TB Realty Group Market Stats - February 2024

Market Update

GTAREALTORSRELEASE FebruarySTATS

TORONTO, ONTARIO,

March 5, 2024 – Greater Toronto Area (GTA) home sales and newlistingswereuponanannualandmonthlybasisinFebruary2024.Sellingprices also edged upward compared to a year earlier. Population growth and a resilient regional economy continued to support the overall demand for housing. Higher borrowingcostskepthomesalesbelowtheFebruarysalesrecordreachedin2021.“We have recently seen a resurgence in sales activity compared to last year. The market assumptionisthattheBankofCanadahasfinishedhikingrates.Consumersarenow anticipatingratecutsinthenearfuture.Agrowingnumberofhomebuyershavealso come to terms with elevated mortgage rates over the past two years. To minimize highermonthlypayments,somebuyershavelikelysavedupalargerdownpayment, chosentopurchasealess-expensivehometypeand/orlookedtoadifferentlocationin theGTA,”saidTRREBPresidentJenniferPearce.

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 year over-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

GTA MARKET UPDATE

MISSISSAUGA MARKET UPDATE

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TORONTO MARKET UPDATE

VAUGHAN MARKET UPDATE

DURHAM MARKET UPDATE

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