■This Month in Real Estate | October 2015

■Market Watch-October, 2015

Record Home Sales in September 2015

October 5, 2015 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Mark McLean announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported a record number of transactions for the month of September through TREB's MLS® System. There was a combined 8,200 home sales reported for September 2015. This result was up 2.5 per cent compared to September 2014.

TREB MLS® sales through the first nine months of 2015 amounted to 80,331, which also represented a record result and a 9.5 per cent increase compared to the first three quarters of 2014.

"We are on track for record home sales reported through TREB's MLS® System this year. Barring a drastic shift in the economy over the next three months, total transactions reported by TREB Members in 2015 are expected to be at or near the 100,000 mark. This is a testament to the importance that GTA households put on home ownership as a long-term investment," said Mr. McLean.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark Price was up by 10.5 per cent year over year. The average selling price for all home types combined was also up by 9.2 per cent annually to $627,395. Growth in the MLS® HPI Composite Benchmark and the average price was driven by the low-rise market segments, including detached and semidetached houses and townhouses.

"While September was the second straight month where annual growth in new listings outstripped annual growth sales, total active listings at the end of the month still remained below last year's level. This, coupled with the record pace of sales experienced so far this year, suggests that competition between buyers will remain strong as we move into the fourth quarter. Expect strong rates of price growth to continue through the remainder of 2015 and into 2016," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis.

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■This Month in Real Estate | September 2015

■Market Watch-September, 2015

Sales and Average Price Up in August

September 4, 2015 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Mark McLean announced that Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 7,998 residential transactions through the TREB MLS® System in August 2015. This result represented a 5.7 per cent increase compared to 7,568 sales reported in August 2014. On a GTA-wide basis, sales were up for all major home types.

The annual growth rate in new listings was greater than the annual growth rate in sales, but active listings at the end of August were still down compared to last year. This suggests that sellers' market conditions remained in place, especially where low-rise home types like singles, semis and townhouses were concerned.

"Buyers in the GTA remain confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term. They see ownership housing as a quality investment that has historically produced positive returns while at the same time providing owners with a place to live in their chosen community," said Mr. McLean.

Both the MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark and the average selling price for all home types combined were up substantially in August compared to the same period in 2014, with both increasing by approximately 10 per cent year-over-year.

"A record year for home sales continued to unfold in August as competition between buyers exerted upward pressure on selling prices. It was encouraging to see annual growth in new listings outstrip annual growth in sales, but we will need to see this for a number of months before market conditions become more balanced," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis.

■This Month in Real Estate | August 2015

■Market Watch-August, 2015

New Record for July Home Sales

August 6, 2015 -- Toronto Real Estate Board President Mark McLean announced record home sales for the month of July. Greater Toronto Area REALTORS® reported 9,880 sales through TREB's MLS® System, representing an eight per cent increase compared to July 2014. The number of transactions were up for all major home types, including a double digit year-over-year increase in condominium apartment sales.

"As we move towards a new record for home sales this year, it is important to point out that home ownership demand has been driven not only by low borrowing costs, but also by the fact that the GTA economy has been performing quite well, with the unemployment rate lower compared to last year. Home buyers remain confident in the long-term benefits of owning a home," said Mr. McLean.

The MLS® Home Price Index (HPI) Composite Benchmark, which accounts for benchmark home prices in communities throughout the TREB market area, was up by 9.4 per cent year over- year in July 2015. Over the same period, the average selling price was up by a slightly greater amount, growing by 10.6 per cent annually to $609,236.

Detached homes continued to lead the way in terms of price increases, with annual growth in the average selling price outstripping growth in the MLS® HPI detached benchmark. This suggests that there continued to be a greater share of high-end homes sold this year compared to last.

"With the level of inventory in the GTA trending below two months, many listings continued to generate a lot of interest from buyers. Not surprisingly, this supported further price increases well-above the rate of inflation. Assuming similar interest rate and economic environments over the next five months, strong price growth will remain the norm for the rest of 2015," said Jason Mercer, TREB's Director of Market Analysis.