Tuesday, April 24, 2012

GTA REALTORS® Report Mid-Month Resale Housing Market Figures

Toronto, April 18, 2012 – Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 4,557 transactions through the TorontoMLS system during the first two weeks of April 2012. This result represented an increase of almost seven per cent in comparison to the same period in April 2011. The number of new listings grew over the same period, but by a lesser annual rate than sales, which means market conditions tightened compared to last year.
“Competition between buyers remained strong in many parts of the Greater Toronto Area during the first half of April, with many listings attracting a lot of attention. Strong competition meant that, on average, sellers priced within market value range received offers that matched their asking prices within three weeks,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.
The average selling price during the first two weeks of April was $506,954 – up by five per cent compared to the first half of April 2011. The annual rate of price growth was stronger in the GTA regions surrounding the City of Toronto.
“Growth in listings has not kept up with growth in sales. In the City of Toronto, new listings for low-rise home types during the first half of April were actually down compared to last year. This helps explain why some of the tightest market conditions in the GTA can be found within the ‘416’ area code,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

GTA REALTORS® RELEASE Q1 RENTAL MARKET REPORT

Toronto, April 18, 2012 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 3,804 leased condominium apartment transactions in the first quarter of 2012, up 11 per cent from the 3,442 units rented during the first three months of 2011. The number of condominium apartments listed for rent on the TorontoMLS system during the first quarter was also up, but by a lesser four per cent to 7,096 units.
“There have been very few purpose-built rental buildings completed in the GTA over the past few years. This means that households looking to rent an apartment with modern finishes and amenities have been focusing on condominium apartments rented out by investor owners,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.
“Condominium apartment vacancy rates, as reported by CMHC, were down in 2011 and it looks as if this trend is continuing with growth in lease transactions outstripping growth in listings,” continued Silver.
Average one-bedroom and two-bedroom condominium apartment rents increased at annual rates above inflation, at four and seven per cent respectively.
“Tighter rental market conditions played a key role in the strong annual average rent increases. However, a lot of condominium apartment projects were completed over the last year. Some owners chose to list their units for rent. Newly completed units benefitting from the latest trends in finishes and amenities could have arguably commanded higher rents compared to older units. This factor likely played a role in strong year-over-year average rent increases as well,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

GTA REALTORS® REPORT CONDOMINIUM TRANSACTIONS IN Q1

Toronto, April 18, 2012 — Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 5,027 condominium apartment transactions in the first quarter of 2012. This result was up by two per cent in comparison to the first quarter of 2011. Over the same period, the number of new listings of condominium apartments was up by 14 per cent.
“With sales increasing moderately year-over-year and listings growing strongly, the condo apartment market became better supplied in the first quarter. With more choice for buyers in the condo market segment compared to the low-rise segment, the average selling price for condos grew at a slower pace in comparison to some low-rise types including detached homes,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.
The average selling price for condominium apartments in the first quarter of 2012 was $334,952 – up by 3.7 per cent from $322,857 in the first quarter of 2011.
“Condominium apartment completions were at the highest level ever in 2011. As projects completed, some units held by investors were listed for sale. As a result, it is not surprising that we saw more moderate rates of price growth in the first quarter. However, the fact that annual price growth remained above the rate of inflation is testament to the fact that demand remains strong for this home type,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Tight Market Drives Double-Digit Price Growth

April 4, 2012 -- Greater Toronto REALTORS® reported 9,690 sales through the TorontoMLS system in March 2012. This result was up by almost eight per cent in comparison to the 8,986 deals reported during the same period in 2011.
“The GTA resale market has not suffered from a lack of willing buyers this year. Buyers have been spurred on by the positive affordability picture brought about by low mortgage rates,” said Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver.
“The challenge has been a lack of inventory. Many listings have attracted multiple interested buyers. Strong competition has led to annual rates of price growth well above the long-term average.”
The average selling price in the GTA was $504,117 in March – up by 10.5 per cent in comparison to March 2011.
“The number of new listings was up last month in comparison to March 2011.
However, based on the historic relationship between price and listings, the GTA resale market should be better supplied. If competition between buyers remains as strong as it is right now, we will almost certainly see an average selling price above $500,000 for 2012 as a whole,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Senior Manager of Market Analysis.

TREB MLS * Average Resale Home Price -- March 2012



TREB MLS * Sales-To-New-Listings Ratio -- March 2012



TREB MLS * New Listings - March 2012



TREB MLS * Sales March 2012