year, as demand for ownership and rental housing continues to grow, my hope is that we will see more movement from policy makers on two fronts: alleviating the constrained supply of housing and providing more flexibility around demand-side policies, including the OSFI two percentage point mortgage stress test and allowable amortization periods on insured mortgages,” said Mr. Collins.

The overall average selling price in June 2019 was $832,703 – up by three per cent compared to the average of $808,066 in June 2018. Price growth was driven by the higher density market segments, including semi-detached houses, townhouses and condominium apartments. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by a similar annual rate of 3.6 per cent. For the first half of 2019, the average selling price was $810,661, representing an increase of 2.4 per cent compared to the first half of 2018.

“Buyers started moving off the sidelines in the spring, as evidenced by strong year-over-year price growth throughout the second quarter. However, because we saw virtually no change in the number of new listings, market conditions tightened and price growth picked up, especially for more higher density home types, which, on average, are less-expensive than traditional detached houses and therefore provide more affordable housing options under the new OSFI stress test regime,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For May 2019

TORONTO, ONTARIO, June 5, 2019 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Garry Bhaura announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 9,989 transactions through TREB’s MLS® System in May 2019.* While this result represented a substantial increase of 18.9 per cent over the 15-year low in May 2018, it should be noted that the result was still below the average for month of May sales for the previous ten years, which stands at almost 10,300.

The year-over-year uptick in sales experienced so far in the second quarter of 2019 reflects spring polling results from Ipsos (undertaken on behalf of TREB) suggesting that the share of likely home buyers in the Greater Toronto Area has edged upwards since the fall.

“After a sluggish start to 2019, the second quarter appears to be reflecting a positive shift in consumer sentiment toward ownership housing. Households continue to see ownership housing in the GTA as a quality long-term investment as population growth from immigration remains strong and the regional economy continues to create jobs across diversity of sectors. However, sales activity continues to be below the longerterm norm, as potential home buyers come to terms with the OSFI mortgage stress test and the fact that listings continue to be constrained relative to sales,” said Mr. Bhaura.

The number of new listings entered into TREB’s MLS® System in May 2019 was up only slightly compared to May 2018, increasing by 0.8 per cent to 19,386. Year-over-year growth in new listings was far outstripped by year-over-year growth in sales. This means that market conditions continued to tighten in favour of sellers. The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite benchmark price was up by 3.1 per cent on a year-over-basis. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by a similar 3.6 per cent to $838,540. Price growth was driven by the condominium apartment and townhouse market segments.

“We are experiencing annual rates of price growth that are largely sustainable right now in the GTA – above the rate of inflation, but in the single digits. If, however, we continue to see growth in sales outstrip growth in new listings, price growth will accelerate. This potential outcome underpins calls from TREB and other housing industry stakeholders to address roadblocks preventing a more sustainable and diverse supply of housing reaching the market. Many households are not comfortable listing their homes for sale because they feel that there are no housing options available to better meet their needs,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For April 2019

TORONTO, ONTARIO, May 6, 2019 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Garry Bhaura announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported a substantial year-over-year increase in home sales in April 2019. The number of residential transactions jumped by 16.8 per cent to 9,042 compared to 7,744 in April 2018. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, sales were up 11.3 per cent compared to March 2019.

New listings were also up year-over-year by eight per cent. However, the annual growth rate for new listings was much lower than that reported for sales. This suggests that market conditions continued to tighten which points toward an acceleration in price growth.

“The strong year-over-year growth in sales is obviously a good news story and likely represents some catchup from a slow start to the year. TREB’s sales outlook for 2019 anticipates an increase relative to 2018. It should be noted, however, that growth in new listings is not keeping pace with sales. This points to the ongoing housing supply issue in the GTA. In this regard TREB welcomes the provincial government’s Housing Supply Action Plan announced last week to reduce red tape and improve the mix of housing types. TREB provided input on the Plan through submissions and participation on working groups,” said Mr. Bhaura.

The year-over-year rate of price growth generally edged up in April relative to the first three months of the year. The MLS® HPI Composite benchmark was up by 3.2 per cent – the highest rate of growth in more than a year. The average selling price was up by 1.9 per cent to $820,148, representing the strongest annual rate of growth so far in 2019. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, the average selling price was also up by 1.1 per cent compared to March 2019.

Price growth continued to be driven by the condominium apartment segment and higher-density low-rise segments. The average price for detached houses dipped year-over-year, specifically in regions surrounding the City of Toronto. The detached market segment, with the highest price point on average, has arguably been hardest hit by measures such as the OSFI stress test.

“While sales were up year-over-year in April, it is important to note that they remain well-below April levels for much of the past decade. Many potential home buyers arguably remain on the sidelines as they reassess their options in light of the OSFI-mandated two percentage point stress test on mortgages. Longer term borrowing costs have trended lower this year and the outlook for short-term rates, for which the Bank of Canada holds the lever, is flat to down this year. Unfortunately, against this backdrop, we have seen no movement toward flexibility in the OSFI stress test,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board

GTA REALTORS® Release Monthly Resale Housing Figures For March 2019

TORONTO, ONTARIO, April 3, 2019 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Garry Bhaura announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,187 residential sales through TREB’s MLS® System in March 2019. This result was inline with 7,188 sales reported in March 2018. For the first quarter of 2019, sales were down by one per cent compared to Q1 2018.

“The OSFI stress test continues to impact home buyers’ ability to qualify for a mortgage. TREB is still arguing that the stress test provisions and mortgage lending guidelines generally, including allowable amortization periods for insured mortgages, should be reviewed. The supply of listings in the GTA also remains a problem. Bringing a greater diversity of ownership and rental housing online, including ‘missing middle’ home types, should be a priority of all levels of government. TREB is happy to be taking part in the City of Toronto’s consultations for the Housing TO – 2020-2030 Action Plan, and will certainly be raising the supply issue during these discussions,” said Mr. Bhaura.

“While the City of Toronto’s recently announced Housing TO – 2020-2030 Action Plan is exciting and commendable and TREB looks forward to contributing solutions as a Member of the External Advisory Committee, the recently proposed increase to the Municipal Land Transfer Tax on higher priced properties is problematic. As the recent City budget process showed, the MLTT is not a sustainable revenue source from which to fund municipal programs. On top of this, additional MLTT on higher priced homes could have a trickle-down effect on the supply of homes throughout the housing price continuum,” said TREB CEO John Di Michele.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 2.6 per cent year-over-year in March, while the average price for March sales was up by a lesser annual rate of 0.5 per cent to $788,335. The average selling price for Q1 2019 was up by 1.1 per cent year-over-year.

“Market conditions have remained tight enough to support a moderate pace of price growth. Despite sales being markedly lower than the record levels of 2016 and early 2017, the supply of listings has also receded. This means that in many neighbourhoods throughout the GTA, we continue to see competition between buyers for available listings, which provides a level of support for home prices,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Chief Market Analyst.

Source: Toronto Real Estate Board