After eighteen months of hesitation from buyers and a slow drip of new listings, the GTA market is heading into spring 2026 with the healthiest balance we've seen in years. Active listings are up roughly 14% year-over-year, days-on-market has stretched to 22 days across the region, and the sale-to-list ratio has finally settled around 101%.
For buyers, that means more negotiating room than at any point since early 2023. For sellers, it means pricing and presentation matter more than ever — you can no longer count on five bids on offer night to paper over a mediocre listing. In this post I'll walk through what I'm seeing, neighbourhood by neighbourhood, and share my honest take on where the year is heading.
The short version: prices are stable, buyers have leverage in the $1M – $1.5M detached segment, and condos in the downtown core are finally starting to move again after a long stretch of stagnation.
What's driving the shift
Two things are doing most of the work: rate clarity and population growth. The Bank of Canada has held steady for three consecutive meetings, and while we're not in cheap-money territory, lenders are competing aggressively for qualified buyers again. Meanwhile GTA population growth hasn't slowed — just over 125,000 new residents arrived in the region last year — which continues to support long-term demand.
Where buyers have leverage
Entry-level detached homes in Pickering, Ajax, and parts of Brampton are seeing the most price softness. If you're pre-approved and flexible on commute, this is the window to negotiate. Condos under 600 sqft in the core are another story — after a rough 2024, rental absorption has caught up to supply and we're seeing multiple offers on well-priced studios.
What sellers should do right now
Price it right. I can't say this enough. Gone are the days of listing $100K under to 'invite offers' — that tactic now just telegraphs desperation. Have your agent run a tight CMA, make the small investments that matter (painting, decluttering, professional photos), and trust the process. A correctly priced home in the GTA still sells in under three weeks.
Senior sales rep and full-time GTA realtor. Fifteen years, 500+ transactions, zero handoffs.