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How Did the Toronto Real Estate Market Perform in 2018?

By Monthly Market Updates

How Did the Toronto Real Estate Market Perform in 2018?

2018 wasn’t much of a record-shattering year, and I don’t think anyone should be very surprised by the outcome! As we forecasted at the start of it, 2017 hit new heights in the city – and keeping on pace in 2018 would be nearly impossible. But that doesn’t make 2018 a disaster either. In fact, 2018 was a more balanced and easier to navigate market than in years past… so with that being said, let’s take a closer look at what happened!

Average Prices in Toronto for 2018

The average price of real estate in Toronto for 2018 was $783,082! There was a two-way tie for the highest average price with June and October both clearing $807,000. $736,783 marked the lowest average price and was set in January. Compared to 2017, the overall average price in Toronto declined by 2.85% or $23,000.

Total Number of Listings In Toronto for 2018

The busiest month of 2018 was May with more than 19,000 properties coming to market. As impressive as the number sounds, we were still 6,000 properties short of the 25,000 listings reached in May 2017. The slowest month for new listings was December with only 4,300 coming to market and was expected with the seasonal slowdown during the holidays.

Total Number of Sales

In total, we had 77,909 sales in 2018. That represented a sharp drop of 15,249 fewer sales (16%) compared to the 93,158 sales in 2017.

Days On Market In Toronto for 2018

It took 25 days (on average) for properties to sell in Toronto. From March to June that number went down to just 20 days, and in January and December, it went up to 30 days.

 

A Summary of 2018

To better understand 2018, we have to start back in 2017!

2017 was a pivotal year in the city, reaching historical highs for both prices and the number of properties sold. The driving source of the price appreciation in the market was the soaring prices for detached homes throughout the first part of the year. At its height, detached homes were selling for more than $1,500,000. Affordability coupled with buyer fatigue, government intervention and changes to mortgage lending resulted in a swift cool down from May to August. We saw prices start to pick back up from September to year end, but never quite reaching the highs we saw earlier in the year.

At the beginning of 2018, we cautioned that the media would focus solely on “Year over Year” comparisons. We also forecasted that the numbers wouldn’t be as strong as in 2017, and to expect sharp contrasts between the two years. It’s hard to get a real sense of where the market is at if you’re only comparing against a record-breaking year (and the same is true if we were to compare it with a less than stellar year). For this reason, we also added analysis of the three-month trend for each segment and gained a more accurate look at the direction of the market!

Prices of detached homes proved to be a double-edged sword. As they cut through the headlines of 2017 and boosted the monthly averages – they did the opposite in 2018, performing like more of an anchor bringing prices and overall averages down.

Detached homes experienced the biggest price decline in 2018. Prices were down by $76,000 on average (a 5.5% decrease year over year) to just $1,307,604.

On the other side of the scale, condo prices helped the market maintain its pace and took the top awards in several categories.

Condos represented the best-performing segment of the year – up 9.4% (from January-December 2018), they had the highest year over year appreciation – up 9% (or $49,900) and also recorded the highest number of sales at 16,348!

Townhouses started off strong, nearly tieing the 2017 record-setting price of $793,129 by recording a high of $792,180 in April of 2018. But from there on out, prices started shifting down with prices ending the year at $714,456.

In 2018, the Semi-Detached market caught our attention the most… and we think they’re going to continue to be the segment to watch in 2019! From January to November, prices have gone up by over 13% (even higher than condos). There are two main reasons for the sharp appreciation: Price Point and Housing style.

1. Price Point – semis have been hovering around the million dollar mark throughout the year. In many parts of the city, you can still buy a semi for less than a million dollars. This gives buyers the flexibility to purchase with less than 20% down (something that can’t be done with houses priced over a million). Even at the million dollar mark, semi’s represent a housing style (with land and a backyard) for much less than the detached average of $1.3 million!

2. Housing Style – Most people start the property ladder single, and in a condo. As they partner up and move up the ladder, a house is typically the next step. We think that as more condo owners trade up, demand for houses will increase (as we partially saw in 2017). The semi represents a more affordable option and smaller price gap when compared to a detached home. Most semi’s also come with 3 or more bedrooms. Bungalows (at times can be priced in the same range as semis) often times only offer 2 bedrooms. For those who want the space and style of a house but without the higher price found in the detached market – the semi is our pick best-appreciating segment in 2019!

Individual Market Performance by Segment

Detached Houses

Average Price: $1,307,604
Yearly Percent Change: -5.51%
Yearly Dollar Amount Change: -76,207.58

Yearly High: May $1,426,094
Yearly Low: December $1,145,892

Semi-Detached Houses

Average Price: $991,105
Yearly Percent Change: +1.75%
Yearly Dollar Amount Change: +$17,081.50

Yearly High: May $1,067,128
Yearly Low: August $891,208

Townhouses

Average Price: $738,458
Yearly Percent Change: +3.56%
Yearly Dollar Amount Change: +$25,407.17

Yearly High: April $792,180
Yearly Low: January $712,186

Condos

Average Price: $590,832
Yearly Percent Change: +9.03%
Yearly Dollar Amount Change: +$48,936.67

Yearly High: September $615,582
Yearly Low: January $543,279

 

The Most Expensive Condos In Toronto for 2018

By Luxury Real Estate

How Many Luxury Condos Sold In Toronto For 2018?

From sprawling terraces, private wine cellars and even a penthouse with its own “backyard in the sky”… the luxury condo market in Toronto saw 28 suites sell for more than $3,500,000!

Leading this years list of most expensive condos in Toronto was an $8,000,000 penthouse that sold at the Shangri-La. In second place was $7,900,000 sale at The St. Regis Residences (formerly known as the Trump Hotel) followed by a $5,750,000 sale at the Residents of the Ritz Carlton.

The average price for a luxury condo in Toronto was just over $4,500,000.

How Much Was The Most Expensive Condo in Toronto for 2018

Shangri-La Penthouse

The most expensive condo sale in Toronto took place at the Shangri-La Residences in downtown Toronto. The three bedroom, two level penthouse featured 3415 sq.ft. of interior space and a private sky-high backyard measuring in at 1565 sq.ft. The penthouse was the last of four to sell at the Shangri-La and set the record for most expensive condo in Toronto at $8,000,000.

We toured the unit before it sold and absolutely loved the everything it offered – from its white oak chevron flooring to the gas fireplace wrapped in Calacatta marble… Check out more photos below!

Which Luxury Buildings in Toronto Had The Most Sales

In 2017, the bulk of sales occurred at The Four Seasons Residences, but in 2018 there was a five-way tie spread out over several buildings. 88 Davenport (The Florian), 183 Wellington (The Ritz Residence), 1 St. Thomas, 200 Russel Hill and back again for another year The Four Seasons Residences each recorded three sales over $3,500,000!

Which Luxury Buildings Had The Highest Maintenance Fees

A penthouse at the Hazelton Lanes Private Residences recorded the highest maintenance fees at a monthly rate of $6211.82/month. The same unit also made the list for the largest terrace, measuring in at 3507 sq.ft!  

Which Million Dollar Condo Had The Most Amount Of Parking Spaces?

The penthouse at Theatre Park offered the most amount of parking spots with 4. The penthouse took up the entire 47th floor and featured a 360-degree 2,100 Sq.Ft. wrap-around terrace.

How Long Did it Take for Luxury Condos to Sell in Toronto?

On average it took about 40 days for these condos to sell. The longest took 185 days, and the shortest was sold in just one day!

Where Are The Majority of Luxury Condos Located in Toronto?

The majority of condos that sold for more than $3,500,000 were located in the downtown core and the majority of them in the Yorkville neighbourhood. The Residences of the Ritz Carlton and the St. Regis Hotel were two other two popular buildings located on both the east and west sides of the core!

Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik Iceland

Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik Iceland

By Toronto

Iceland is home to many things… waterfalls, lagoons, and even really, really, realllllly good hotdogs – but did you know, it’s also where you’ll find one of the BEST DESIGNED BUILDINGS IN THE WORLD!

Located in downtown Reykjavik, The Harpa Concert Hall (as it is officially known) is home to the Iceland Symphony Orchestra and the Icelandic Opera. It has four large halls – the largest can accommodate up to 1800 seats. But it’s size alone isn’t the only reason why you can’t miss it… the envelope of the building is wrapped with 714 uniquely shaped glass panels, each giving off a different colour or shade depending on how the light hits it! It is also the proud winner of the prestigious European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture – Mies van der Rohe Award, the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation beating 335 other works from 37 European countries!

The History of The Harpa 

The hall was designed in collaboration with Danish-Icelandic artist Ólafur Elíasson along with his Studio, and the Danish firm Henning Larsen Architects who also built the Opera House in Copenhagen. 

Harpa celebrated its opening with a concert on May 4th, 2011 – but its rise to fame started much earlier.  Construction started in 2007, and at that time the plan was to build an  “Icelandic World Trade Center” complete with hotels and luxury apartments. But then the financial crisis hit in 2008, and deeply impacted the country.  Things got so bad that the project was essentially put on hold and sat half finished. Thankfully Icelandic Government stepped in to save the project and funded it to completion.

According to the Grayline Iceland blog, the hall got its unique name through a public competition:  Over 1,200 residents entered over 4,000 names. The winning name, Harpa, is an Old Icelandic word that refers to a time of year, and it is also a month in the old Nordic calendar, and the first day of the month of ‘Harpa’ as it was known was the first day of summer.

Visiting The Harpa Concert Hall

After crossing waterfalls, and hot-springs from your to-do list, be sure to include a stop at The Harpa.  It’s free to visit, though access to certain areas may be restricted while events are being held. It shouldn’t take more than an hour to see, and offers a warm refuge from the windy Reykjavik streets!

Visiting The Harpa for your first time is much like walking into a giant igloo (much warmer of course)! The sheer size of the place is incredible, and the transparent walls allow for some spectacular views of the bay and mountains in the distance.  The ceilings are capped with reflective mirrors that further distort the sense of space inside the Hall. You’ll be in awe at the architectural and engineering marvel that went into its construction… but if “world-class design” isn’t your thing, there’s also a restaurant and gift shop (complete with furry hats) – as well as guided tours of the Hall.

Prior to visiting Iceland, I had no idea the Harpa even existed.  With all that the country has to offer, visiting “another building” never really registered on the itinerary of things to do – but after seeing it’s beauty first hand, I’d highly recommend it as something everybody should see while in Iceland… below are some of the other sights we took in while on the trip:

 


Loft Purchase

By Testimonials

 

Mark inspires a level of trust and confidence during one of life’s most challenging and risky moments, namely the purchase of a new home. Add to that risk the complexity of buying in Toronto’s market and the situation can lead to a roller coaster ride. Mark’s knowledge of Toronto’s market, his professionalism, calm and strong interpersonal skills are just what I needed in getting back into the market after 15 years. He understood my needs so well that I bought the first home he showed me after he steered me away from a lovely home with what proved a sketchy renovation that I had first seen on my own. My new home is utterly gorgeous and suits my lifestyle and creativity to a tee. It is a total pleasure working with a professional like Mark Savel and I will work with him again if I buy a third property.

– Cass

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

The Most Expensive Condo Buildings in Toronto for 2017

By Luxury Real Estate

30 Toronto Condos Sold For More Than $3.5 Million in 2017

It was a roller coster of a year for real estate prices in Toronto in 2017! In the housing market, things started out strong throughout the first quarter with a lot of the momentum pouring over from the little supply we saw in 2016 – but prices for homes quickly leveled off starting in April and continued throughout the remainder of the year. The condo market in general remained a “hot ticket item” and saw great growth throughout 2017… that too was true in the luxury condo market.

In our second year of covering sales in the luxury condo market, we saw a 36% increase in the number of condos selling over $3.5 million in Toronto – reaching 30 suites sold in 2017 vs the 22 sold in 2016! 

And it wasn’t just sales numbers that were up – prices were too.

How Much Was The Most Expensive Sale?

The most expensive condo sale recorded in 2017 was $11,500,000 (or $1900/sq.ft.) nearly double the $6,000,000 record of 2016. The 6000 sq.ft. plus penthouse, located in Yorkville came complete with a private pool, hot tub, and private roof top terrace with panoramic views.

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

Which Luxury Buildings in Toronto Had The Most Sales? 

The Four Seasons Private Residences had the most amount of sales on this years list with 5 luxury condos being sold in 2017. The Residences At The Ritz Carlton and the Imperial Plaza came in second with two sales over $3.5 million in each.  In 2016, 36 The Hazelton, had two sales on the list, but none clearing $3.5 million in 2017.

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

The majority of the sales took place in the Annex/Yorkville neighbourhood, with 14 sales recorded. The C01 Waterfront came in second with 5, followed by Rosedale-Moore Park with 4 sales.

What Was The Sold Price to List Price Ratio?

The average sale, sold at 95% of its list price, meaning there was about 5% negotiating room.

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

What Were The Average Days on Market for Luxury Condos in Toronto?

On average it took about 75 days for these higher end condos to sell.  The fastest sold in 2 days and the longest was technically a hold over from 2016, sitting for 410 days!

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

How Much Was The Highest Maintenance in 2017 For these Luxury Condos?

The highest fee was $6135/month + Heat, A/C and Hydro but also included a private roof top terrace, pool, hot tub, and 4 parking spaces.! The lowest was $1,675.98 and did not include parking.

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

With Luxury Prices, Comes Luxury Taxes

The city took in their fair share of taxes from these high end condos! The average amount paid between the 30 was $22,841/year.  The highest of the lot was $64,758 and the lowest was $7,650!

Most Expensive Condos of 2017

Shangri-La Penthouse

The Shangri-La Toronto Penthouse Collection

By Architecture, Luxury Real Estate

Rise above it all at the penthouses of the Shangri-La in downtown Toronto! With the help of  Kristen Duern from Chestnut Park Real Estate Limited, Brokerage and Anthony Lavignasse from Fixed Exposure, we took a tour of these super exclusive spaces to bring you inside the Penthouses of the Shangri-La!

Shangri-La Penthouse

Shangri-La Penthouse

Imagine coming home to one of four, 2 level penthouses that can only be described as something out of a fairytale… except in this story, the glass slipper is a glass and steel staircase, complete with a Boffi Italian kitchen to cook up and left over pumpkin! 

Penthouse 6501 measures in at just under 5000 sq.ft (including terrace). I instantly fell in love with the white oak, chevron flooring and the triple sided gas fireplace, – bookmatched with Calacatta stone in the living room!

Living Room and Fireplace

Shangri-La Penthouse

Dining Room

Flanked between the Living and Kitchen area is the Dining Room.  The open concept space opens up to the 1,500 sq.ft. outdoor terrace and is the centre focal point of the main level.  My eyes were instantly hooked on the cherry blossom chandelier by Swarovski!

Shangri-La Penthouse

Kitchen and Family Room

And now for my favorite part of any home… the kitchen! This kitchen featured Boffi Italian walnut cabinetry, matching corian countertop and backsplash along with a Miele built-in coffee maker.  Miele appliances were also used for the speed oven, steam oven, wall oven and gas cooktop. The Sub-Zero fridge and freezer are seamlessly integrated to match the look and feel of the space. The open concept layout spills over and into the spacious family room.

Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse

Terrace

The terrace can be accessed from both the family and dining room.  At over 1500 sq.ft. the space features Basalt stone pavers, Gas BBQ with stone countertop and under counter fridge, a jacuzzi along with landscaping and even a irrigation system.  One element many don’t think about when this high up is the wind! Especially in downtown Toronto, being this high can present its own set of challenges. The architects and engineers solved this by including massive glass walls, spanning nearly to floors high.  The thick glass provides safety from below and gives owners use of the space, practically year round!

Shangri-La Penthouse

Upper Level

At over 1600s sq.ft. the second level can be reached by private ensuite elevator, or the gorgeous glass stair case! Upstairs is where you’ll find the three bedrooms. Each feature a variety of finishes from the white oak chevron flooring, to Calacatta heated marble and even Boffi walnut cabinetry… oh, and VIEWS!!!

Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse

Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse Shangri-La Penthouse

Additional Features and Price

Each penthouse comes with a triple car garage, motorized sun shades, built in ceiling speakers, valet and limousine services! Penthouse 6501 is currently listed for $9,332,500 and has monthly maintenance fees of $2,878.22.