GTA REALTORS® RELEASE MONTHLY RESALE HOUSING MARKET FIGURES
www.TREBhome.com
Page 1 of 3
TORONTO, ONTARIO, January 5, 2017 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Larry
Cerqua announced that 2016 was a second consecutive record year for home sales.
Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 113,133 home sales through TREB’s MLS®
System – up by 11.8 per cent compared to 2015. The calendar year 2016 result included
5,338 sales in December – an annual increase of 8.6 per cent.
The strongest annual rate of sales growth in 2016 was experienced for condominium
apartments followed by detached homes.
“A relatively strong regional economy, low unemployment and very low borrowing costs
kept the demand for ownership housing strong in the GTA, as the region’s population
continued to grow in 2016,” said Mr. Cerqua.
“It is important to point out that the strong demand that we experienced in 2016 was very
much domestic in nature. TREB recently commissioned Ipsos to survey its Members with
regard to the level and type of foreign buying activity within the Greater Toronto Area. The
results of the Ipsos survey suggest that the level of foreign buying activity is low in the
GTA. Only an estimated 4.9 per cent of GTA transactions, in which TREB Members acted
on behalf of a buyer, involved a foreign purchaser. In the City of Toronto, the share of
foreign buyers was five per cent,” continued Mr. Cerqua.
TREB will be releasing the full results of the Ipsos survey dealing with foreign buyers on
January 31, 2017, in conjunction with its Market Year in Review and Outlook Report and
related media event.
The annual rate of growth for the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) in the TREB market area
accelerated throughout 2016 – from 10.7 per cent in January 2016 to 21 per cent in
December 2016. The overall average selling price for calendar year 2016 was $729,922 –
up 17.3 per cent compared to 2015. The pace of the annual rate of growth for the average
selling price also picked up throughout the year, including a climb of 20 per cent in
December.
“Price growth accelerated throughout 2016 as the supply of listings remained very
constrained. Active listings at the end of December were at their lowest point in a decade-
and-a-half. Total new listings for 2016 were down by almost four per cent. In 2016, we
saw policy changes and policy debates pointed at the demand side of the market. If we
want to see a sustained moderation in the pace of price growth, what we really need is
NEWS RELEASE
www.TREBhome.com
Page 2 of 3
-30-
more policy focus on issues impacting the lack of homes available for sale,” said Jason
Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis.
TREB’s Market Year in Review and Outlook Report and media event will include an expert
panel and related submissions on the foundations of the housing supply issue in the GTA
and possible solutions.
With continued strong rates of price growth, housing affordability is a growing concern.
Unfortunately, the City of Toronto’s Budget Committee is considering an increase to the
Land Transfer Tax that could see buyers of average-priced homes pay another $750 to
the City, which would represent a seven per cent increase to the $11,000 that they already
pay City Hall as an upfront Land Transfer Tax closing cost. This would be on top of the
$12,000 that is also paid to the province. First-time buyers could end up paying $475
more, or, at best, be no better off, even though the province recently doubled their first
time buyer LTT rebate.
“The last thing people need is to dish out another $750, on top of the $11,000 that they
already pay City Hall. The City should be looking for ways to make housing affordability
better, not worse, especially for first-time buyers who could go backwards, or at best, be
no better off,” said Mr. Cerqua. “The Budget Committee should stop this proposal in its
tracks and instead enhance the rebate for first-time buyers.”
Summary	
  of	
  TorontoMLS	
  Sales	
  and	
  Average	
  Price	
  -­‐	
  Calendar	
  Year	
  
	
  
2016	
   2015	
  
	
  
Sales	
  
Average	
  
Price	
  
New	
  
Listings	
   Sales	
  
Average	
  
Price	
  
New	
  
Listings	
  
City	
  of	
  Toronto	
  
("416")	
   41,126	
   $740,685	
   58,648	
   37,298	
   $659,165	
   64,708	
  
Rest	
  of	
  GTA	
  ("905")	
   72,007	
   $723,774	
   95,618	
   63,915	
   $600,504	
   95,744	
  
GTA	
   113,133	
   $729,922	
   154,266	
   101,213	
   $622,121	
   160,452	
  
TorontoMLS	
  Sales	
  &	
  Average	
  Price	
  	
  By	
  Home	
  Type	
  -­‐	
  Calendar	
  Year	
  2016	
  
	
  
Sales	
   Average	
  Price	
  
	
  
416	
   905	
   Total	
   416	
   905	
   Total	
  
Detached	
   12,354	
   41,363	
   53,717	
   $1,252,069	
   $891,856	
   $974,698	
  
Yr./Yr.	
  %	
  Change	
   3.1%	
   12.9%	
   10.5%	
   19.5%	
   22.5%	
   20.8%	
  
Semi-­‐Detached	
   3,441	
   7,181	
   10,622	
   $861,967	
   $583,542	
   $673,738	
  
Yr./Yr.	
  %	
  Change	
   -­‐5.5%	
   9.4%	
   4.1%	
   17.1%	
   18.4%	
   16.2%	
  
www.TREBhome.com
Page 3 of 3
-30-
Townhouse	
   4,139	
   12,912	
   17,051	
   $627,690	
   $528,143	
   $552,307	
  
Yr./Yr.	
  %	
  Change	
   4.1%	
   9.0%	
   7.7%	
   15.7%	
   17.6%	
   16.8%	
  
Condo	
  Apartment	
   20,860	
   8,867	
   29,727	
   $443,563	
   $352,002	
   $416,252	
  
Yr./Yr.	
  %	
  Change	
   19.9%	
   21.1%	
   20.3%	
   9.4%	
   10.8%	
   9.7%	
  
December	
  2016	
  Year-­‐Over-­‐Year	
  Per	
  Cent	
  Change	
  in	
  the	
  MLS®	
  HPI	
  
	
  	
  
Composite	
  
(All	
  Types)	
  
Single-­‐
Family	
  
Detached	
  
Single-­‐
Family	
  
Attached	
  
Townhouse	
   Apartment	
  
TREB	
  Total	
   21.05%	
   23.25%	
   22.13%	
   20.38%	
   15.24%	
  
Halton	
  Region	
   20.95%	
   21.14%	
   21.98%	
   19.19%	
   -­‐	
  
Peel	
  Region	
   22.12%	
   22.49%	
   23.88%	
   20.55%	
   17.22%	
  
City	
  of	
  
Toronto	
   17.55%	
   20.22%	
   18.08%	
   19.41%	
   14.76%	
  
York	
  Region	
   25.24%	
   27.46%	
   24.55%	
   17.46%	
   13.82%	
  
Durham	
  
Region	
   26.43%	
   26.25%	
   26.41%	
   28.11%	
   23.70%	
  
Orangeville	
   25.09%	
   25.50%	
   24.90%	
   -­‐	
   -­‐	
  
South	
  Simcoe	
  
County1
	
  
24.44%	
   25.05%	
   24.68%	
   -­‐	
   -­‐	
  
1
South	
  Simcoe	
  includes	
  Adjala-­‐Tosorontio,	
  Bradford	
  West	
  Gwillimbury,	
  Essa,	
  Innisfil	
  and	
  New	
  Tecumseth	
  
	
  
Media Inquiries:
Mary Gallagher, Senior Manager Public Affairs
(416) 443-8158 maryg@trebnet.com
Greater Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They are governed by a strict Code of Ethics and share a state-
of-the-art Multiple Listing Service. Over 46,000 residential and commercial TREB Members serve consumers in the Greater
Toronto Area. TREB is Canada’s largest real estate board.

December 2016 Market Watch

  • 1.
    GTA REALTORS® RELEASEMONTHLY RESALE HOUSING MARKET FIGURES www.TREBhome.com Page 1 of 3 TORONTO, ONTARIO, January 5, 2017 – Toronto Real Estate Board President Larry Cerqua announced that 2016 was a second consecutive record year for home sales. Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 113,133 home sales through TREB’s MLS® System – up by 11.8 per cent compared to 2015. The calendar year 2016 result included 5,338 sales in December – an annual increase of 8.6 per cent. The strongest annual rate of sales growth in 2016 was experienced for condominium apartments followed by detached homes. “A relatively strong regional economy, low unemployment and very low borrowing costs kept the demand for ownership housing strong in the GTA, as the region’s population continued to grow in 2016,” said Mr. Cerqua. “It is important to point out that the strong demand that we experienced in 2016 was very much domestic in nature. TREB recently commissioned Ipsos to survey its Members with regard to the level and type of foreign buying activity within the Greater Toronto Area. The results of the Ipsos survey suggest that the level of foreign buying activity is low in the GTA. Only an estimated 4.9 per cent of GTA transactions, in which TREB Members acted on behalf of a buyer, involved a foreign purchaser. In the City of Toronto, the share of foreign buyers was five per cent,” continued Mr. Cerqua. TREB will be releasing the full results of the Ipsos survey dealing with foreign buyers on January 31, 2017, in conjunction with its Market Year in Review and Outlook Report and related media event. The annual rate of growth for the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) in the TREB market area accelerated throughout 2016 – from 10.7 per cent in January 2016 to 21 per cent in December 2016. The overall average selling price for calendar year 2016 was $729,922 – up 17.3 per cent compared to 2015. The pace of the annual rate of growth for the average selling price also picked up throughout the year, including a climb of 20 per cent in December. “Price growth accelerated throughout 2016 as the supply of listings remained very constrained. Active listings at the end of December were at their lowest point in a decade- and-a-half. Total new listings for 2016 were down by almost four per cent. In 2016, we saw policy changes and policy debates pointed at the demand side of the market. If we want to see a sustained moderation in the pace of price growth, what we really need is NEWS RELEASE
  • 2.
    www.TREBhome.com Page 2 of3 -30- more policy focus on issues impacting the lack of homes available for sale,” said Jason Mercer, TREB’s Director of Market Analysis. TREB’s Market Year in Review and Outlook Report and media event will include an expert panel and related submissions on the foundations of the housing supply issue in the GTA and possible solutions. With continued strong rates of price growth, housing affordability is a growing concern. Unfortunately, the City of Toronto’s Budget Committee is considering an increase to the Land Transfer Tax that could see buyers of average-priced homes pay another $750 to the City, which would represent a seven per cent increase to the $11,000 that they already pay City Hall as an upfront Land Transfer Tax closing cost. This would be on top of the $12,000 that is also paid to the province. First-time buyers could end up paying $475 more, or, at best, be no better off, even though the province recently doubled their first time buyer LTT rebate. “The last thing people need is to dish out another $750, on top of the $11,000 that they already pay City Hall. The City should be looking for ways to make housing affordability better, not worse, especially for first-time buyers who could go backwards, or at best, be no better off,” said Mr. Cerqua. “The Budget Committee should stop this proposal in its tracks and instead enhance the rebate for first-time buyers.” Summary  of  TorontoMLS  Sales  and  Average  Price  -­‐  Calendar  Year     2016   2015     Sales   Average   Price   New   Listings   Sales   Average   Price   New   Listings   City  of  Toronto   ("416")   41,126   $740,685   58,648   37,298   $659,165   64,708   Rest  of  GTA  ("905")   72,007   $723,774   95,618   63,915   $600,504   95,744   GTA   113,133   $729,922   154,266   101,213   $622,121   160,452   TorontoMLS  Sales  &  Average  Price    By  Home  Type  -­‐  Calendar  Year  2016     Sales   Average  Price     416   905   Total   416   905   Total   Detached   12,354   41,363   53,717   $1,252,069   $891,856   $974,698   Yr./Yr.  %  Change   3.1%   12.9%   10.5%   19.5%   22.5%   20.8%   Semi-­‐Detached   3,441   7,181   10,622   $861,967   $583,542   $673,738   Yr./Yr.  %  Change   -­‐5.5%   9.4%   4.1%   17.1%   18.4%   16.2%  
  • 3.
    www.TREBhome.com Page 3 of3 -30- Townhouse   4,139   12,912   17,051   $627,690   $528,143   $552,307   Yr./Yr.  %  Change   4.1%   9.0%   7.7%   15.7%   17.6%   16.8%   Condo  Apartment   20,860   8,867   29,727   $443,563   $352,002   $416,252   Yr./Yr.  %  Change   19.9%   21.1%   20.3%   9.4%   10.8%   9.7%   December  2016  Year-­‐Over-­‐Year  Per  Cent  Change  in  the  MLS®  HPI       Composite   (All  Types)   Single-­‐ Family   Detached   Single-­‐ Family   Attached   Townhouse   Apartment   TREB  Total   21.05%   23.25%   22.13%   20.38%   15.24%   Halton  Region   20.95%   21.14%   21.98%   19.19%   -­‐   Peel  Region   22.12%   22.49%   23.88%   20.55%   17.22%   City  of   Toronto   17.55%   20.22%   18.08%   19.41%   14.76%   York  Region   25.24%   27.46%   24.55%   17.46%   13.82%   Durham   Region   26.43%   26.25%   26.41%   28.11%   23.70%   Orangeville   25.09%   25.50%   24.90%   -­‐   -­‐   South  Simcoe   County1   24.44%   25.05%   24.68%   -­‐   -­‐   1 South  Simcoe  includes  Adjala-­‐Tosorontio,  Bradford  West  Gwillimbury,  Essa,  Innisfil  and  New  Tecumseth     Media Inquiries: Mary Gallagher, Senior Manager Public Affairs (416) 443-8158 maryg@trebnet.com Greater Toronto REALTORS® are passionate about their work. They are governed by a strict Code of Ethics and share a state- of-the-art Multiple Listing Service. Over 46,000 residential and commercial TREB Members serve consumers in the Greater Toronto Area. TREB is Canada’s largest real estate board.