Let’s just say it plainly.
The market has slowed. And when markets slow, skill starts to matter again.

Not panic. Not headlines. Skill.

Inventory is still relatively low, but it’s rising. Buyers are re-emerging, and we are seeing selective bidding activity. In the past week alone, 44% of homes in Oshawa sold at full price or over asking, with overall sales averaging about 3% above list price. That is not a broken market. That is a market that is starting to behave normally again.

And normal markets are where experience separates professionals from order-takers.

For most of the last decade, real estate has been driven by momentum. If you listed a home, priced it somewhere close to reality, and put it on MLS, chances were it sold. Some agents built entire careers in that environment.

This is not that environment.

Across Durham Region, it is currently taking about 3.6 months to sell the average home. That places us in what is considered a Balanced Market. But averages hide risk. In Whitby, homes around $1.2M are taking closer to six months to sell. In Oshawa at similar price points, homes are still moving closer to a Normal Seller’s Market pace. Same region. Same price range. Very different results depending on how the property is positioned and marketed.

This is exactly the kind of market where strategy is not optional.

When homes start sitting, experienced brokers don’t hope for buyers. We create reasons for buyers to act.

Rate buy downs are one example. A seller can work with a lender to reduce a buyer’s effective mortgage rate by contributing cash up front. On a $500,000 mortgage, roughly $8,000 from a seller can reduce a buyer’s monthly payment by about $265. That is not just an incentive. That is often the difference between a buyer qualifying or not. More importantly, it makes a listing stand out in a market full of similar homes.

Buyer incentives matter as well. Home warranties. HVAC service plans. Covering legal costs. Moving assistance. In the early 1990s downturn, builders were offering car leases and vacation packages just to move inventory. The tactics change. Buyer psychology doesn’t. People still move toward certainty and perceived value.

There is also a truth the industry doesn’t love talking about. When compensation is stronger on a listing, Buyer agents notice. More attention means more showings. More showings mean more opportunities for offers. It may not be the only factor, but pretending it doesn’t matter is ignoring how the business actually works.

Then there is pricing. Not guessing. Not “testing the market.” Real pricing strategy. Understanding what other homes are competing for the same buyers and positioning a property so it creates urgency instead of hesitation. The property that looks like the best value on paper is usually the one that wins the buyer.

Here is the part that should concern sellers.

When markets slow, some agents do less. Advertising budgets get cut. Virtual tours disappear. Open houses stop. I recently reviewed homes in the $1.2M range in Whitby, which is a challenging price bracket right now. About half had no virtual tours. Roughly 30% looked like photos were taken quickly on a phone.

In a slower market, marketing is not optional. It is the difference between selling and sitting.

Right now, we are absolutely in what I would call a price war and a beauty contest market. Homes that show like models, are priced realistically, and are marketed properly are still selling. Often faster. Often for stronger numbers. Homes that rely on “the market” to do the work are the ones sitting.

We are not in a crash. We are not in a crisis. We are in a market where attention to detail, strategy, and execution are what separate successful sales from expired listings.

And if there is one thing decades in this business teaches you, it’s this:
Momentum markets make everyone look smart.
Normal markets show who actually is.

If you are planning to make a move, this is exactly the type of market where having a strategy built for today matters. I can be reached at lindsay@buyselllove.ca or 905-743-5555