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Year: 2020

The Challenges Of COVID-19

How The Real Estate Industry in Canada Adapted Through The Challenges Of COVID-19

Before the pandemic began in Canada, the typical situation for realtors in selling properties is conducting open homes, arranging private showings, etc. However, Conducting Open Houses are currently banned by the Toronto Real Estate board because of the prevailing health hazard. While COVID-19 challenged everyone who wanted to sell property, the real estate industry transformed itself to adapt and resume the business.

The Challenges That COVID-19 Brought to Real Estate in Canada

The government of Canada and Ontario is doing everything they can to protect the health of citizens in Great Toronto and in Peel region of Ontario, including the restrictions for public gatherings. It challenged the realtors, builders, and preconstruction teams to find new sellers in the real estate market. The reduced competition also caused rarer discounts. It encouraged realtors to hold off buying and selling unless they have to.

Another challenge is the increased doubt of lenders and mortgage brokers. They are more careful than ever because of the rent strikes that existed in some places last April. The crisis caused buyers and tenants to face a loss of income from their businesses and Jobs, affecting their ability to pay.

The ‘New Normal’ In Real Estate

Everyone in the real estate industry is continually looking for solutions to operate safely, following government protocols. One new solution they have found is using technological advancements. Realtors conduct virtual open houses for their clients online through a live stream. They equip reliable technical gear to entertain every client and elaborate on the actual measurements.

The experience of an actual open house is different from a virtual one. Because clients tend to gather at a specific schedule, the video conference only requires less than an hour to view the property. However, technology still cannot replicate the emotional element that a real viewing can provide. These changes are gradually becoming the “new normal,” while the internet serves as a standard media.

The decline of sales forced some realtors to conduct strategies such as going door-to-door to search for a new seller or a new buyer. This practice puts everyone’s health at risk, and these agents can face disciplinary actions from the government. Thus, the best way to find a client is by increasing the online presence of the property listing.

Photo by Gus Ruballo on Unsplash

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market July 2020

Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Lisa Patel announces that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 11,081 sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in July 2020 – a 29.5 per cent increase over July 2019 and a new record for the month of July. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, sales were up by 49.5 per cent compared to June 2020.

Year-over-year sales growth was driven by low-rise home types, particularly in the regions surrounding the City of Toronto. However, condominium apartment sales were also up on an annual basis, including in Toronto.

Total new listings were also up strongly on a year-over-year basis by 24.7 per cent, but this annual growth rate was less than that of sales, which means market conditions tightened on average compared to July 2019. In addition, active listings at the end of July were down by 16.3 per cent.

“Sales activity was extremely strong for the first full month of summer. Normally we would see sales dip in July relative to June as more households take vacation, especially with children out of school. This year, however, was different with pent-up demand from the COVID-19-related lull in April and May being satisfied in the summer, as economic recovery takes firmer hold, including the Stage 3 re-opening. In addition, fewer people are travelling, which has likely translated into more transactions and listings,” said Ms. Patel.

The July 2020 MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark was up by 10 per cent compared to July 2019. The overall average selling price was up by 16.9 per cent year-over-year to $943,710. On a preliminary seasonally adjusted basis, the average selling price was up by 5.5 per cent compared to June 2020.

Price growth was strongest for low-rise home types, notably within the City of Toronto. Despite more balanced market conditions in the condominium apartment market segment, year-over-year price growth remained in the high single digits.

Full Report here [PDF]

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market June 2020

TORONTO, ONTARIO, July 7, 2020 – Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Lisa Patel announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 8,701 sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in June 2020. This result represented a very substantial increase over the May 2020 sales result, both on an actual (+89 per cent) and seasonally adjusted basis (+84 per cent), and was only down by 1.4 per cent compared to June 2019.

Year-over-year growth in sales was reported in some areas and market segments. Especially notable were the detached and townhouse market segments in the GTA regions surrounding the City of Toronto. New listings were up slightly on a year-over-year basis by 2.1 per cent. However, active listings on TRREB’s MLS® System at the end of June 2020 were down by 28.8 per cent compared to June 2019. Growth in new listings will need to outstrip growth in sales for a number of months before active listings approach last year’s levels.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark was up by 8.2 per cent year-over-year in June. The average selling price for all home types combined was $930,869 – up by 11.9 per cent compared to June 2019. The actual and seasonally-adjusted average selling price was also up substantially compared to May 2020, by 7.8 per cent and 9.8 per cent respectively.

Average and benchmark selling prices were up year-over-year for all major home types. The strongest average annual rates of price growth were experienced in the detached and semi-detached market segments in the City of Toronto at 14.3 per cent and 22 per cent respectively. This, coupled with the fact that average selling price growth outstripped growth in the MLS® HPI benchmarks, points to a the resurgence in the higher-end market segments.

Full Report here [PDF]

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market May 2020

TORONTO, ONTARIO, June 3, 2020 – Toronto Regional Real Estate Board President Michael Collins announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 4,606 sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in May 2020. This result was down by 53.7 per cent compared to May 2019. While the number of sales was down substantially on a year-over-year basis due to the continued impact of COVID-19, the decline was less than the 67.1 per cent year-over-year decline reported for April 2020.

On a month-over-month basis, actual and seasonally adjusted May sales were up substantially compared to April. Actual May 2020 sales increased by 55.2 per cent compared to April 2020. After accounting for the regular seasonal increase that is experienced each year between April and May, seasonally adjusted sales were up by 53.2 per cent month-over-month.

The number of new listings entered into TRREB’s MLS® System in May was down by a similar annual rate to that of sales, dipping by 53.1 per cent to 9,104. On a month-over-month basis, actual new listings were up by 47.5 per cent.

The MLS® Home Price Index Composite Benchmark price was virtually unchanged in May 2020 compared to April 2020. On a year-over-year basis, the composite benchmark was up by 9.4 per cent. The average selling price for all home types combined was up by three per cent compared to May 2019 to $863,599. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average selling price was up by 4.6 per cent month-over-month compared April 2020.

The difference in year-over-year growth between the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark and the average selling price was related to the fact that home sales in the City of Toronto, particularly in the detached segment, were down by a greater annual rate than overall sales in the GTA. This resulted in a compositional impact on the overall average selling price.

Full Report here [PDF]

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market 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 day.

  • 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). 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 down.

Full Report here [PDF]

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market March 2020

TORONTO, ONTARIO, April 3, 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.

Full Report here [PDF]

Home Buying Toronto, Mississauga, ON, Canada. Offer Presentation Process Negotiation Bidding War

How to the find the best Real Estate Agent in Canada? Offer presentation and Negotiations explained for home buyers in Canada

For the buyers and specially First Time  home buyers in Ontario, Canada:

Many buyers – when making an offer to buy a property, house  in Canada are not fully aware as how the offer presentation/negotiation system works or what is the common practice  for the sellers to deal with their offers.

What is an Offer ? Offer is the common term for an Agreement of Purchase and sale (APS) which is prepared by the Real Estate Agent or your Realtor for you and to be presented to the seller on your behalf. Usually the offer is presented through the sellers agent or the listing agent in Ontario, Canada.

In Canadian real estate home buying or selling process, usually – Buyers and sellers never meet for negotiations face to face or even talk directly to each other.

So you are all dependent on your Real Estate agent who is representing you in the process.

How much Commissions do I have to pay for buying a house/Condo? In Ontario Canada 99% Time you don’t have to pay any commission or any kind of fee to your Real Estate Agent, When you are buying a house or a Condo apartment. Your agent  gets paid through the seller. In other words seller pays the commission for their Real Estate agent as well as for the buyer’s agent.

So, if you are a home buyer you get the free services of your agent. Your REALTOR is the most important person in your home buying process in Ontario, Canada. Because he is the only one dealing on your behalf. You trust him with the Biggest purchase of your life.  It is all about the knowledge, experience, professionalism, honesty  and skill set of your real estate agent who is working for you.

In realty most situations your agent must also work as your consultant, but in 95% cases they fail to deliver honest and valuable advice.  As on October 2022 there are around 70,000 agents in Greater Toronto area (GTA) and out of these 5% of these 70,000 agents do 95% of Total business. So, 95% of GTA agents are doing hardly 1 to 6 deals in the whole year. In other words either they are new, not very knowledgeable and successful or may be a part time agents. So, you need to find an agent who is at least 10+ Year experienced and has a track record of doing at least 25 deals every year and on top of that enjoys a great ranking on RankMyagent.com , Only most authentic Web portal approved and recommended by REALTOR.CA and RE/MAX.CA

As often, many agents are more concerned to make the deal happen ASAP so that they may get paid.

It is very hard to comprehend for the first time home buyers or even if you are buying a property after long time that how important is the selection of a right and good realtor/agent.

Now the question is: How to find a great and honest real estate agent in Greater Toronto Area, Brampton, Milton and Mississauga?

Now Let us look at the different scenarios of how your offer or Agreement of Sale and Purchase is dealt with.

For the protection of buyers and consumers in Ontario, Canada the format of the offer document is prescribed by the Ontario Real Estate Association known as OREA.

Scenarios # 1 : Yours is the only  offer on the table.

Your (Buyer) agent will find out from the seller’s agent that yours is the only offer in the hand of sellers–that means no one else is competing against you in this transaction. That is the best situation for you to negotiate with the Sellers. (Well many factors will decide – how much you may negotiate).

Scenarios # 2 : Yours is the NOT the only  offer on the table.

This is NOT a good situation for you as now you are going to compete against the other offer.

Now, What will happen and how your offer will be dealt with ?

  • Sellers agent is NOT supposed to inform your agent – what the value (Price and other terms) of this offer.
  • You may only find out total # of offers you are competing with.
  • Sellers will and have to pick and choose  only one offer out of multiple (2 or more) offers to work with

Sellers will select the best offer in their interest and situation, based upon many merits and reasons.

  1. Price on the offer
  2. Conditions in the offer.
  3. What are the implications? 
  4. Sellers will and have to pick and choose  only one offer?

That means if yours is not the best offer – it will not be picked – in this out of multiple (2 or more) offers to work with.

The whole process in multiple offers or commonly known as bidding war  situations is very complex. This is the real acid test of your Realtor and this is the time you will find out if your agent is doing his/her job most honestly and only in your best interest.

It is the time when most agents are unable to handle it or cope up with it. 

At such times , Only a highly skilled, experienced and honest agent may deliver the best results in your best interest.

Interested to understand the whole process better?

Have questions–What if?

Ask for the information to attend a “ First Time Home Buyer Seminar in Ontario” or for a Face to face meeting for a clear understanding of the home buying process in Canada.

Get in touch with highly acclaimed and RE/MAX International -Hall of fame, Platinum Club award winner RE/MAX  TEAM Paliwal today !

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market 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.

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.

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.

Full Report here [PDF]

Greater Toronto Area Real Estate Market January 2020

TORONTO, February 6, 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.

Full Report here [PDF]

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