Monday Market Minute | Mar 25, 2024

Spring housing market stirs — buyers re-enter ahead of rate cuts

What Moved

CREA reported a notable uptick in housing activity across major Canadian markets in late March. Toronto saw new listings rise 15% year-over-year while sales firmed, and Vancouver experienced its strongest week of showing activity since early 2023. Buyers appeared to be positioning ahead of expected mid-year rate cuts, calculating that waiting would mean competing in a more active market.

Why It Matters

The early spring activity confirmed that pent-up demand had not dissipated — it had merely paused. For private real estate investors, the signal was clear: the valuation trough for residential assets was likely in the rearview mirror. Development-stage funds that acquired land or entitled projects during the 2023 slowdown stood to benefit from improving market fundamentals.

Signal to Watch

Whether the spring activity would sustain through April or stall at current price levels. Mortgage pre-approval volumes — a leading indicator — would reveal whether this was genuine demand or speculative positioning ahead of the rate pivot.

The Monday Market Minute is published weekly by Alts Insider for educational purposes only. It does not constitute investment advice. See our full disclaimer.