We are now at the halfway mark for the year and the housing market has been quite interesting to say the least. After a slow start in the first few months, the market appears to be steadily improving with the volume of sales making double-digit gains.

The number of homes sold in Oakville increased by 16.8 percent in June. This followed an 11-percent increase in May and heralds a strong market for resale homes, according to the Oakville Milton and District Real Estate Board. “Sales have increased for the second month in a row,” says Jack McCrudden, President of the real estate board. “At the same time, prices are moderating, encouraging more buyers into the market.”

Meanwhile, the number of new listings, those homes being put on the market, is relatively consistent. So we have the number of homes being sold outpacing the number of homes being listed. McCrudden, however, says there is still room for sellers wanting to attract interested buyers. “If interest rates stay as they are, the Oakville, Milton area can anticipate a healthy market over the next few months, with opportunities for both buyers and sellers.”

That’s certainly good news for anyone wanting to sell their home, but also signals the importance of selecting a broker who truly knows the market and is able to market your home effectively. Carefully check the broker’s credentials – how long have they been established in this market, how are they marketing their homes, how efficient are they, and what are their results?

What’s happening with prices? In Oakville, the average price of a home dropped 3.5 percent to $599,504 in June compared with June last year. In Milton, the average price increased three percent.

For the first six months of the year, however, the average price in Oakville increased by seven percent, and in Milton it increased by four percent.

The statistics for Burlington had not been released as I was writing this column, but Burlington has typically been on par with Oakville, so I suspect the story is much the same there.

For Greater Toronto, home sales were up a whopping 21 percent in June compared with June 2010. This number represents the third best June on record – behind 2007 and 2009. “This strong June result capped off an interesting first half of 2011,” says Toronto Real Estate Board President Richard Silver. “The pace of sales was a bit sluggish at the beginning of the year, but rebounded in May and June. Because of the positive affordability picture, homebuyers remained confident in their ability to purchase and pay for a home over the long term.”

The average price for June transactions in Greater Toronto showed a 9.5 percent increase.
As we see the market continuing to rebound, I have to emphasize how important it is to select an effective broker; someone who will ensure you sell your home for the best price possible. Are they using the best print options, how effectively are they using the internet, on what websites and how often is your listing going to be profiled, are they utilizing new technology such as QR codes? The Dan Cooper Team is proud to being doing all of this and more. Our track record speaks for itself – top team in Canada for Royal LePage in seven of the past 10 years. It’s an accomplishment we are proud of and one that our clients have appreciated when we sold their homes quickly and for top dollar.

Dan Cooper is an award-winning broker with Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd., Brokerage – the Number 1 Royal LePage Team for Canada in 2009. He can be reached at 905.338.3737, direct line at 905.849.3303 or through his innovative and interactive website at DanCooper.com. Be sure to catch the Dan Cooper Real Estate Series on DailyWebTV.com. For his free booklet How To Sell Your House For Top Dollar – Fast! or his Guide to Oakville Real Estate, please call The Dan Cooper Team.