Toronto home price surge biggest since pandemic peak

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The spring surge in Toronto house prices accelerated again in May, providing another sign of persistent inflation in parts of the Canadian economy before a key central bank interest rate decision next week.

The benchmark price of a home in Canada’s largest city increased 3.2 per cent last month to $1.14 million on a seasonally adjusted basis, the third straight monthly increase and the biggest since the market peaked in February 2022, according to data released Friday from the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board.

The average selling price, at $1,196,101, fell 1.2 per cent from May 2022 but rose 3.7 per cent from April 2023.

Home prices in Toronto and across Canada tumbled from record highs starting early last year as the central bank began a series of aggressive interest rate hikes to combat inflation. Immediately after the Bank of Canada paused that campaign this year, prices started to bounce back as buyers who had delayed purchases leaped back into the market, only to be confronted with a dearth of homes for sale. In Toronto, the benchmark price is already up 6.8 per cent since February.