Spring is finally back!

Hey Friends!

Spring is finally back and so is Blue Jays baseball. As most of you already know, the TO Group are lifelong fans of the Jays and we spend an ample amount of our downtime watching Canada’s team. We are hopeful that they win some playoff games this season!

With that said, we have purchased tickets to a number of games this year and we wanted to try something new! So, we have a proposal for all of our loyal followers (this means you).

Any referral that you send to the TO Group that results in a successful closing will result in a pair of awesome seats to a Jays game this season*.  As a bonus, you’ll get peace of mind knowing that your people will receive the best service in Real Estate ;)

Now, let’s take a few minutes to give you another Real Estate update for April 2024.

Big fans of the Toronto Blue Jays
Exclusive Listings - The Lesser Known Real Estate Market

Did you know that there are homes for sale that aren’t available to the general public via MLS? These are often referred to as “Exclusive Listings” or “Pocket Listings”

An exclusive listing is when a seller enters into a listing agreement with a Brokerage but does not go to MLS. The listing remains exclusive to the listing brokerage and their agents have the exclusive opportunity to find a buyer.

You may be asking yourself “why would a homeowner want to limit the exposure of their home to the open market?” That’s a great question!

Here are a few instances where a seller may not want to expose their home to the general public:

Privacy – some sellers may not want photos of their home all over the internet for their neighbours to see and they may want to limit showings to only hand-picked, qualified buyers.

Not yet market ready – Sellers will often engage a Realtor to sell their property, but they may want to make some improvements to the home before going to MLS and they need some time to do it. Signing exclusively allows the Realtor to help the seller prepare their home for the market while being able to promote the home to their buyer clients or to other agents, so that they know that there is a great house coming to the market.

Restricted showing access – If a property is listed on MLS, it must be available to be shown to prospective buyers. If a Seller is in the middle of a renovation before selling, they may not want buyers coming through the property who may not be able to envision the finished product.

There are definitely pros and cons to exclusive listings and most of our clients choose to go to MLS to maximize exposure, however there is always a time and a place where this option can work for some of our clients.

Good News! 

As a Buyer, the TO Group has access to plenty of exclusive listings throughout our brokerage, so there is always a chance that we can find your dream home before it goes on MLS

As a Seller, we have an extensive network of colleagues who work with qualified and serious buyers that may be looking for a home exactly like yours!

One of the many benefits of working with the TO Group is that we are a part of one of the largest and most well-connected real estate brokerages in Ontario.

What we are seeing from the field

March 2024 home sales were lower than the March 2023 result. Despite a better-supplied market compared to last year, there was enough competition between buyers to see a moderate increase in the average March home price compared to last year’s level.

Market conditions have gradually improved over the last quarter. Buyers seem to have adjusted to the higher interest rates as it has become more clear that the rates will likely not increase any further.

Homeowners who had been anticipating improved market conditions helped provide a better supply to the market in March which was welcomed by anxious buyers.

Assuming that we benefit from lower borrowing costs in the near future, we expect that sales will increase, new listings will be absorbed, and tighter market conditions will push selling prices higher.

Check out the March year-over-year stats below for more information on the current market. If you would like statistics specific to your neighbourhood, an updated Comparative Market Analysis for your home, or help deciphering what the numbers could mean for you, please let us know and we would be happy to provide that for you.

March 2024 Toronto Real Estate Stats - Snapshot
ESFD - Thank You!

We are now in our 4th year of organizing our East Side Food Drive and we just wrapped up our Easter Edition which was a huge success! Thanks to everyone who contributed! This is truly one of the most gratifying events that we put on for our community and we really enjoy watching it grow. The Food Banks are having trouble keeping up with the demand this year so every effort counts! 

East Side Food Drive - Easter Edition
Toronto Real Estate Market

Many people who are on variable mortgage rates or those who are approaching a mortgage renewal have been watching the Bank of Canada’s announcements on the overnight lending rate. The next announcement is on April 10th, so we are all waiting to see if they will cut the rates as many indicators are showing that inflation is under control.

Many industry professionals are expecting that the first rate cut won’t likely occur until June or July, but that the rates could fall from the current 5% down to approximately 3.75% by the end of the year. For those who have been reading our newsletters for the last year, you’ll know that when rates drop, prices tend to go up. Stay tuned!

As always, we would be happy to help you and any of your friends, family, colleagues, or neighbours with real estate services or advice. If you can think of anyone that could use our help, feel free to make an introduction!  We promise we’ll make you look good ;)

Ford and Chris

*As a thank you for any referrals between April 5/24 – Sept 1/24 (excluding leases) which result in a successful purchase or sale, the TO Group would like to offer you a pair of tickets to a 2024 regular season Blue Jays game at the Rogers Centre. We appreciate your support!