The early part of 2025 has been a whirlwind, with the tariff threat from the United States, a provincial election, a federal election, and no economic certainty to be found.
These combined factors meant the real estate market wasn’t seeing many deals being made, as a “wait and see” approach set in.
Bob Clarke, owner of Royal LePage Lakes of Muskoka Clarke Muskoka Realty, says things will pick up, but the extenuating circumstances caused a significant delay.
The good news is that with the warmer weather finally arriving in mid-May, properties were starting to hit the market.
“There are definitely signs of life in the market,” Bob said in May.
Professional realtors
The delayed start to the 2025 spring season, which is generally a time when more listings come online, also had other adverse impacts on the industry.
Bob says he’s noticed that only experienced, professional realtors like Clarke Muskoka Realty are remaining active; the casual and part-time players have mostly left.
“The number of agents that had no deals in the past year, or just one or two, is staggering,” he says. “There are no salaries in this field, so there is no way to make it work if you’re not doing business.”
Those looking to buy and sell in Simcoe should be contacting local realtors with many years of experience in the region. It’s a vastly different situation than simply buying or selling a subdivision home in the city.
“We understand the complexities of zoning and bylaws and know what you can and can’t do on a property,” says Bob. “We know the geography and the waterways, and how things vary between different municipalities.” Wise investmentsOne way or another, the real estate market survives and even thrives when other investments are negatively impacted by the economy.
While the Dow Jones and other markets can see huge swings, real estate will often remain at a steady pace. Bob notes that only extreme events such as the pandemic will result in huge movement in real estate values.
“The reality is you don’t typically get wild swings with land investments,” he says. “Over the decades, particularly in our area, there is a proven return of around five per cent year over year. That’s a pretty solid investment.”
It’s this awareness and understanding of the market that sets the top realtors like Clarke Muskoka Realty apart from the rest.
TEXT CHRIS OCCHIUZZI
