April 2024 home sales were down in comparison to April 2023, when there was a temporary resurgence in market activity. New listings were up strongly year-over-year, which meant there was increased choice for home buyers and little movement in the average selling price compared to last year.
Greater Toronto Area (GTA) REALTORS® reported 7,114 sales through the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) MLS® System in April 2024 – down by five per cent compared to April 2023. New listings were up by 47.2 per cent over the same period. On a seasonally adjusted monthly basis, sales edged lower while new listings were up compared to March.
“Listings were up markedly in April in comparison to last year and last month. Many homeowners are anticipating an increase in demand for ownership housing as we move through the spring. While sales are expected to pick up, many would-be home buyers are likely waiting for the Bank of Canada to actually begin cutting its policy rate before purchasing a home,” said TRREB President Jennifer Pearce.
The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite benchmark was down by less than one per cent per cent year-over-year. The average selling price was up by 0.3 per cent to $1,156,167. On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, the MLS® HPI Composite was up by 0.4 per cent and the average selling price was up by 1.5 per cent compared to March.
“Generally speaking, buyers are benefitting from ample choice in the GTA resale market in April. As a result, there was little movement in selling prices compared to last year. Looking forward, the expectation is that lower borrowing costs will prompt tighter market conditions in the months to come, which will result in renewed price growth, especially as we move into 2025,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.
“All levels of government have announced plans and stated that they are committed to improving affordability and choice for residents. However, more work is needed on alignment to achieve these goals, whether we’re talking about bringing enough housing online to account for future population growth or finding the right balance between government spending and combatting inflation. We can’t have policies in opposition. Housing policy alignment is key to achieving sustained, tangible results,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
Condo Market Update
The Greater Toronto Area (GTA) condominium apartment sales increased moderately in the first quarter of 2024 relative to the first three months of 2023. However, over the same period the number of condo apartment listings increased by a greater annual rate. With buyers benefitting from more choice, the average condo selling price edged lower.
Total condominium apartment sales amounted to 4,747 in Q1 2024 – up by 5.3 per cent on a year-over-year basis. New condo listings were up by more than 23 per cent over the same period.
“TRREB’s consumer polling, conducted by Ipsos, suggests that many renter households will have no more patience for rent increases before they consider purchasing their first home. Once interest rates start trending lower, look for condo sales to pick up as more first-time buyers enter the market,” said TRREB President Jennifer Pearce.
The average condominium apartment selling price in the GTA was $693,754 in Q1 2024 – down by one per cent compared to $700,704 in Q1 2023. In the City of Toronto, which accounted for almost two-thirds of total condo sales, the average selling price was $723,186 – down by 0.5 per cent compared to Q1 2023.
“As first-time buying activity increases with lower borrowing costs later this year and into 2025, inventory will be absorbed and market conditions will tighten. Increased competition between condo buyers will result in upward pressure on selling prices,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.
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