Ok mother nature why are you playing games with us? It says May on the calendar but feels more like March. What gives? Rain, strong winds and cold weather is messing with our business. As we transition from this dreary weather to sunshine and cherry blossoms, the Toronto real estate market remains fickle. It’s hard to predict which properties will be snapped up and which will languish. What we may be seeing is a move towards more realistic pricing and less of setting a low asking price and letting the market show us the true value. All the more reason to make sure you hire a Realtor that knows how to properly price and market a property.

The freehold market recorded a solid 54% increase in new listings last week. It is normal at this time of year to see an increase in listings as the Spring market hits its stride. The increase is widespread across the entire core of the city but most prevalent in the $800K-$1.5M price range. In the exact opposite trend, the number of sold properties dropped 17% last week but a strong 61% sold at or above the list price. The slow down of listings means that desirable properties often end up with multiple bids.

On the condo side we saw a steady flow of new listings up 16% week-over-week. Sales followed suit to the freehold market with a 13% drop in the number of sold units, but of those 54% sold at or above the asking price. New construction condo projects are not selling as quickly as they once did so now buyers are being enticed with all sorts of incentives such as reduced down payments or several months of free condo fees. In the past we saw lineups of eager would-be buyers but now the developers are reaching deep into their bag of tricks as they face new challenges in the world of condo presales.