Long gone are the days when buying a condo meant a moderate investment. The average condo price in Toronto has reached $600,000, and in Vancouver it is approaching $700,000. It’s best to be well informed before you make the move to get a dream condo with a high price tag.
If you want to buy like a pro, you need professional tools, and that’s why we have collected several sources that inform you about all the aspects of buying a condo, from listings to reviews.
Here is a brief version of the resources with key insights for each of them. If you are interested in more information on these resources, read on.
| Logo | Website | Insights provided |
|---|---|---|
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Realtor.ca | The main Canadian platform for current condo listings. |
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CondoEssentials.com | The largest Canadian condo review platform where you can find out all the hidden facts about your dream condo. |
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Zoocasa.com | Prices for sold properties – information that till recently was available to real estate agents only. |
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BuzzBuzzHome.com | A large website that specifically focuses on pre-constructions. |
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Condos.ca | Detailed information about condos, including price history, condo details, and more. |
Let’s discuss these platforms and why you need them.
1. Current condo listings: Realtor.ca
Many sites provide access to condo sales listings. The main site is Realtor.ca, which is the main part of the MLS (Multiple Listings Service) system for the public. Numerous filtering tools allow you to find results that are tailored to your requirements. Here, you will see all the properties that are currently available on the market. Please note that seeing a property on this website is still not a 100 per cent guarantee that it is available – there is a slight delay between data updates. A property can be already sold (fully or conditionally) and still appear on realtor.ca.
2. Condo reviews: CondoEssentials.com
Quantitative data is not everything – qualitative data is as important as numbers. That’s where CondoEssentials.com helps – by capturing thousands of condo reviews that are written by owners and renters. Aspects such as thin walls that let noise through, long elevator waiting times, and poor condo security can only be found from the real stories of those who have already lived in the condo. That’s how CondoEsssentials helps you make the right choice.
Right now condo essentials offers reviews for Toronto condos, Mississauga condos, Richmond Hill Condos and other locations.
3. Sold listings with prices: Zoocasa.com
Knowing the asking prices that are available via Realtor.ca is not enough; it is also very useful to know the real prices that people paid for comparable properties. Historically, only real estate agents had access to the sold prices, but a few websites turned this practice around. One of them is Zoocasa, where you will get access to prices for sold properties. This site reduces the power of a real estate agent by giving everybody access to data that was not publicly available in the past.
4. Pre-construction condos: BuzzBuzzHome.com
The strength of BuzzBuzzHome is its extensive database of pre-construction condos. The site also includes detailed information on pre-construction projects, such as floor plans, construction timelines, pricing for new units, and much more. If you are on the search for a pre-construction property, do not miss this site.
5. Detailed condo information: Condos.ca
Condos.ca is a hub of information about condos. You will find plenty of useful information, from an overview of condo amenities to historical price changes per square foot, and even to price proxies for different condo sizes.
This site does a great job of providing overviews of neighbourhoods and builders along with a lot of other useful information.
We hope that you liked this list and will also share with us the websites you use when purchasing a condo. Don’t forget, once you’ve purchased an existing condo, or when your pre-construction condo is ready, you need to protect it with insurance. Cheap condo insurance is our specialty – get a quick condo insurance quote to see how little you need to pay to protect your dream condo.
We hope that you liked this list and will also share with us the websites you use when purchasing a condo. Don’t forget, once you’ve purchased an existing condo, or when your pre-construction condo is ready, you need to protect it with insurance. Cheap condo insurance is our specialty – get a quick condo insurance quote to see how little you need to pay to protect your dream condo.