Earlier in my career, I was working with an established Toronto developer who had a hunch : that (in his words) “people would pay for good design”. The entire concept struck me as self-evident, and I was always puzzled by how a leader in the new construction field in Toronto considered this statement unproven and untested.  I wholeheartedly admit that my curiosity with design has slipped into every facet of my life, and perhaps more

Despite being a fan of Depeche Mode, I didn’t see their recent concert in Toronto. But this particular song title reminds me of something that I believe pretty profoundly – that a truly healthy real estate market is one in which there is a certain degree of balance. In the 10 years I’ve spent in the business, I’ve come to understand ‘balance’ in terms of shared degree of disappointment – where sellers are mildly disappointed

Mansion Global explores luxury real estate in Toronto Theres no foreign buyers’ tax, but there are other taxes to consider Toronto, a diverse and cosmopolitan city, is popular with buyers from all over the world. “Toronto is known as the most multilingual and multicultural city [in Canada],” said Jim Burtnick, of the Torontoism team of Sotheby’s International Realty. “There are six Chinatowns and everybody and anybody coming here will feel pretty absorbed into the community.”

These, the words of a teenager who sheepishly asked to tour through one of our listings, during an “agent only” event. How glad I am that we invited her in. There was a certain elation in her statement, as she headed for the door to leave.  But also a simplicity in what she said that reminded me of precisely why our business is so profoundly enjoyable: because houses do indeed change lives.  And perhaps because

The growing interest in modern architecture can be seen on practically every street in most Toronto neighbourhoods. The form seems to work equally well on narrow lots next to skinny Victorian houses, on wide lots beside rambling clapboard beach homes, or as striking counterpoint to stolid Edwardian bricks in North Toronto. Such interiors are awash in natural light and feature uncluttered inte- rior details. With their ability to offer sweeping views through a home from front

It’s inevitable, being involved in residential real estate, that the conversation of market health with come up – frequently.  Utterly understandable, really.  When I was a food & wine critic, I became rather accustomed to “Oh, so what’s your favourite …” and so today I’m equally at ease responding to “what do you think will happen …”. For the purpose of being emphatic and hopefully clear, let me say here, now, the following : my crystal