Get Expert Advice from Real Estate Columnists https://realestatemagazine.ca/category/columnists/ Canada’s premier magazine for real estate professionals. Thu, 30 Oct 2025 23:52:11 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.3 https://realestatemagazine.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/cropped-REM-Fav-32x32.png Get Expert Advice from Real Estate Columnists https://realestatemagazine.ca/category/columnists/ 32 32 Reay: The hidden constitution of real estate https://realestatemagazine.ca/reay-the-hidden-constitution-of-real-estate/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/reay-the-hidden-constitution-of-real-estate/#comments Fri, 31 Oct 2025 09:04:06 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40846 The unwritten constitution was never signed into law, writes columnist Brandon Reay. It evolved quietly, encoded in systems and rituals Realtors follow, but no longer author

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Every profession has a constitution; a silent contract about who decides what. In real estate, ours was never debated in parliament or signed into law. It evolved quietly, clause by clause, until code replaced ink. 

You can see it in the systems we log into, the rules they embed and the rituals that follow. It governs without ever being named; a living document we inherit but no longer author. 

Over the past several years, new technologies, leadership shifts and branding debates have revealed just how far that constitution has drifted from its original intent.  

What follows isn’t a history – it’s an excavation and, I hope, the beginning of a rewrite. 

 

I. The illusion of control 

  

Every morning, Realtors log into the systems that decide what they can say, how they can say it and how visible their work will be. 

We call it technology, but it’s governance by another name; a rulebook written in code instead of bylaws. 

This is about power, and how quietly it moved out of reach. 

Each field, validation rule, and search filter enforces policy in ways few members ever see. 

We think we’re entering data; we’re actually performing compliance. 

The platforms we use don’t just reflect the profession; they define it, and somewhere between the first upload and the latest system migration, control slipped. 

Organized real estate still speaks the language of democracy, but its constitution has already been rewritten inside the software. 

   

II. From representation to ritual 

  

Boards were never meant to be monuments. They were tools built by practitioners to solve shared problems. But over time, the procedure became the product. 

Today, most boards operate less like professional communities and more like small parliaments. Quorums small enough to fit in a classroom can amend bylaws for tens of thousands of members. Proxy stacking concentrates control. Consultations are staged after decisions are made. 

This isn’t malice; it’s muscle memory. Every cycle inherits the same playbook: stability first, scrutiny second. “Continuity” becomes “competence.” “Dissent” becomes “disloyalty.” 

And soon, the process itself becomes proof of purpose. 

When power becomes insulated, accountability fades. What follows is a ritual in the absence of reform. 

The ritual looks busy: new logos, new task forces, new vendor contracts. 

But motion isn’t evolution.

Outside, the species looks unchanged.  

 

III. From bylaw to backend 

  

Governance didn’t die; it migrated into software. 

Every time a listing rejects an input because a field doesn’t exist, that’s regulation. 

Every time Realtor.ca decides which properties rise to the top of a search, that’s policy. 

Every automatic warning, every hard stop, every required field, every “invalid value” message is a digital descendant of a forgotten committee motion. 

But unlike those committees, code doesn’t interpret intent. It enforces outcomes. 

When a provincial prop-tech collective expanded its MLS infrastructure through subscription agreements in 2024 (a shift that brought most Ontario boards into a unified subscription framework), decisions about listing standards and data structure effectively moved from volunteer committees to contract clauses. 

And when its leadership quietly changed earlier this year through an internal governance realignment, oversight of Ontario’s core MLS infrastructure shifted again. 

No member referendum. No public notice. Just a new slate, appointed internally.   

That’s not scandal. It’s system design. 

Governance didn’t fail; it changed medium.   

Realtors still carry the liability for every misstep the system allows or forbids. 

If an input error misrepresents a property, the board doesn’t face the client. The agent does. The brokerage shoulders the risk. Yet neither has meaningful authority over the infrastructure that defines compliance. 

That’s the quiet inversion of power: the governed held accountable for rules they no longer write. 

  

  

IV. Paying to be governed

 

  

Membership used to buy representation. Now it buys access. 

Realtors pay dues to boards. Boards pay vendors to manage the systems. Vendors, in turn, enforce compliance frameworks that determine how Realtors work. 

It’s a closed loop of authority without ownership. 

At the national level, the same pattern repeats. CREA licenses the trademarks and operates Realtor.ca; the public face of the profession. 

Yet the listings feeding it come from local systems governed by independent contracts, each with its own structure and rules. 

The result is a federation of dependencies: members finance everything but control nothing

Sold as modernization, this consolidation resembles enclosure more than efficiency. 

When Realtor.ca was restructured into a for-profit subsidiary, the move was practical but symbolic. 

It marked the moment the profession’s most visible asset became a product. 

Belonging turned into a business model and representation became a side effect. 

We stopped belonging to the system when the system learned to bill us for belonging. 

  

V. The relevance test: What is a board for? 

  

If access to data is all we value, then the question isn’t whether boards are broken; it’s whether they’re still necessary at all. 

Only one board in Ontario owns the technology. The rest are tenants, licensing the systems they claim to govern. 

They administer dues, hold meetings, and issue statements, but their primary role is custodial: collecting money on behalf of platforms they don’t control. 

As a couple of writers have recently debated, the Realtor identity itself is under review. 

Some call the name baggage, tied to NAR’s scandals and American dysfunction. 

Others defend it as a badge of honour, a symbol of professionalism and trust hard-won over decades. 

I would argue that both sides miss the point. The word isn’t the issue. The structure beneath it is. 

If governance and accountability collapse, even the most sacred title loses meaning. 

The brand can survive scandal; it cannot survive structural irrelevance. 

The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA)-led call for Ombudsman oversight of the Real Estate Council of Ontario (RECO) exposed that hollowness. 

It sounded bold, but misunderstood the law it invoked. 

The Ombudsman Act excludes self-regulating professions. 

If boards truly want to end self-regulation, they should say so. 

If they don’t, then the campaign misled the very members who fund it. 

Realtors didn’t connect with that letter because it wasn’t written for them. 

It was written to look responsive. It was a performance of relevance, not an act of it. 

   

VI. The ROI of representation 

  

If advocacy is the last defense of organized real estate’s layered structure, then it’s fair to ask: what’s the return? 

Every Realtor measures productivity and cost-per-lead.  

But the organizations that preach professionalism can’t quantify their own value. 

OREA’s own disclosures show millions spent annually on advocacy and communications, yet no member-facing metrics explain outcomes or savings. 

In business, unmeasured value isn’t value. It’s overhead. 

The loss of the OREA College exposed that vacuum. 

Education once gave OREA purpose: a tangible service tied to competence. 

When that mandate moved to the regulator, what remained was advocacy without measurement. 

And advocacy without measurement is faith, not strategy. 

Would we, knowing what we know now, voluntarily build a system that compels every Realtor to join an association, fund mandatory insurance and underwrite lobbying whose outcomes we can’t audit? 

If this system didn’t already exist, could you convince anyone to invent it? 

If we built a system today, we would not build this system. 

  

VII. The case for a controlled burn 

  

That doesn’t mean demolition. It means renewal. 

The first boards were grassroots cooperatives: small, voluntary networks built on trust and reciprocity. 

They created order before law. Their purpose was cooperation, not control. 

Over time, that cooperative impulse hardened into hierarchy. 

What began as a network of peers became a lattice of dues, committees and closed sessions. 

We now call that professionalism, but is it? 

The future doesn’t need to abolish boards; it needs to release them. 

As one industry commentator recently wrote, even Microsoft now behaves like a startup, forced by AI to relearn how to innovate. 

Real estate could do the same, not by chasing disruption but by rediscovering ownership. 

Innovation without consent isn’t transformation. 

Sunsetting legacy structures isn’t destruction; it’s hygiene. 

A controlled burn clears what it is that protects structure over service. 

The replacement need not be ideological. 

Imagine a platform cooperative: a Realtor-owned, technology-driven utility where brokerages and agents hold real stakes. 

Policy would be ratified by digital referendum. 

Vendor contracts would expire automatically unless renewed by member vote. 

Data standards and governance would be transparent by design. 

Boards that survived such a transformation wouldn’t have to defend their relevance. 

They have already proven it. 

  

VIII. The constitutional moment 

 

Every profession has a constitution: an unwritten agreement about who decides what. 

Ours has been rewritten without consent. 

Control migrated from members to boards, from boards to associations, and from associations to vendors. 

Elections continue, meetings occur, minutes are approved, but democracy isn’t procedure. 

It’s consent. 

When governance moves into code, consent becomes a checkbox. 

When advocacy drifts into performance, representation becomes branding. 

When boards mistake data for trust, the profession loses both.   

This isn’t a technical crisis, it’s constitutional.  

The choice ahead is stark but simple:   

  1. Continue the drift and let governance consolidate in the hands of those who own the tools. Or;  
  2. Reclaim authorship and rebuild from the ground up, guided by the same cooperative instinct that once defined the Realtor. 

If we built organized real estate today, we wouldn’t replicate the layers. 

We’d design a single, accountable, member-governed institution: transparent, data-competent and morally literate. 

  

IX. The path back to purpose 

  

Boards were never meant to be monuments. They were instruments built to serve those who work in the field, not to rule over them. 

We still need cooperation. We still need shared data, clear standards and public trust. 

But those don’t require the architecture we’ve inherited. 

They require will, imagination and consent.   

If organized real estate still believes it exists to put members first, it must prove it. Not with statements, but with structure. 

If access is all that defines membership, the public will soon ask what defines the Realtor. 

Our constitution isn’t in Ottawa or Toronto. It lives in the collective consent of those who practice. 

The system won’t rewrite itself. 

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AI scams are a growing threat to landlords – here’s how to protect your clients https://realestatemagazine.ca/ai-savvy-fraudsters-are-a-growing-threat-to-landlords-heres-how-to-protect-your-clients/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/ai-savvy-fraudsters-are-a-growing-threat-to-landlords-heres-how-to-protect-your-clients/#respond Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:03:40 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40743 Fake pay stubs and AI-generated documents are flooding Canada’s rental market. Here’s how Realtors can protect their clients before it’s too late

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Today’s rental market is far riskier than it was a decade ago, with rental scams on the rise and growing more sophisticated with the spread of generative artificial intelligence (AI).

Data from SingleKey shows that around 15 per cent of tenant applications contain falsified documents, a climbing figure as renters struggle with affordability and job insecurity. For Realtors, it’s a business risk that can leave clients and agents facing unpaid rent, legal costs, and property damage that can total tens of thousands of dollars.

 

Why are rental scams on the rise

 

Fraudulent documents from fake credit reports, to proof of income, and even fake driver’s licences are common rental scams in Canada, and have become an increasing problem in recent years.

The typical signs of a fraudulent document include:

  • Formatting errors from irregular font use to spacing and alignment inconsistencies
  • Account summaries not matching account overviews
  • Whole numbers after taxes 
  • Employer contact info that doesn’t trace to a real company

But now, with AI, these scams are going unnoticed. What used to be a crude Photoshop job has become a sophisticated, fast-moving scam that is easier than ever to execute. Free online templates and AI tools make it easy to generate convincing pay stubs, employment letters and bank statements in seconds. Logos look authentic. Tax deductions appear accurate. Even bank deposits can be simulated with AI tools.

It’s become increasingly difficult for Realtors to spot these fakes with the naked eye, especially when dealing with time-sensitive leases or multiple applications.

 

An example of a fake paystub. Clues to detect its inauthenticity include fuzzy fonts and an outdated company name for the employer.

 

The cost of scams for Realtors

 

Realtors understand the cost of rental scams goes far beyond lost income. It’s months of legal headaches, unpaid rent and the uphill battle of removing a problematic tenant. Once a risky tenant is in, recovering the unit (and the funds) becomes a long, time-consuming and uncertain process.

Beyond income loss, rental scams can be damaging to a Realtor’s reputation. Realtors are market experts, and investors put their trust in Realtors’ judgment when it comes to rental screening. Persistent scams, the toll on mental health, and the headache of the ordeal can cost a Realtor the investor’s trust, and ultimately, their reputation. Realtors need tools that even the playing field and use AI to their advantage. 

 

AI didn’t create rental scams — it exposed the gap 

 

AI hasn’t created a new rental scam problem; it’s just exposed an existing one more clearly.

Rental scams persist because Canada’s rental market lacks the standardization and safeguards that protect other major investments. You wouldn’t buy a car or home without insurance; renting should come with its own layer of protection. 

That’s where trust infrastructure comes in. A set of tools and processes that build accountability, increase transparency, and reduce risk for landlords and Realtors alike. And now, it includes AI. 

While AI has made it easier to create fake documents, it’s also being used to detect them, flagging mismatched fonts, suspicious file metadata, irregular pay cycles and other red flags that even experienced agents might miss.

How to put trust infrastructure into practice

AI may have exposed the gaps in rental screening, but it can also help close them. To stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated scams, Realtors must evolve their screening processes, adopt safeguards and leverage AI to build what the industry needs most: trust infrastructure.

This means combining smart tools with consistent, repeatable practices that reduce risk for clients and put trust back into the landlord-tenant relationship.

A few of these practices include: 

  • Complete background checks with verified digital channels – Whenever possible, request income verification on platforms connected to Equifax and TransUnion to create a full picture of the potential tenant. 
  • AI-powered documentation and income verification – Use AI as the first line of defence, tracking easy-to-hide edits such as mismatched fonts, layout inconsistency and covered information before it reaches you. 
  • Pre-screen risk scoring – Leverage AI to support with the initial assessment of tenant documents, from credit scores, pay stubs and existing debts, to empower decision makers to move quicker and weed out high-risk applicants.
  • Regular audits of screening outcomes – Technology paired with Realtors’ market expertise creates efficient and knowledgeable systems. Realtors should take the time to review current systems for bias or false positives, to continuously find ways to leverage AI in a way that works best for them.

 

The bottom line

 

Fraudulent applications aren’t going away. They’re part of a broader affordability crunch reshaping the rental market and unveiling the cracks in the current process.

Sharp eyes are no longer enough; the rental market needs systems that create accountability and transparency. At SingleKey, we’ve seen these systems in action firsthand: tenants know their information will be verified, and landlords know their income is protected.

When Realtors combine digital verification tools with automated rent collection and rent guarantee, they are not just screening tenants; they are also protecting income and increasing confidence across the board.

 

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Letter to the Editor: The Realtor name deserves respect – not rebranding https://realestatemagazine.ca/letter-to-the-editor-the-realtor-name-deserves-respect-not-rebranding/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/letter-to-the-editor-the-realtor-name-deserves-respect-not-rebranding/#respond Fri, 24 Oct 2025 09:01:00 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40754 The word Realtor isn’t a stain, it’s a standard, one reader writes.

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The other day, I read the opinion piece suggesting that the term Realtor has become “baggage.” That somehow, the public perception of the word has been tainted, and maybe we’d all be better off dropping it and starting fresh.

Let me be clear: that line of thinking is not progressive, it’s dismissive.

The word Realtor isn’t a stain. It’s a standard. It’s a title that represents professionalism, accountability and a shared code of ethics that countless dedicated agents have spent decades defending and improving.

Yes, our industry has had its share of bad actors. So has medicine, law and every other respected profession. But you don’t fix integrity by erasing the identity that was built to protect it. You fix it by upholding the principles behind that identity.

When people hear “Realtor,” they should think of someone who knows their market, their clients and their community — not just someone who sells homes, but someone who represents trust in one of life’s biggest decisions.

This isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about credibility.

The Realtor designation wasn’t handed to us, it was earned, through licensing, education, late nights, early mornings, missed recitals, ethics and a commitment to doing right by the public. It’s a mark that separates professionals from opportunists, and that’s something worth defending.

Those of us who have been around long enough to remember when “real estate agent” carried less respect know exactly how much work went into changing that. We fought to clean up the industry, to raise the bar, to ensure that clients knew they were in capable, trustworthy hands when they saw that little ® beside our title.

So, when someone says the word Realtor is “baggage,” I say:

No! It’s the badge of professionalism.

It’s the reason clients come back. It’s the reason the public still believes there’s such a thing as a trusted advisor in this business.

To the next generation of Realtors, learn the history before you try to rewrite it. You’re not starting from scratch; you’re standing on the shoulders of those who worked tirelessly to make this profession respected again. Build on that. Don’t tear it down.

The Realtor name isn’t what’s broken. It’s what keeps us accountable, connected and credible.

And as far as I’m concerned, it still stands for everything that’s right about the profession. 

 

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OPINION: Does the word ‘Realtor’ still belong in Canada? https://realestatemagazine.ca/opinion-does-the-word-realtor-still-belong-in-canada/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/opinion-does-the-word-realtor-still-belong-in-canada/#comments Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:05:17 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40661 The Realtor name carries history, yet reputations evolve. Here’s why Canadian real estate professionals should consider a fresh identity that reflects modern ethics and values

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There was a time when Realtor meant something. It conjured images of polished professionals, steady hands on the tiller, people guided by ethics, not ego. 

Today, the word feels less like a badge of honour and more like a brand you’d whisper about at a cocktail party before someone asks, “Oh, are you one of those?”

 

A shared word with split reputations

 


Canada’s real estate professionals use the word Realtor by permission. It is not ours. The trademark is co-owned by the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) in the United States. CREA’s financial statements show no money changing hands through their joint company, Realtor Canada Inc., but the symbolic connection is undeniable.

And lately, that connection has been a problem.

Over the past two years, NAR has been mired in scandal, not the petty variety, but the kind that burns trust to the ground. Multiple U.S. class-action lawsuits have accused NAR of price-fixing and collusion around commission structures, culminating in a massive settlement that could reshape how real estate is practiced across America. 

While those legal battles play out, an even darker story has emerged: the sexual harassment and workplace abuse scandal that forced NAR president Kenny Parcell to resign in 2023.

 

When leadership fails



The New York Times investigation that broke the story read like something out of a corporate horror novel. Former employees described a culture of fear and silence, where senior executives faced repeated accusations of harassment and retaliation. Parcell allegedly sent explicit messages to subordinates, made unwanted advances, and fostered what insiders called a “boys’-club environment.” NAR apologized, launched internal reviews, and promised reform. But the damage was done. The organization built to uphold ethics could not even uphold its own.

For Canadian agents watching from across the border, the embarrassment is hard to ignore. The public does not parse the difference between CREA and NAR. To most consumers, a Realtor is a Realtor. When NAR sinks, the whole fleet lists with it.

 

When allies walk away



Redfin’s decision to cut ties with NAR in 2023 was a turning point. CEO Glenn Kelman had tried for years to reform the organization from within, pushing for transparency and modernization. Instead, he was met with resistance, outdated commission policies, and, as he said, “a pattern of alleged sexual harassment that betrayed the ideals the association was founded on.”

So Redfin left. Not quietly, not diplomatically, but with a statement that echoed across the industry: “Enough is enough.”

It was not just about money or antitrust risk. It was about integrity. If one of the largest, most visible brokerages in America could no longer stomach the association, what does that say about the health of the brand itself?

 

Control without independence is not freedom

 


Here in Canada, CREA controls the trademark rights to the word Realtor, but not the narrative. We carry a name that is not truly ours, tied to an organization in another country that keeps proving it cannot manage its own moral compass.

We do not pay dues to NAR, but we pay something harder to measure — reputational cost. Every time another headline breaks, Canadian agents brace for the fallout. Conversations with clients shift from home values to ethics. The word that once distinguished us now puts us on the defensive.

 

 

Who am I to say so?

 


I am a new agent. My licence cuts me if I turn around too fast. I have not worn off the corners or creased it into the soft parchment that comes with a dozen years in the field. I came into this industry through being an assistant in the aughts, then a real estate photographer in this decade. Three generations of my family have worked in real estate. My grandfather was a bit of a shark in the Lower Mainland, back when women did not do this job.

I debated getting my licence for a long time because, to be honest, this profession has baggage. Maybe it was getting licensed through the NAR lawsuit era, or maybe it was the public perception of what we do, but it gave me pause. 

I’m passionate about finding people homes, but I’m not passionate about the wince that sometimes comes with the word Realtor. You will not find Realtor in my branding, and I do not use it with clients. That is my choice. I am not asking every agent to redo their signs and billboards — that expense in this market!? But what I want to do is plant a seed.

 

It is time to build our own brand

 


The easy answer is to say “it is just a word.” But language matters. Words carry reputation, and reputation builds trust or erodes it. When the word Realtor drags behind it lawsuits, harassment scandals, and tone-deaf apologies, maybe it is time to ask if we still need it. The word Realtor ties us to NAR’s shenanigans, and if 2025 has taught us anything, it is that a strong Canadian identity is important.

Imagine rebranding the profession under a distinctly Canadian identity — one that does not require shared custody with an organization still trying to find its moral footing. A name that signals independence, modern ethics, and national pride. Something that says, “We represent our clients and our communities, not another country’s baggage.”

The word Realtor once stood for something bigger. But words can lose their meaning. Maybe the most professional thing we can do now is outgrow it.

After all, integrity is not trademarked. And maybe, finally, it’s time Canadians stopped renting their professional identity from the United States of America.

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Pressure makes diamonds: Selling through a market downturn https://realestatemagazine.ca/pressure-makes-diamonds-selling-through-a-market-downturn/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/pressure-makes-diamonds-selling-through-a-market-downturn/#respond Mon, 20 Oct 2025 09:04:27 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40624 A practical playbook for guiding sellers, calming buyers and finding advantage in a softer market

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I was a third-year real estate agent, and my market, Edmonton, had front-row seats to the fall in oil prices from historic highs to brutal lows in just a few months. Alberta’s economy tumbled, the housing market followed it down, and I was sure my business was in jeopardy.

That downturn lasted longer than anyone hoped. From 2015 to 2021, Edmonton was a buyer’s market as prices slid thousands of dollars, inventory stacked up, and apartment-style condos got the shortest end of the stick. The market was rough, and there were 40 per cent fewer transactions for any agent; many left the industry or picked up day jobs. I felt the pressure and now I know how pressure makes diamonds.

In the first six months of 2015, I sold 10 houses a month (60 transactions in six months) because I was forced to learn that markets don’t create or remove opportunities; they just shift where the opportunities live. Here are the lessons that stuck with me.

 

Decode your market

 

It’s not just a buyer’s market; the impact varies by price point, and it hits people who bought last year differently than those who bought five years ago. Using tools like a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis, we saw that owners who bought five years earlier were in a stronger equity position than those who bought the year before. We also saw that condo and townhouse owners were more affected, as they tended to be less established, and luxury was more affected due to fewer qualified move-up buyers at higher ranges. By understanding the spectrum of impact, we could see who was positioned to win.

 

Visualize the wins

 

When the market is hot, wins are plentiful and visible — more like checkers. In a down market, the wins take multiple moves — more like chess. Buyers have the advantage in a buyer’s market, and when someone is selling and buying, the buy can outweigh the sell. Every upgrader was likely to save more on the higher-priced purchase than they would lose on the lower-priced sale. At the top end, thinner buyer pools can widen that spread, which is why calm, evidence-based guidance is a differentiator.

It turns out the challenge wasn’t math; it was fear. People were scared of what they’d heard about the market and what friends would think if they sold in a downturn. What they needed most was a knowledgeable guide to help them see that the down market offered opportunities for those with equity.

 

Move-up math

How a 10 per cent slide can favour buyers trading up

Sell: $1.8-million home at 10 per cent loss→ – $180,000

Buy: $2.4-million home at 10 per cent discount → – $240,000

Net position: +$60,000 on the trade (before financing, carrying costs and taxes)

 

Why it works: In softer markets, thinner buyer pools at higher price points can widen the spread. Calm, evidence-based guidance helps clients see the upside.

 

 

Selling in a market that doesn’t want to buy

 

To unlock the win on the purchase, we had to sell the first property. That meant understanding the market appetite and guiding sellers to solve the market for the highest price. Again, it started with analysis.

If the market had one buyer for every three sellers, you couldn’t be second or third — let alone fifth — in a field crowded with inventory. Most competing listings started five per cent over market, then reduced slowly over a two-month period. Any property that sat more than 60 days without a price change was irrelevant to buyers.

Our clients made better decisions out of the gate, set better prices and had better outcomes. Buyers responded more readily to a listing priced to sell on opening weekend, rather than one that inched down over weeks.

We laid out worst-case scenarios up front, set clear goals and helped people with unrealistic expectations see that this market wasn’t for them.

 

Spoiled for choice

 

Once the sale property went pending, we moved to the buy — a better position, with its own challenges. Buyers saw options everywhere, looked for big discounts and had plenty of leverage. The market looked full of deals, but they were harder to find. The risks were decision paralysis and overpaying.

Through testing, we found buyers did better with strong reference points before the first showing. We created a blueprint meeting to build a blueprint for success. It showed the true frequency of opportunities that matched what they wanted — replacing the myth that “thousands of listings” meant unlimited choice. It’s not a game of selection; it’s a game of elimination. You eliminate all but the best option.

We also played the long game. When a listing was new and overpriced, we waited through the price adjustments — and a little longer — to let the seller see the market wasn’t responding. Using time well was a key factor in successful negotiations.

It wasn’t rocket science. It was patience, pattern recognition, and a refusal to get distracted by the noise.

The bigger picture

 

If you can’t see the wins available in your market, it’s hard to be valuable to people in your marketplace. We can’t look at the market like an ocean with giant waves and stay on the beach. We have to adapt. If there’s wind, we sail; if there are waves, we surf — but we accept we’re getting wet either way.

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Foch: Canada’s housing market is stuck in neutral https://realestatemagazine.ca/foch-canadas-housing-market-is-stuck-in-neutral/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/foch-canadas-housing-market-is-stuck-in-neutral/#respond Thu, 16 Oct 2025 18:13:16 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40630 September 2025 earned high praise, yet beneath the headline lies a softer reality: rising listings, slowing sales and a market leaning buyer-friendly

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The Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) has crowned September 2025 the strongest September since 2021. The comparison is technically correct, but the broader picture is less compelling. Measured across two decades of September data, this year’s performance belongs in the lower tier of outcomes. It represents improvement relative to the past three years, but not a return to historical strength.

The month also broke with seasonal tradition. Sales declined by 1.7 per cent from August to September, a reversal that is unusual for a period when activity typically accelerates. Major markets, including Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Ottawa and Montreal, all saw slower sales, with Toronto and Winnipeg as the exceptions. Rather than marking the beginning of renewed momentum, the September figures suggest a market struggling to generate even the modest lift that normally accompanies the fall season.

 

 

Supply, demand and the tilt toward buyers

 

What ultimately governs market direction is the relationship between supply and demand. While sales volumes were up 5.2 per cent from last year, listings increased at a faster clip. Active listings stood at nearly 200,000 properties in September, a 7.5 per cent rise year-over-year and roughly consistent with long-term averages. In contrast, sales remain well below those averages.

This divergence matters. A housing market bends toward whichever side expands more quickly. At present, listings are outpacing sales, forcing sellers to adjust downward to meet buyer bids. 

CREA’s sales-to-new listings ratio fell to 50.7 per cent, below the long-run mean of 54.9 per cent. Months of inventory sat at 4.4, slightly under the historical benchmark of five. According to traditional definitions, these readings still describe a balanced market. Yet these conventions are increasingly outdated in an era when technology accelerates transactions and shortens days on market. By older standards, the market appears stable. By contemporary dynamics, it leans distinctly toward buyers.

 

 

Prices flat, confidence fragile

 

On the surface, prices appear steady. The MLS Home Price Index was effectively unchanged in September, slipping just one-tenth of a percentage point from August. Year-over-year, the decline was 3.4 per cent. Such stability suggests the violent correction of 2022 and 2023 has given way to a slower grind. But stability in the numbers does not equal stability in sentiment.

 

 

 

The Canadian labour market has begun to fray. The closure of Stellantis operations in Brampton erased 3,000 jobs. Manufacturing layoffs ripple through Ontario. Unemployment rates are rising across most cities, with Alberta as a notable exception. GDP growth and job creation have been flattered by public sector hiring and fiscal spending, but households know that secure employment is what enables the confidence to purchase a home. Without conviction about income, families hesitate to assume long-term debt even if mortgage rates edge lower.

The fragility of confidence is why CREA’s invocation of “three years of pent-up demand” rings hollow. Demand is only meaningful if it is actionable. The desire to own does not translate into transactions when affordability remains out of reach. Wages must rise, rates must fall further, or prices must adjust downward before demand can be considered real.

 

The policy backdrop and political void

 

For years, population growth was the bedrock of housing demand. Immigration targets sustained a bullish narrative even when affordability eroded. That tailwind has now slackened. Political appetite for renewed acceleration in population growth is weak. Without it, a key pillar of long-term demand has been diminished. The looming renegotiation of CUSMA in 2026 adds further uncertainty to the outlook for demand, as the prospect of trade disruption clouds Canada’s broader economic trajectory.

Meanwhile, fiscal and monetary policy operate at cross purposes. Bond markets price the possibility of higher fixed rates toward the end of next year even as the Bank of Canada signals restraint. Government spending props up GDP in the short term, yet this masks structural vulnerabilities. Insolvencies and delinquencies are rising. The foundations of household balance sheets are deteriorating.

It is in this context that CREA’s optimism must be read. The association and its economists are correct that interest rates have normalized relative to the recent past. They are less convincing in suggesting that this will unleash latent demand. Recovery requires not only lower financing costs but also a sense that the broader economy is resilient enough to sustain households over the long term.

 

An extended holding pattern

 

Canada’s housing market now occupies an awkward middle ground. It is neither collapsing nor recovering. The correction phase has ended, but the renewal phase has yet to begin. Prices are flat, sales volumes are weak, and the balance of supply and demand tips gradually toward buyers. The system is stalled in place, waiting for either confidence or affordability to break the deadlock.

For policymakers, this limbo should be a warning. In the absence of robust wage growth, sustained employment, or structural improvements to housing supply, the market will not find a natural path back to equilibrium. For households, the message is equally stark. Stability is not the same as security. The risks of job loss, inflation and policy drift weigh heavily on decisions to buy or sell.

The September report is thus not the turning point CREA suggests. It is another entry in a long sequence of data that shows the same reality. Canada’s housing market is stuck. The question is not whether a boom or bust is imminent. It is whether we are prepared for the prolonged stasis that lies ahead.

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Ask Kate: How do you keep bonus promises clear and conflict-free? https://realestatemagazine.ca/ask-kate-structuring-bonuses-that-wont-spark-disputes/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/ask-kate-structuring-bonuses-that-wont-spark-disputes/#respond Thu, 16 Oct 2025 09:02:01 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40592 A vague bonus clause can easily lead to a major liability. Protect your brokerage with a clear, detailed bonus structure that leaves nothing to interpretation

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Every month, Kate Teves, HR consultant, recruiter and founder of The HR Pro, answers Realtors’ questions about anything and everything related to human resources. Have a question for Kate? Send her an email.

 

Question: How can I structure bonus clauses in employment contracts to avoid future conflict?

Kate: One of the many things real estate and HR have in common is that they both rely on clarity.

Whether it’s a purchase agreement or a floor plan, details are crucial. Yet when it comes to employment contracts drafted by brokerages, teams or even single agents hiring an admin assistant, bonus structures are too often written with the legal equivalent of invisible ink. 

We have even heard that they have been specifically advised by consultants not to put any tangible definitions around bonuses into contracts. While the vagueness (“It’s just a discretionary bonus, we’ll figure it out later”) may seem harmless, figuring it out later carries the risk of a lawsuit down the road.

What about the courts? They won’t provide much sympathy to brokerages or agents. In Ontario and across Canada, judges treat brokerages the same way they treat banks, tech firms, or investment companies. A vague bonus clause can easily lead to a six-figure liability.

As Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory taught us while reinforcing the dreaded roommate agreement: “Ambiguity in a contract benefits the party that did not draft it.”

 

A few examples 

 

Take Chapman v. GPM Investment Management. The executive’s contract tied his bonus to “10 per cent of pretax profit.” Simple? Not at all. 

When the company sold a piece of real estate, it tried to exclude the capital gain from “profit.” The court disagreed, ruling that without crystal-clear exclusions, “profit” meant all profit, including a big land sale. 

Costly lesson: In real estate, where profits often swing on a single deal, fuzzy bonus definitions can make or break a balance sheet.

Or look at Matthews v. Ocean Nutrition and Paquette v. TeraGo Networks, two leading cases on bonuses during termination. Both decisions hammered home the point that, unless a contract clearly says otherwise, employees can claim bonuses they “would have earned” during their reasonable notice period. 

Imagine a brokerage manager terminated in November, only to claim a year’s worth of bonus payouts tied to the next spring’s sales surge. If your clause just says “must be actively employed,” that may not be enough.

Then there’s Boyer v. Callidus, where unclear policies on bonuses and stock options left a company paying nearly $1.8 million. Swap “stock options” for “profit-sharing pools” or “branch manager bonuses” and you can see the parallel: courts will force payouts if the language doesn’t explicitly cut them off.

 

Spell out bonus clauses like a business contract

 

Brokerages are unique workplaces. Besides agents, who work on commission splits, brokerages often pay staff, office managers, marketing coordinators, deal secretaries and even senior administrators a salary plus bonuses tied to retention, profitability, recruitment targets or profit sharing. These bonuses can be, and usually are, as informal as “If we hit X deals this quarter, you’ll get $Y.”

But what happens if that employee resigns mid-quarter? Or is it terminated before payouts? Without precise contract wording, Ontario courts will likely side with the employee, awarding the bonus (and possibly tacking on additional damages).

It’s easy to picture – a brokerage promises its office manager a “growth bonus” for every new agent recruited, but doesn’t define whether the bonus is payable immediately or only after the agent survives a retention period. Cue dispute.

Another common scenario: A branch administrator is told they’ll receive a “profit-share” at year-end, but the brokerage never clarifies whether “profit” means before or after head office expenses. Enter the Chapman precedent, and a costly recalculation.

The solution isn’t complicated; it just requires care. Bonus clauses in brokerage contracts should be drafted with the same precision as an Agreement of Purchase and Sale. Spell out:

  • What exactly triggers the bonus (specific KPIs, profit definitions, timelines).
  • Whether the employee must be employed on the payout date.
  • How disputes will be resolved.
  • Concrete examples of calculations (e.g., “If office profit is $500,000, bonus pool is $50,000, divided as follows…”).

Yes, it feels tedious. But so does staging a vacant property, and we all know buyers are more likely to pay top dollar for a home that looks complete. Courts are the same: they reward employers who “stage” their contracts properly.

Write it clearly. Put it in the contract. And save the surprises for your client gift baskets, not your bottom line.

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Koot: Thrive through change with a small business mindset https://realestatemagazine.ca/thinking-like-a-small-business-owner-in-a-shifting-real-estate-landscape/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/thinking-like-a-small-business-owner-in-a-shifting-real-estate-landscape/#respond Thu, 09 Oct 2025 09:04:34 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40503 Realtors are small business owners. Like entrepreneurs, they thrive by embracing constant learning, mentorship, and adaptability as the value proposition continues evolving

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In a recent Real Estate Magazine article, I discussed the idea of value proposition. I wrote about how the value proposition of Realtors, brokers, real estate boards and associations, and the sector have evolved. I also highlighted how the value proposition will continue to evolve. 

As I’ve reflected on that article and how Realtors and brokers can adapt to the inevitability of a changing value proposition, I’m also struck by an idea that I’ve had a hard time putting into words. 

I’ve long thought about the opportunity for Realtors to adopt the perspective of small business owners, because one, that’s exactly what they are, and two, business owners typically look at the world through a future-based lens. Considering the myriad external forces around them from the perspective of a business owner, rather than that of a salesperson or contractor, would shape the way Realtors react and adapt to the shifting environment. 

 

Inspiring the small-business owner mindset

 

So, in considering how to inspire this mindset, I thought I would lean on a personal project that I’ve enjoyed working on over the past year. As the host of my own podcast, I’ve spent well over 50 hours speaking to small business owners about their business journey. Having them share their experiences, struggles, successes, and lessons has been a true pleasure. But it’s also given me a lot of fodder for conversations related to my professional world in the real estate sector. 

Over the course of creating the podcast, I’ve noticed some “red threads” – themes that run throughout the conversations, no matter the size, scale, or type of business. I want to share these nine themes in the hope that they inspire Realtors to consider the changing value proposition from a different perspective.

 

1) Learning

 

There is consensus amongst my podcast guests that there is no formal education that can fully prepare you for the realities of business ownership. Owning a business is educational, and learning happens at every turn. There was even one story shared where two business partners agreed that a money-losing situation that resulted in lessons being learned would be tracked as “tuition” in the expense statement (I recommend speaking to your accountant before doing this). 

I think this concept can be appreciated in the real estate sector where no amount of licensing education can quite prepare you for the ins and outs of day-to-day business.

 

2) Mentorship

 

This comes up a lot. Sometimes, guests shared the strategy of engaging mentors intentionally, while others could simply identify those who guided them on their journey. This is another topic that comes up in the real estate sector, where formalized mentorship programs are often explored. 

As small business owners, Realtors appreciate the value of a mentor and most can identify who that individual has been for them.

 

3) Purpose before profit

 

This is probably my favourite theme and one that likely resonates with most listeners. For many (if not all) of my podcast guests, their primary motivation is the purpose of the business, not the money they make. They are all driven by why they started the business, and the profit comes only if they continue to be motivated by the purpose. 

I would say that Realtors already do this really well – focusing on their clients’ best interests as a priority over the commission cheque.

 

4) The human element

 

There is often a conflation of the business and the business owner – by employees, shareholders, consumers, and so on – which leads those around the business owner to forget that they are human. The truth is that business owners are heavily impacted by the difficult decisions they often have to make. 

Decisions are not made in the absence of emotion, and an appreciation of this humanizes the business owners to those around them.

 

5) Scaling

 

My guests and I often talk about growing the business. Sometimes the discussion focuses on growth strategies that didn’t work; sometimes it’s fear of growth; sometimes it’s effective scaling, whether planned or not. 

Considering scale rather than simply the pursuit of the next deal, client, or listing will give Realtors a perspective of strategic growth, rather than transactional growth.

 

6) Growing for growth’s sake 

 

This ties back to the scaling topic. It was something that I experienced, so I can relate when guests discuss it. 

Business owners need to measure business growth by a healthier bottom line or balance sheet rather than simply by the number of employees, size of the office building, or number of locations.

 

7) Throwing good money after bad

 

The idea of knowing when to abandon something that isn’t working – whether an expansion, a new product line, or even just the original business – comes up a lot. It can be difficult when a business doesn’t do what an owner expected, and even more difficult to change course.

Realtors invest in many different aspects of their business and get caught up in not wanting to abandon an initiative because they have already invested and want that investment to pay off. But sometimes it’s a necessary step to make room for the next successful endeavour.

 

8) Work/life integration

 

Business owners commit a lot of time to running their business and this often calls into question how they balance everything. In an early episode of the podcast, a guest shared this idea of work/life integration: It’s not about prioritizing the business over other things, such as family; it’s about integrating the business life with everything else. 

This idea has presented itself whenever the discussion of work/life balance comes up, and there may be no better example of it than the life of a Realtor.

 

9) The power of luck

 

This one is not discussed outright in any episode (I don’t think), but it is certainly a theme. There are so many instances in any business journey where luck plays a part, whether it is obvious at the time or not. 

I’m sure every one of the roughly 150 thousand Realtors across Canada can point to a happenstance, coincidence, or fluke that contributed to where they are today.

In my conversations with small business owners, I’m continually inspired by their strength, creativity, and adaptability. I see those same qualities in Realtors I meet across the country.

The value proposition is continuing to evolve, and a mindset shift like the one I’m speaking about will empower Realtors to adapt and become better positioned to thrive in the future.

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The housing market is returning — but only for those who are ready https://realestatemagazine.ca/the-housing-market-is-returning-but-only-for-the-ready/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/the-housing-market-is-returning-but-only-for-the-ready/#respond Wed, 08 Oct 2025 09:05:43 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40460 Interest rates are dipping. Confidence is building. Opportunity is forming. The question is: will you be ready when it arrives, or still waiting?

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It’s October. Interest rates dipped in September. Another drop is widely expected at the end of this month, and speculation is that we could even see a third before the end of the year. Economists are cautiously optimistic. And here’s what this means for you.

 

Now is your window

 

It’s not going to be obvious. You won’t suddenly wake up to headlines screaming “It’s back!” You’re not going to feel it until long after it’s already passed. But for the agents who are paying attention – the ones putting in the work right now – opportunity is already forming.

The question is: Will you be ready when it fully arrives? Or will you still be waiting for permission to go?

 

The writing’s on the wall

 

I’ve spoken one-on-one with three different economists over the past few weeks: Benjamin Tal, Sherry Cooper, and Jason Mercer. All of them – from different backgrounds, using different data – said a similar thing: we’re roughly 12 months out from a healthier housing cycle. One even suggested it’s coming sooner.

Sure, there are still headwinds – tariffs, the federal government changing our Canadian landscape and making it unrecognizable, plus buyers who are skeptical and sellers who are still emotionally stuck in 2021. But interest rates are slowly creeping down, and consumer confidence will return as that momentum builds.

Which means your moment to start making moves is right now. Not six months from now. Not after the holidays. Now!

 

Stop waiting. Start doing.

 

Agents love to tell me they’re waiting.

Waiting for the market to stabilize.
Waiting for their clients to make a move.
Waiting for a sign that now’s the right time.

But success doesn’t come to those who wait. It comes to those who build and work their pipeline now, so that when confidence returns, they’ve already positioned themselves as the trusted expert who never disappeared.

 

Here’s your checklist of action steps:

 

Pick up the phone

 

If you haven’t called your database in the past 30 days, you’re already falling behind. Your past clients, your warm leads, your sphere – they need to hear from you. Not a social media post. Not a random ad. You!

Call to educate, not to sell. Update them on rate changes. Help them understand market conditions. Ask how you can support them.

Don’t overthink what to say. This isn’t about having the perfect script. It’s about being present.

Pro Tip: The more you track the notes from each of your calls and communications with each person on your list, the easier it will be to carry the conversation the next time you see them. That leads to stronger rapport building, which leads to trust, which then sets you up for the opportunity to earn their deal.

If you say you don’t know what to say, I’ll say you don’t want to work hard enough to run your business the way you should be running it. And if that’s the case, get out of the business because you can’t last that way.

 

Audit your marketing

 

Marketing isn’t what you do when you’re busy. It’s what you do so you can be busy.

Too many agents are running marketing plans based on hope – sporadic social posts, a few templated emails, maybe a postcard if they remember.

Do you have a campaign running? Do you know your budget? Are you tracking conversions?

If you’re not treating marketing like your main driver for growth, you’re not serious about actually growing.

Every piece of content you put out – from a video to a CMA to a coffee meeting – is either building MindShare or it isn’t. And if it’s not? You’re just wasting time.

 

Fix your follow-up

 

This one’s blunt: most agents are garbage at follow-up.

They make a call once. Maybe twice. Then they move on because the client didn’t call them back.

In a recent conversation, someone actually compared Realtors to sharks. Realtors swim around and bump into stuff, asking, “Are you ready to buy/sell yet?”. And when the answer is no, they move on, and then at some point down the road, maybe, they swim back around and ask the same question again. 

But deals don’t happen on the first call, or because of a random sales call. Most buyers or sellers don’t convert until at least the fifth to twelfth touchpoint. Remember that!

You need a system. A real one. With CRM notes. With scheduled check-ins. With value built into every follow-up.

If your process is “hope they call me back,” then your pipeline will always be empty, and you will always be stressing about where your next deal is coming from.

 

Train your clients

 

A lot of the frustration in this market isn’t about economics. It’s about expectations.

Buyers think they can afford more than they can. Sellers still want 2022 prices. And agents feel stuck in the middle.

But you’re not stuck – unless you refuse to lead.

Your job is to communicate to educate. To set realistic expectations. To coach your clients through the process, not just show up and say “okay.”

If you don’t train your clients to understand the market, the media will train them for you – and you will continue to find it harder and harder to get those deals done.

 

Plan for 2026

 

That’s right. 2026.

What you do right now sets the tone for how you finish your year, and just as importantly how your new year will start off.

The most successful agents aren’t just winging it – they’ve got an engineered plan that helps them see what their next quarter will look like, and what their year ahead looks like. That’s a plan. So –

  • What does your brand look like a year from now?
  • What will your marketing campaigns be for the spring?
  • What are you doing today to ensure income consistency in 2026?

Planning that far out doesn’t mean having every step figured out. It means knowing the destination – so you can reverse engineer your daily behaviour to align with where you want to go.

Don’t just plan a little harder. Think bigger. Think longer. Make time to work on your 2026 business plan now so your pipeline is always full.

 

Final word: Your market is coming back — but only if you show up first

 

You don’t need a crystal ball. You just need to pay attention.

Yes, the past 18 months have been hard. Yes, the market’s been sluggish. But all signs are pointing to a shift.

So if you’ve been waiting for the go-ahead, this is it!

This is the time to rebuild your habits.
This is the time to reinforce your marketing.
This is the time to show up for your clients and re-establish trust.

Opportunity is already forming. And the people who’ll win in 2026 are already doing the work today.

Make your calls. Work on your business plan. And build your MindShare because it equals market share.

Don’t wait for the market to come back.

Be the reason it does!

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Foch: Why Toronto housing has yet to reach the bottom https://realestatemagazine.ca/foch-why-toronto-housing-has-yet-to-reach-the-bottom/ https://realestatemagazine.ca/foch-why-toronto-housing-has-yet-to-reach-the-bottom/#respond Mon, 06 Oct 2025 19:08:29 +0000 https://realestatemagazine.ca/?p=40463 Month-to-month, prices appear stable, but the broader trend is downward pressure as supply outpaces the ability of buyers to absorb it

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Don’t miss out—join us online for REM’s monthly market breakdown on Oct. 28 at 2 PM ET. REM, columnist Daniel Foch will analyze CREA’s latest stats, regional variations and what shifting sentiment means for Realtors—register here.

 

September’s housing data for the Greater Toronto Area released by the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) carried headlines that seemed to suggest improvement.

Sales were up 8.5 per cent compared with a year earlier, and the Bank of Canada’s September rate cut provided a modest lift to affordability. More households stepped back into the market as mortgage payments inched closer to reach, creating the impression that momentum is returning. Yet the deeper reading is less reassuring. Prices remain in retreat, listings continue to accumulate, and the time it takes to sell a property has stretched noticeably. The result is a market that looks busier but remains structurally imbalanced, as I pointed out in my op-ed for August’s numbers.

TRREB reported an average sale price of $1.06 million in September, down 4.7 per cent year-over-year. The MLS Home Price Index fell by 5.5 per cent, confirming that valuations are slipping. Month-to-month, prices appear stable, but the broader trend is downward pressure as supply outpaces the ability of buyers to absorb it.

 

Supply outpaces demand

 

The year-over-year summary reveals how fragile this apparent recovery is. Active listings climbed by nearly 19 per cent compared with September 2024, while sales increased by less than half that pace. New listings edged up only 3.9 per cent, meaning more homes are stagnating on the market and have driven the total inventory to 29,394. As Valery agent Robert Marsiglio illustrated in a chart shared on X (given below), September 2025 ranked as the second busiest September for new listings across the GTA in the past decade. Homes are also taking longer to sell, with the average listing period increasing from 27 to 33 days and property days on market stretching from 42 to 51.

 

 

Earlier today, I tweeted that no serious discussion of a bottom can take place while supply continues to rise faster than demand. Until that imbalance shifts, prices are unlikely to stabilize with any permanence.

 

 

Uneven geographies

 

The breakdown by home type illustrates just how uneven the correction has become. Detached sales rose 9.6 per cent year-over-year, yet average prices fell 5.1 per cent. Semi-detached homes saw an 11 per cent increase in sales, with prices down 6.8 per cent. Condominiums recorded a 7.2 per cent gain in sales while prices slipped 4.3 per cent.

One segment stands apart. Townhouse sales in the 416 soared nearly 40 per cent compared with last year, the strongest growth of any category. Prices still declined by almost five per cent, but the sharp rise in transactions signals a clear buyer preference for ground-oriented homes that remain relatively more affordable than detached properties while offering more space and utility than a condominium.

The divergence between the 416 and 905 regions further underscores the imbalance. Detached home prices in the city declined by less than one per cent, while suburban detached properties fell by 7.2 per cent. Central locations show relative resilience, while suburban markets face a steeper adjustment. The leap in townhouse demand within Toronto proper points to an enduring appetite for “missing middle” housing, even as other segments struggle to find stability.

 

 

Policy, economics and the fragility of confidence

 

All of this is unfolding against a difficult economic backdrop. GDP contracted by 1.6 per cent in the second quarter, and unemployment in Toronto has climbed to nine per cent. Inflation has cooled to 1.7 per cent, which gives the Bank of Canada space to continue easing, but households remain wary. Even with slightly lower borrowing costs, buyers are pressing harder in negotiations, fully aware that inventory levels tilt the leverage in their favour.

TRREB is right that lower rates stimulate spending and provide some cushioning for the broader economy. Yet reliance on monetary easing to prop up sales activity is a poor substitute for structural balance. A housing market that functions only when rates are falling reflects deeper problems of affordability and income stagnation.

 

What comes next

 

The path forward will hinge on whether demand can sustainably absorb the surge of listings. Additional rate cuts may add momentum, but they cannot alone correct the oversupply or rebuild seller confidence. Policymakers and builders will need to confront the alignment of new supply with true affordability rather than perpetuating cycles of overhang and retrenchment.

For buyers, this remains a rare period of leverage. Choice is abundant, timelines are extended, and sellers are adjusting expectations downward. September’s data reinforce a clear point. Toronto’s housing market has not yet found its bottom, and until supply and demand converge, recovery will remain more appearance than reality.

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