Home prices were up slightly in the city of Toronto and down in the surrounding GTA regions. This dichotomy reflects the fact that the condominium segment, which accounted for a large proportion of sales, performed better from a pricing perspective than detached homes.
Multi-family homes – namely townhomes and condos – led the way in price growth among resale homes in the GTA in 2018, according to the latest statistics from the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB).
Overall, the average selling price for the year was $787,300, down 4.3 per cent, while sales declined 16.1 per cent from 2017.
Home prices were up slightly in the city of Toronto and down in the surrounding GTA regions. This dichotomy reflects the fact that the condominium segment, which accounted for a large proportion of sales, performed better from a pricing perspective than detached homes. The average price for condominium sales across the TREB market area was up by 7.8 per cent year-over-year.
Higher borrowing costs
“Higher borrowing costs coupled with the new mortgage stress test certainly prompted some households to temporarily move to the sidelines to reassess their housing options,” says Garry Bhaura, TREB president. “It is important to note that market conditions were improved in the second half of the year, both from a sales and pricing standpoint.”
“After spiking in 2017, new listings receded markedly in 2018,” adds Jason Mercer, TREB’s director of Market Analysis and Service Channels. “In many neighbourhoods, despite fewer sales from a historic perspective, some buyers still struggled to find a home meeting their needs. The result was a resumption of a moderate year-over-year pace of home price growth in the second half of the year. Price growth was strongest for less-expensive home types, as many home buyers sought more affordable home ownership options.”
Outlook Report
TREB will be releasing its fourth annual Market Year-in-Review and Outlook Report on Feb 6, featuring the latest results from the Ipsos surveys of existing homeowners and intending homebuyers. The report will also contain information on the new home market and other analyses.
GTA average prices by home type, yr/yr % change
Condominiums
416: $594,381, 11.4%
905: $454,135, 5.8%
Total: $554,497, 9.9%
Townhomes
416: $714,456, 10%
905: $591,851, 2.9%
Total: $624,042, 5.3%
Semi-detached
416: $939,859, 4%
905: $661, 186, 3.9%
Total: $755,707, 3.2%
Detached
416: $1.14 million, -8%
905: $891,095, -2.2%
Total: $945,580, -4.4%
