TORONTO – The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board says home sales were down 69 per cent in the first 17 days of April compared with a year ago as the COVID-19 outbreak put a chill on market activity.
Board president Michael Collins says in an unusual mid-month update that uncertainty about jobs and the economy contributed to the decline, as did physical distancing measures that make homebuying more difficult. [ Sign up for our Health IQ newsletter for the latest coronavirus updates ] Sales, totalling 1,654 homes, declined the most in the condo segment that attracts a high share of first-time buyers who have more flexibility on timing, while higher-end detached sales in the City of Toronto also saw elevated declines.