Our province is finally looking to start further opening up our economy beyond essential businesses in the coming days and weeks. And like everyone in this pandemic, real estate has had to change how it operates in order to pivot to our new reality as we come out of lockdown.

Stagers, photographers, landscapers, home inspectors, handymen, mortgage brokers, appraisers, and everyone else essential to a transaction are all back at work but operating under Covid protocols such as masks and gloves, social distancing, and health declarations.

Confidence is slowly coming back in to the market. Buyers and sellers are learning their house may need to be vacant for the days leading up to showings, most tours will be done virtually, and even signings and deposits are done electronically. Buyers now have the confidence again that they can do proper due diligence and sellers feel that their home will be properly marketed.

What all of this has meant is a steady increase in listings, showings, offers, and sales in the past few weeks. We aren’t back to where we were pre-covid on any of these metrics but we are headed in the right direction.

The right property, properly marketed and properly priced still sells quickly – in certain areas we are seeing multiple offers, as demand is still there and will always be there – shelter is of course essential, and Toronto remains one of the world’s premier cities to live. We are getting more and more calls from our clients now looking to jump in to the market or trade up or downsize. The Spring market, traditionally the busiest time of the year in real estate has been in a holding pattern for two months now and there still remains a need to buy and sell.