Greater Toronto Area (GTA) home sales and new listings were up on an annual and monthly basis in February 2024. Selling prices also edged upward compared to a year earlier. Population growth and a resilient regional economy continued to support the overall demand for housing. Higher borrowing costs kept home sales below the February sales record reached in 2021.
“We have recently seen a resurgence in sales activity compared to last year. The market assumption is that the Bank of Canada has finished hiking rates. Consumers are now anticipating rate cuts in the near future. A growing number of homebuyers have also come to terms with elevated mortgage rates over the past two years. To minimize higher monthly payments, some buyers have likely saved up a larger down payment, chosen to purchase a less-expensive home type and/or looked to a different location in the GTA,” said TRREB President Jennifer Pearce.
REALTORS® reported 5,607 GTA home sales through TRREB’s MLS® System in February 2024 – an increase of 17.9 per cent compared to February 2023. Even after accounting for the leap year effect, sales were up by 12.3 per cent yearover-year. New listings were up by an even greater annual rate than sales in February, pointing to increased choice for buyers. On a seasonally adjusted month-over-month basis, February sales were lower following two consecutive monthly increases while new listings were flat. Monthly figures can be somewhat volatile, especially when the market is approaching a transition point.
Home selling prices in February 2024 remained similar to February 2023. The MLS® Home Price Index Composite benchmark edged up by 0.4 per cent. The average selling price of $1,108,720 increased by a modest 1.1 per cent. On a seasonally-adjusted monthly basis, both the MLS® HPI Composite and the average selling price edged upward.
“As we move through 2024, an increasing number of buyers will re-enter the market with adjusted housing preferences to account for higher borrowing costs. In the second half of the year, lower interest rates will further boost demand for ownership housing. First-time buying activity will also be a contributing factor, as many renters look to trade high monthly rents for a long-term investment in which they can live and build equity,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.
“Population growth has been at a record pace and with the anticipated lower borrowing costs, the demand for housing – both ownership and rental – will also increase over the next two years. Unaffordable housing not only has a financial impact but also a social impact. Recent research conducted for TRREB by CANCEA in our 2024 Market Outlook and Year in Review report underscores the negative impact of unaffordable housing on peoples’ mental health and life satisfaction. It’s comforting to see that there has been some real building happening in the GTA and that the provincial government is rewarding those municipalities that are working to eliminate the red tape and meet those homeownership needs,” said TRREB CEO John DiMichele.
Condo Market Update
Fourth quarter 2023 condominium apartment sales in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) remained low historically, as the demand for ownership
housing continued to be hampered by affordability concerns brought about by high borrowing costs. Buyers who were active in the market benefitted from a substantial amount of choice. This meant that average selling prices were slightly lower than the fourth quarter of 2022.
“The condominium apartment market, like other segments of the homeownership market, experienced a pull-back in activity since the Bank of Canada started hiking interest rates in early 2022. However, looking forward, borrowing costs are expected to trend lower this year and next. This will improve the affordability picture for many first-time buyers, so the condo market is poised for improvement in 2024,” said TRREB President Jennifer Pearce.
Total condominium apartment sales amounted to 3,446 in Q4 2023 – down by 3.4 percent on a year-over-year basis. New condominium apartment listings were up by more than 29 percent over the same period. This divergence between condominium apartment sales and listings also meant that market conditions became more balanced.
The average condominium apartment selling price in the GTA was $702,142 in Q4 2023 – down by 1.1 percent compared to $710,124 in Q4 2022. In the City of Toronto, which accounted for more than two-thirds of total condominium apartment sales, the average selling price was $720,456. This result was down by 2.4 percent compared to Q3 2022. “Condominium apartment prices remained relatively flat over the past year. Buyers had plenty of negotiating power given the level of supply in the marketplace. As we move through 2024, demand for condominium apartments should pick up. Expected decreases in borrowing costs coupled with high average rents could prompt more households to purchase a home over the next year. Condominium apartments are a key entry point into the ownership market,” said TRREB Chief Market Analyst Jason Mercer.
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