I had a seller tell me last week that his agent told him to paint the walls white, stage it like a West Elm showroom, and price it 10% above the last sale in the building. That was good advice in 2021. In 2026, it’s two out of three at best, and the one that’s wrong is the one that costs you the most money.
The Toronto condo market today is not the condo market from three years ago, and if you’re getting ready to sell, the strategy needs to match what’s actually happening right now. Not what worked when inventory was tight and buyers were writing offers on anything with a balcony and a pulse.
What Mattered in 2021
Let me be clear about what the 2021 market looked like. Inventory was low. Buyers were desperate. Interest rates were under 2%. If your condo didn’t need major work and you priced it anywhere near market value, you were getting multiple offers within the first week. Sometimes the first day.
In that environment, staging mattered, but mostly because it helped your listing photos stand out in a sea of beige. Pricing mattered, but you had room to be aggressive because buyers were stretching. Days on market didn’t matter because nothing sat.
The biggest edge you could have was timing. List on a Tuesday, hold offers the following Monday, and watch people bid each other up. It worked.
What Matters in 2026
The market today is a completely different conversation. We’re sitting at over 5 months of inventory for condos in Toronto. That’s a strong buyer’s market. There are more than 22,000 new condo units completing this year, and a lot of those are hitting the resale market as investors try to exit. Buyers have options. They’re taking their time. They’re negotiating.
Here’s what actually moves condos right now.
Pricing
This is the single most important decision you’re going to make, and it’s where I see the most mistakes. In 2021, you could price your condo at $750K when comparables were at $720K and still get $760K because three buyers wanted it. In 2026, if you price at $750K when comparables are at $720K, you sit for 45+ days, get no showings after week one, and end up selling for $690K (if you are lucky) because now you look stale.
Buyers today are doing their homework. They know what sold last month. They know what’s sitting. If your price doesn’t make sense on day one, they’re not coming to see it, because they’ve got 15 other options that are priced right.
The strategy that’s working right now is pricing at or slightly below recent comparables, generating activity in the first two weeks, and letting the market tell you what it’s worth. Not aspirational pricing and hoping.
Building Reputation and Financials
This mattered in 2021, but buyers overlooked a lot of stuff because they were desperate to get into the market. In 2026, they’re reading status certificates thoroughly. They’re asking about special assessments. They’re Googling the building name to see if there’s been any news about lawsuits or how the reviews on the building look.
If your building has a reputation problem, you need to price accordingly. If the reserve fund is underfunded or there’s been a recent special assessment, that’s coming up in every offer conversation, and buyers are adjusting their offers to account for it.
I can’t fix your building’s financials, but I can tell you that pretending they don’t matter is going to cost you time and money.
Actual Condition
In 2021, buyers were willing to overlook dated kitchens, scuffed floors, and deferred maintenance because they just wanted in. In 2026, they’re comparing your unit to three others in the same building that are in better shape, and they’re writing offers on those instead.
You don’t need to renovate. But you do need to be honest about where your unit sits compared to what else is available. Fresh paint, clean floors, and fixing the obvious stuff matters more now than it did three years ago. And if you’re not going to do those things, your pricing needs to reflect that you’re selling a unit that needs work.
Professional Photos and Presentation
This has always mattered, but the bar is higher now. In 2021, mediocre photos still got you showings because inventory was tight. In 2026, if your photos look like they were taken on an iPhone 8 in bad lighting, buyers are scrolling past your listing without a second thought.
Good photos, clean presentation, and a floor plan if the layout isn’t obvious. That’s table stakes. If you’re not doing that, you’re losing to the listings that are.
Days on Market
In 2021, days on market didn’t matter because nothing sat. In 2026, buyers are watching this number like a hawk. If your condo has been on the market for 30 days, they’re assuming something is wrong with it, and they’re either skipping it entirely or coming in with a lowball offer because they think you’re desperate.
The way to avoid this is to price right on day one and generate activity in the first two weeks. Once you’re past 21 days with no offers, you’re fighting an uphill battle.
What Matters Less Now (But Still Matters)
Staging still matters, but the goal is different. In 2021, you staged to create a lifestyle vibe, to help buyers imagine themselves living there. In 2026, you’re staging to show space, function, and light. Buyers want to see that the unit is bigger than it looks, that the layout works, and that the windows let in actual daylight.
You don’t need to spend $5,000 on rental furniture. You need to declutter, depersonalize, and make sure the space feels open and clean.
What You Should Do
If you’re thinking about selling your condo in 2026, here’s the order of operations:
- Look at what’s sold in your building in the last 60 days. Not what’s listed. What actually closed and for how much.
- Look at what’s currently listed in your building. That’s your competition. Be honest about where your unit sits compared to those comps. Better condition? Worse? Same?
- Hire a Realtor who understands the market and can actually discuss why your unit is great value at where it is priced and address the concerns from prospective buyers while keeping the lowballers at bay.
- Price accordingly. If you want to sell in the first 30 days, you need to be priced at or below the best comparable that’s sold recently.
- Get professional photos. Fix the obvious stuff. Make it easy for buyers to say yes.
The market rewards people who understand what’s actually happening right now, not what happened three years ago. In 2021, you could get away with hope and optimism. In 2026, you need a strategy that matches reality.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to talk through where your unit actually sits in the current market, let’s book a call. I’ll give you the straight answer, not the one you want to hear.
