In the News

While it’s not unusual to stumble upon a great laneway house in Toronto, it’s rare to come across one that boasts an exceptionally spacious layout with ample garden space and exposure in a prime location.

Interestingly, the home sale ended up being the most expensive detached freehold ever sold in the c01 area on MLS, according to listing agent Paul Johnston, who is a salesperson for Right at Home Realty Inc.

“No other freehold properties have sold at this price in the c01 area, which encompasses downtown south of Bloor, west of Yonge, and east of Dufferin down to the water,” explained Johnston.

Adam Weir was Bryan Baeumler’s project manager on Renovation Island (also known as Island of Bryan). As fans called out, Adam has not appeared on season 3 of the show. Bryan revealed that Adam is forging his own path in Canada. As a refresher, Adam had long been Bryan Baeumler’s project manager. In episode two of season three, however, it’s revealed that he’s no longer going to be part of the show — but the family has made sure to note that he’ll always be part of the Baeumler family.

Just because Adam is no longer working with the Baeumlers doesn’t mean he’s left the home space for good, though. As he revealed on Instagram in April, he’s now working as a real estate agent with Right at Home Realty, “the largest independent real estate brokerage in Canada.”

"ShowingTime provides Right at Home Realty's members with management tools that enhance their productivity and allow them to quickly schedule and confirm showings, so they never missing a showing,” said Branch Manager Richard Weima, who himself has 48 years in residential real estate. “ShowingTime’s suite of features are easy to use and enable Right at Home Realty to streamline showing management. It has elevated our business.”

Right at Home Realty President John Lusink said they selected ShowingTime for its focus on technology and its all-in-one approach to handling showing management and agent/client communications.

Real estate agents adapted to unprecedented circumstances in the immediate aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, credits one of Ontario’s largest brokerages.

Scott MacPherson, VP of professional development at Right at Home Realty in Toronto, says that in acclimatising so seamlessly, brokers and agents helped usher in changes that will permanently remain part of agents’ repertoires, particularly virtual tours, which consumers took to quickly.

“Real estate is honestly a person-to-person business and agents had to rely more on tools they weren’t using before. Once open houses got suspended, they went to virtual platforms and learned how to use software like Matterport,” said MacPherson.

Bidding wars for leases, commonplace in pre-pandemic Toronto, have returned to the city’s downtown core.

“If it’s a good unit and offered at a good price, you get multiple offers on the lease,” said Scott MacPherson, VP of Professional Development at Right at Home Realty. “We see it in the core of Toronto—a one-bedroom, 700 sq ft unit or a two-bedroom, which is hard to find, and close to amenities, get multiple offers.”

MacPherson added that Mississauga’s city centre condo cluster, as well as downtown Burlington, also see bidding wars for leases. Moreover, MacPherson says that as downtown Toronto becomes more vibrant by the day, many people who fled during the onset of the pandemic are seen to be returning.

“Unlike Vaughan and other suburban cities, Barrie’s development strategy and plan has been gradual, unfolding and evolving over decades to ensure sustainable and manageable growth,” Max Maccari, broker with Right at Home Realty, Barrie branch, told NextHome.

For new home development, much of the activity is taking place in the south end of the city, where townhomes and condos are the prevalent housing type, to appeal to first-time buyers and downsizers, Maccari says.

“Barrie municipal government and employees have made excellent decisions over the years, master-planning the city’s future growth,” he says. “The new housing opportunities over the next three to seven years will be sufficient to maximize Barrie’s population targets.”