Price to the market, not your mortgage
Your purchase price, your renovation budget, and what your neighbour 'heard' are not inputs. The comps are. In 2026 the GTA average was $1,069,700, down 4.6% year-over-year (TRREB Market Watch, May 2026), buyers have leverage, and they're negotiating below list. Price into that reality and you sell; price into 2022 and you sit.
The 5-point rarity test
Most agents pitch a bidding war to everyone. It only works for homes that are genuinely rare. Before recommending a price, I score a home on five factors — and the score, not a hunch, sets the strategy:
- Lot — meaningfully above-average for the block?
- Renovation — recent and tasteful for the segment?
- Location — top catchment, prestige street, or a key amenity at the door?
- Heritage — designated or architecturally significant?
- Size — well above typical for the price band?
Why low-list pricing backfires for most homes in 2026
Listing below market to spark a bidding war assumes a crowd of competing buyers. In a market where buyers have leverage and are negotiating below list (TRREB Market Watch, 2026), a low list often just sets a low ceiling — you get a couple of cautious offers near the bottom of your range and pressure to accept. For the rare home that scores high on the test, competition is real and the strategy works. For everything else, pricing at the top of fair value and being patient nets more.