Year in Review: Our Most Popular Stories of 2015

It was another big year for real estate here in Greater Toronto — sales and average price records were shattered, mortgage rules were adjusted, and the team here at Living Realty Inc., Brokerage did our best to keep readers up to date and informed, every step of the way.

With just a couple of days left until New Year’s Day, here’s our glance back at 2015’s top five most popular articles here at GTA Real Estate News.

1. Real Estate Careers: Working with a Staging Professional

Our most-read article of the year was this feature interview with Kit Lee, a staging expert from GTA-based firm 2 Sisters Homestyling. Her tips include questions to ask your staging professional, as well as what to expect when it comes to timeframe and budgeting.

2. Celebrating Chinese New Year 2015: Year of the Ram

Year after year, our Chinese New Year guide is always a big hit with our readers. This year we took a look at the personality traits of those born in the Ram year, and threw in a few famous Canadian examples for good measure.

 3. Incoming Regulations Aim to Make Bidding Wars More Transparent

An update to REBBA 2002 that took effect on July 1, 2105 turned out to be one of the year’s changes impacting Ontario’s real estate industry. This post contains our overview of the update – which, among other changes, made it mandatory for Ontario offers to be written, signed, and retained by brokerages for at least one full year.

4. Real Estate Careers: Mastering the Mail Drop

In 2015’s second-most-read installment of our Career Series, we caught up with Branch Manager David Wong on his tried-and-true tips for advertising real estate services by mail. A must-read refresher for sales representatives and experienced brokers alike.

5. Micro Condos a “Smart” Investment in Toronto Market

With Urban Capital’s Smart House development paving the way, 2015 has been a big year for “micro condos” – suites maxing out at 500 square feet or less. We analyzed the emerging trend and took a stab at explaining the micro suites’ popularity among not just millennial buyers, but condo investors as well.